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Harmony Montgomery Verdict: Why 5-year-old girl's father kill her
Adam Montgomery convicted of second-degree murder in the heartbreaking case of Harmony Montgomery. The jury reached a unanimous decision after a two-week trial.
A jury convicted Adam Montgomery of second-degree murder and four other crimes on Thursday for killing his 5-year-old daughter Harmony Montgomery, whose body has not been located since she vanished in 2019.
The verdict came after a two-week trial that featured harrowing and heartbreaking testimony from witnesses and experts.
Montgomery, 38, was accused of killing Harmony in December 2019 and disposing of her body, which has never been recovered. He was also charged with assaulting her, tampering with evidence, abusing her corpse, and threatening a witness.
Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg praised the jury’s decision and said it was not a matter of victory or defeat. “This is about a 5-year-old girl that was murdered by her father and I can think of no worse crime,” he said.
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Despite the absence of the victim's body, the jury reached a unanimous decision
The jury deliberated for about seven hours over two days before reaching the verdict. They asked the judge to clarify the meaning of “recklessly” on Thursday, which was an element of the second-degree murder charge.
Montgomery did not appear in court for the verdict or for any part of the trial. He opted to stay in his jail cell and watch the proceedings via video.
Harmony’s birth mother Crystal Sorey and foster mother Michelle Raftery were present in the courtroom when the verdict was announced. They were accompanied by more than a dozen Manchester police officers, who showed their support and solidarity.
Sorey called Montgomery a coward and said he killed Harmony because he could not control her. “He took her away from the people that loved her because he couldn’t hack that he didn’t have control. That’s all he cared about, control, everything in his life. She wasn’t anything to him,” she said.
Sorey said she plans to attend Montgomery’s sentencing, which is scheduled for some time after April 1, and give a victim impact statement.
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The case was challenging: Prosecutor Agati
Prosecutor Benjamin Agati said he was relieved that the jury saw through Montgomery’s lies and held him accountable for his actions. He said the case was challenging and complex, especially without a body or a clear motive.
Jurors heard closing arguments on Wednesday, in which Agati argued that Montgomery killed Harmony because he was angry and frustrated with her. He said Montgomery abused and neglected Harmony, who had multiple injuries and scars on her body. He said Montgomery hid Harmony’s death from everyone, including his wife Kayla Montgomery, who testified against him.
Montgomery’s defense attorney Donna Brown tried to cast doubt on the prosecution’s case, saying there was no physical evidence or eyewitnesses to link Montgomery to Harmony’s death. S
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu reacted to the verdict on Twitter and called Montgomery ‘a monster’ who deserved to rot in prison.
