Father of Harmony Montgomery charged with murder in connection with 5-year-old's death

ByAmir Vera and Artemis Moshtaghian, CNN, CNNWire
Wednesday, October 26, 2022
Girl missing since 2019 was murdered in New Hampshire: Police
With new evidence, police announced that 8-year-old Harmony Montgomery was killed in early December 2019 in Manchester. Investigators continue to search for the suspect and Montgomery's remains.

The father of missing 5-year-old Harmony Montgomery has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection with her death, New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said Monday.



The video featured is from a previous report.



Adam Montgomery, 32, was also charged with falsifying physical evidence, abuse of a corpse and tampering with witnesses or informants, Formella announced at a Monday news conference.



Harmony was reported missing in November 2021 by her mother, Crystal Sorey, who said she last saw the girl during a FaceTime call in the spring of 2019. Police said Harmony was last seen in October 2019, and investigators concluded in August that the 5-year-old had been murdered.



Formella said that Montgomery "recklessly" caused the death of his daughter "under circumstances manifesting in extreme indifference to the value of life by repeatedly striking Harmony in the head with a closed fist in Manchester on or about December 7, 2019."



Adam destroyed, concealed or hid Harmony's body between December 7, 2019, and March 4, 2020, preventing authorities from conducting a proper investigation, Formella said.



RELATED: Girl missing since 2019 was murdered in New Hampshire, remains not found: Police



Formella also said Adam purposely attempted to "induce or otherwise cause" Harmony's stepmother, Kayla Montgomery, to falsely testify in the investigation into Harmony's disappearance between December 7, 2019, and January 4, 2022.



Montgomery is scheduled to be arraigned at Hillsborough County Superior Court Northern District in Manchester on Tuesday. CNN reached out to Adam's attorneys Caroline Smith and Paige Buckley for comment.



At Monday's news conference, Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg emotionally thanked those who helped find justice for Harmony.



"Although we were all pleased that we were able to bring forth these charges, they are of no solace to myself, the detectives behind me, who have worked tirelessly on this investigation, and more importantly, they bring no solace to the loved ones of Harmony Montgomery and her family and friends," he said.



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