CONCORD, N.H. — Authorities in New Hampshire announced Thursday that the investigation into Harmony Montgomery’s disappearance is now being considered a homicide.
According to The Associated Press, the investigation into Harmony Montgomery who had not been seen since 2019 at the age of 5 but was not reported as missing until late 2021, is now being considered a murder investigation.
New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella and Manchester Police Chief Allen D. Aldenberg said in a news conference Thursday, according to WFXT, that Harmony was murdered in December 2019. Investigators found new biological evidence that led to the determination that Harmony was murdered.
According to the AP, police were first made aware that she was missing when they got a call from Harmony’s mother, Crystal Sorey, the month before in, November 2019. She told them she had been trying to locate her for months. Police then contacted her father, Adam Montgomery.
Adam had a lengthy criminal record. He was indicted by a grand jury in March on a felony charge of second-degree assault, alleging that he hit Harmony in the face back in July 2019, according to WFXT.
In June 2022, Harmony’s stepmother, Kayla Montgomery, was also indicted by a grand jury for deception and allegedly telling the New Hampshire Health Department that Harmony had lived at home from November 2019 to June 2021 so she could receive food stamps for Harmony, according to WFXT. She was also arrested on perjury charges.
According to WFXT, both Adam and Kayla pled guilty and told investigators that Harmony was living with her mother.
Harmony was in her father’s care at the time after being awarded custody following years of her being in the custody of Massachusetts DCF. According to WFXT, the Office of the Child Advocate looked into Harmony’s case and found that DCF had failed her by “placing an unequal weight on the parents’ rights versus a child’s wellbeing.”
According to WFXT, Harmony’s remains have not been located yet.
The AP said investigators searched Adam and Kayla’s former home on June 14, 2022. A separate search was done on January 10 at a Manchester home which was Harmony’s last known address.
Kayla is out on bond and Adam remains in custody. No further information has been released.
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