Adam Montgomery and the Tragic End of Harmony Montgomery

A lone infant, a family massacred, and a weeklong manhunt. What really happened in Tiptonville? 🔎 Our latest blog post dives into the tragic case of Austin Drummond. Get the full story and read the book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4m7Y3Q4

1. What were the key charges against Adam Montgomery and what was his sentence?

Adam Montgomery was convicted of several serious charges related to the abuse, murder, and disposal of his five-year-old daughter, Harmony. These charges included second-degree assault, second-degree murder, falsifying physical evidence, tampering with witnesses and informants, and abuse of a corpse. He received a cumulative sentence of 56 years to life in prison. This includes 45 years to life for second-degree murder, 4 to 8 years for second-degree assault, 3.5 to 7 years for falsifying physical evidence, 3.5 to 7 years for tampering with witnesses and informants, and a 12-month suspended sentence for abuse of a corpse. These sentences are largely consecutive, meaning they are served one after another, and are in addition to a prior 30-60 year sentence for unrelated gun charges.

2. What is the timeline of Harmony Montgomery's disappearance and death?

Harmony Montgomery was last seen alive in October or November 2019. However, her disappearance wasn't reported until late 2021 by her biological mother, Crystal Sorey, nearly two years later. According to witness testimony, Adam Montgomery fatally beat Harmony on December 7, 2019, following repeated bathroom accidents while the family was living out of their car. After her death, her body was repeatedly moved and concealed in various locations over several months, including a duffel bag, a cooler, a ceiling vent in a homeless shelter, and a freezer at his workplace, before being ultimately disposed of in an unknown location in March 2020.

3. How did law enforcement and child welfare agencies become involved, and what were the criticisms of their handling of the case?

Law enforcement and child welfare agencies, particularly the New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) and the Manchester Police Department, faced significant criticism for their delayed response. Harmony's biological mother, Crystal Sorey, reported her missing in November 2021 after being unable to locate her for nearly two years. Prior to this, DCYF had received reports of abuse, including Harmony having a black eye in July 2019, and police had physically seen Harmony during a "Call for Service" in October 2019, which was the last confirmed sighting by authorities. An independent review in 2022 found that the Massachusetts child protection system "failed to prioritize the girl’s needs" and made "miscalculations of risk and unequal weight placed on parents’ rights versus a child’s wellbeing," including not enforcing requirements for interstate child placements.

4. What role did Kayla Montgomery, Adam's estranged wife, play in the case?

Kayla Montgomery, Harmony's stepmother, was a crucial witness for the prosecution in the murder trial. She initially lied to police and a grand jury about Harmony's whereabouts, claiming Adam had returned Harmony to her biological mother. She admitted to lying out of fear of Adam and because he instructed her to. After being charged with perjury, Kayla agreed to a plea deal in exchange for her truthful cooperation against Adam. She testified that she witnessed Adam repeatedly beat Harmony, leading to her death, and that she helped him hide and move Harmony's body to various locations. Kayla also detailed Adam's attempts to accelerate decomposition with lime and his physical abuse towards her to ensure her silence. She served 16 months for perjury and was released on parole in March 2024.

5. Why has Harmony Montgomery's body never been found?

Despite extensive searches and Adam Montgomery's conviction, Harmony's remains have never been recovered. Adam Montgomery consistently refused to disclose the location of her body, even when offered a reduced sentence during his sentencing hearing in exchange for the information. Kayla Montgomery testified that Adam disposed of Harmony's body from a rented U-Haul truck in March 2020, likely in the Greater Boston area based on toll records, but she never knew the exact spot. This refusal has deprived Harmony's family of a proper burial and closure.

6. What was Adam Montgomery's prior criminal history, and how did it factor into his sentencing?

Adam Montgomery had an extensive and violent criminal history dating back to 2007, which significantly influenced his sentencing. His prior felony convictions included criminal threatening (pointing a knife), armed robbery, assault with a weapon (stabbing), and shooting someone in the face during a drug-related dispute. The court noted that his prior sentences had failed to deter his criminal behavior. This long history of violence, coupled with the heinous nature of his crimes against Harmony, led the court to focus heavily on punishment and deterrence, with minimal weight given to rehabilitation. This is why his murder sentence was made consecutive to his existing 30-60 year sentence for weapons charges.

7. How did the victims' families express their impact during the sentencing?

Harmony's biological mother, Crystal Sorey, delivered a powerful victim impact statement, calling Adam Montgomery a "monster" and expressing her deep pain and longing to find Harmony's body. She condemned his lack of remorse and his continuous deceit. Harmony’s uncle, Kevin Montgomery, also spoke, recalling Adam’s callous admission of “bashing her around” after seeing Harmony with a black eye in 2019. Harmony’s half-brother Jamison’s adoptive parents, Blair and Jonathan Bobbitt-Miller, shared how Jamison constantly asks about Harmony and the void her murder has left. Harmony’s foster mother, Michelle Raftery, spoke of the joy Harmony brought to their lives and the profound trauma her death caused to their children. These statements underscored the immeasurable impact of Harmony's murder on her family and community.

8. What systemic failures were highlighted by this case?

The Harmony Montgomery case exposed critical systemic failures in child welfare and legal systems in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Reports indicated a lack of prioritization of Harmony's needs in her custody case, where her safety was not at the forefront when custody was transferred to Adam Montgomery, despite his extensive criminal history. There was also a failure to enforce interstate placement requirements (Interstate Compact). Additionally, despite multiple reports of abuse and concerns from family members, authorities did not intervene effectively or swiftly enough. The two-year delay in reporting Harmony missing and the subsequent prolonged investigation underscored a broader issue of accountability and communication between agencies and across state lines. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's decision to unseal the audio recordings of Harmony's custody hearing aims to bring transparency to these issues and help prevent similar tragedies.

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