The granite hills, winding roads, and set-back yards of New Hampshire are often the stuff of picture postcards. But life was far from idyllic during the short one lived by Harmony Montgomery, 5, who was killed in late 2019 and whose body has still never been recovered.
Adam Montgomery, 33, stands accused of murder in the second degree for allegedly killing Harmony by “repeatedly striking” her “in the head with a closed fist.” He is also charged with assault in the second degree, witness tampering, and falsifying physical evidence.
On Wednesday afternoon, after nearly two days of jury selection, 12 jurors and five alternates were selected from a pool of over 215 potential members of the Manchester community.
Montgomery’s trial began in earnest after the jury of his peers was seated to hear evidence he killed his daughter who, despite the intervention of child welfare authorities, seemingly had every chance, and ultimately her life, stolen away by adults meant to help her.
The defendant has been behind bars since January 2022 for allegedly assaulting his daughter and interfering with her mother’s custody of the still-missing child. He has since been charged, tried, and convicted of several gun-related crimes. Seemingly the lone suspect, he was charged with Harmony’s murder in October 2022.
Montgomery has consistently maintained his innocence.
“I did not kill my daughter, Harmony,” Montgomery said when being sentenced for the firearms charges in August 2023. “I could have had a meaningful life, but I blew that opportunity through drugs. But I loved my daughter unconditionally and I did not kill her.”
Police believe Harmony was killed on Dec. 7, 2019 — the product of her father’s rage after a series of “bathroom accidents” inside the Chrysler Sebring the Montgomery family begrudgingly called home. The family had been evicted the day before Thanksgiving that year.
And, then, for years, nothing. Until December 2021.
The lack of knowledge as to her whereabouts made its way onto law enforcement’s radar after an alarm was raised by her biological mother, Crystal Sorey, who lost and regained custody of her daughter due to substance abuse problems throughout the girl’s too-short life.
The lead prosecutor in the case is Ben Agati. Montgomery’s lead counsel is public defender Caroline Smith. The case is being overseen by Hillsborough Superior Court Judge Amy Messer.
Watch Adam Montgomery’s murder trial in the player above.
