A 33-year-old New Hampshire father is on trial for the death of his five-year-old daughter.
According to prosecutors, the young girl, Harmony Montgomery, endured a fatal assault by her father, Adam Montgomery, who beat her up and continued enjoying his food while indulging in drugs as the daughter died in agony in the back seat of their car.
Montgomery, known to have a violent past and struggles with drug addiction, was awarded custody of Harmony following a prison term.
This decision has come under heavy scrutiny, especially as Harmony’s adoptive parents had been seeking to ensure her safety.
During his trial, which began in early February 2024, prosecutors allege that on December 7, 2019, Harmony experienced a tragic end.
After soiling herself in her sleep in the backseat of the car in which they were living, she was subjected to a severe beating by her father.
Following this incident, the Montgomery family sought services at a methadone clinic and procured fast food. During this outing, Harmony had another accident, leading to more violence from her father.
Kayla Montgomery, Harmony’s stepmother and estranged from her husband Adam, faces charges related to Harmony’s disappearance, including perjury and fraudulently collecting welfare payments posthumously.
Her testimony against Adam has been pivotal, outlining the lengths to which he went to conceal Harmony’s body, including storing it in a freezer at his workplace.
Jurors learned about Adam’s attempts to obliterate any trace of his daughter, discussing the application of lime to hasten decomposition.
Despite admitting to charges of falsifying physical evidence and abuse of a corpse, Adam Montgomery has denied causing Harmony’s death. His defense hints at Kayla’s potential complicity.
Harmony was declared missing in December 2022, although she had been unaccounted for since late 2019. This declaration initiated a widespread search for her remains, with the Manchester Police Department urging the public to provide any relevant information. Hr body has never been found.
