The Case of Harmony Montgomery. Tiptonville Murders
- Cassian Creed
- Aug 7
- 16 min read
Briefing Document: Tiptonville Murders. The Case of Harmony Montgomery (As of August 2025)
I. Executive Summary
The case of Harmony Renee Montgomery is a profound and deeply tragic chronicle of systemic failures and horrific child abuse. Five-year-old Harmony was murdered by her biological father, Adam Montgomery, on or around December 7, 2019, in Manchester, New Hampshire. Despite her death occurring in late 2019, her disappearance went unnoticed and unreported for nearly two years, until her biological mother, Crystal Sorey, alerted authorities in November 2021. This shocking delay brought to light catastrophic failures within the child welfare systems of both Massachusetts and New Hampshire, which had placed Harmony in Adam Montgomery's custody in February 2019 despite his extensive and violent criminal history.
The subsequent investigation transitioned into a "no-body" homicide case, relying heavily on forensic evidence and the crucial testimony of Harmony's stepmother, Kayla Montgomery. Kayla detailed how Adam brutally beat Harmony to death following toilet-training accidents, then engaged in a months-long effort to conceal, move, and desecrate her body before its final disposal in an unknown location in March 2020. Adam Montgomery was convicted of second-degree murder, second-degree assault, falsifying physical evidence, tampering with a witness, and abuse of a corpse on February 22, 2024. He was sentenced on May 9, 2024, to a cumulative minimum of 56 years to life in prison, to be served consecutively with a prior decades-long sentence for unrelated firearms convictions.
As of August 2025, Harmony's remains have still not been found, a reality that continues to inflict profound grief on her family. For the Tiptonville murders, Adam Montgomery is currently appealing his conviction to the New Hampshire Supreme Court, challenging aspects of the trial. The case has spurred significant reforms in child welfare policies and led to a $2.25 million settlement between Harmony's mother and the state of New Hampshire, underscoring the acknowledged systemic lapses that culminated in this preventable tragedy.
II. Detailed Timeline of Events
The following timeline details the critical events leading up to, during, and after Harmony Montgomery's murder, highlighting key interventions and failures by authorities:
June 7, 2014: Harmony Renee Montgomery is born in Massachusetts to Crystal Sorey and Adam Montgomery.
August 2014: At two months old, Harmony is placed into Massachusetts foster care due to her mother's substance abuse issues. She resides largely with foster parents, Tim and Michelle Raftery, for the majority of her early life.
September 2014: Adam Montgomery is convicted of shooting a man in the head during a drug deal, receiving an 18-month sentence.
July 2018: Crystal Sorey officially loses custody of Harmony and her half-brother, Jamison.
February 22, 2019: Massachusetts Juvenile Court Judge Mark Newman awards full custody of Harmony to Adam Montgomery, despite his violent criminal history and minimal prior contact (only ~40 supervised hours over 4.5 years). This decision later draws heavy scrutiny for bypassing critical interstate child placement procedures.
Spring 2019 (Easter): Crystal Sorey has her last contact with Harmony via a FaceTime call; Harmony "appeared frightened."
July 2019: Adam's uncle, Kevin Montgomery, observes Harmony with a "fully black and blue" (raccoon) eye and reports it to New Hampshire's Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF). Adam admits to Kevin, "I bashed her around the fucking house." A DCYF caseworker visits the home but doesn't observe the injury, and the abuse allegations are later "unfounded" by October 2019.
October 2019: Manchester Police respond to a service call at 77 Gilford Street, the family's residence. This is the last confirmed sighting of Harmony by authorities.
Late November 2019 (Nov 27): The Montgomery family is evicted from 77 Gilford Street due to unpaid mortgage and begins living in their Chrysler Sebring car.
December 7, 2019: Adam Montgomery murders Harmony. While driving the family's car from a methadone clinic to Burger King, Adam "repeatedly punches her in the head" after she has a bathroom accident. Kayla Montgomery testifies Harmony began "moaning noises" for five minutes before falling silent. Adam then places her body into a duffel bag after the car breaks down.
December 2019 – March 2020: Adam Montgomery conceals Harmony's body in multiple locations:
Initially in a duffel bag, stored in the car trunk and in a snowbank near Colonial Village apartments.
Moved to a red cooler in a common hallway at Kayla's mother's apartment (258 Dubuque Street).
Hidden in a ceiling vent at the Families in Transition homeless shelter (177 Lake Avenue), where her body began to "smell a horrible smell" and "fluid leaking" from the ceiling was noted.
Transferred from the duffel bag into a smaller hospital maternity bag (CMC bag), a process involving crushing or dismemberment. Kayla testified to hearing "loud bangs" during this.
Stored in a walk-in freezer at Adam's workplace, Portland Pie Company (786 Elm Street).
Moved to an apartment freezer at 644 Union Street; Adam adds lime to accelerate decomposition.
March 4, 2020: Adam Montgomery rents a U-Haul truck and disposes of Harmony's remains in an unknown location, possibly between Manchester, NH, and the Revere/Chelsea area north of Boston, MA (based on toll records of the truck crossing Boston's Tobin Bridge). Her body has never been found.
Late 2019 – 2021: Adam and Kayla Montgomery lie to family and authorities, claiming Harmony was returned to her mother, Crystal Sorey, around Thanksgiving 2019. Crystal's attempts to contact Harmony are blocked by Adam.
September 2021: A family acquaintance of Crystal Sorey contacts NH DCYF with concerns about Harmony's whereabouts, triggering an investigation.
November 18, 2021: Crystal Sorey officially reports Harmony missing to Manchester Police after two years of no contact.
December 31, 2021: Manchester Police publicly announce Harmony is missing and find Adam Montgomery, who gives conflicting statements and stops cooperating.
January 4, 2022: Adam Montgomery is arrested on charges of second-degree assault (for the July 2019 incident), interference with custody, and child endangerment.
January 5, 2022: Kayla Montgomery is arrested for felony welfare fraud, having collected benefits for Harmony after her death.
June 2022: Kayla Montgomery provides a detailed statement to police, describing Harmony's murder and the subsequent body concealment by Adam. Investigators find Harmony's blood and Adam's fingerprints in the Families in Transition shelter ceiling vent.
August 11, 2022: NH Attorney General John Formella and Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg announce that Harmony was murdered in 2019, based on "recently confirmed biological evidence." The case is officially declared a homicide investigation.
October 24, 2022: Adam Montgomery is formally charged with second-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, falsifying physical evidence, and tampering with a witness.
November 18, 2022: Kayla Montgomery pleads guilty to two counts of perjury for lying to a grand jury and agrees to cooperate and testify against Adam in exchange for a reduced sentence.
August 7, 2023: Adam Montgomery is sentenced to 30-60 years in prison for unrelated firearms convictions (dating from 2019), to be served before any murder sentence.
February 8-22, 2024: Adam Montgomery's murder trial takes place in Hillsborough County Superior Court. He largely refuses to attend. Kayla Montgomery serves as the prosecution's star witness, recounting the murder and cover-up.
February 22, 2024: A jury finds Adam Montgomery guilty on all counts: second-degree murder, second-degree assault, falsifying physical evidence, abuse of a corpse, and witness tampering.
March 7, 2024: Kayla Montgomery is granted parole and released from prison after serving approximately 16 months for perjury.
March 12, 2024: A New Hampshire judge officially declares Harmony Montgomery legally dead.
May 9, 2024: Adam Montgomery is sentenced to 45 years to life for murder, plus additional consecutive terms, totaling a minimum of 56 years to life in prison. This sentence is consecutive to his existing 30-60 year firearms sentence, making his total sentence effectively 86 years to life. He refuses an offer to reduce his sentence if he reveals Harmony's body location.
September 2024: Crystal Sorey files a wrongful death lawsuit against the state of New Hampshire (DCYF) alleging negligence.
March 3, 2025: Adam Montgomery's defense attorneys file an appeal of his murder conviction to the New Hampshire Supreme Court, citing various trial errors.
April 23, 2025: The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rules that sealed audio recordings of Harmony's 2019 custody hearing (when she was given to Adam) must be made public to inform the public about systemic failures.
May 23, 2025: The State of New Hampshire settles Crystal Sorey's wrongful death lawsuit for $2.25 million, without admitting wrongdoing, but implicitly acknowledging failures in child protection.
August 2025: Harmony's remains have still not been found. Adam Montgomery's appeal is pending.
III. Profiles of Key Individuals
A. Victim: Harmony Renee Montgomery (June 7, 2014 – Declared Legally Dead March 12, 2024) Harmony was a five-year-old girl remembered as "loving, very sweet, very happy, super social" by her foster mother, Michelle Raftery. Born partially blind in her left eye with special behavioral needs, she spent most of her early life in Massachusetts foster care, thriving despite the instability. Her bond with her half-brother Jamison was strong, with Jamison recalling her as his "protector." Harmony’s last confirmed sighting by authorities was in October 2019, weeks before she was fatally beaten by her father. Her remains have never been found, leaving her family without closure.
B. Suspect/Perpetrator: Adam Montgomery (Born 1989) Harmony's biological father, a career criminal with a documented history of extreme violence, drug abuse (heroin/fentanyl), and little meaningful engagement in Harmony’s early care. His extensive criminal record includes convictions for armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, stabbing, and shooting a man in the face during a drug deal. Despite this, he was awarded full custody of Harmony in February 2019. He was convicted of Harmony's second-degree murder and related charges in February 2024, receiving a cumulative sentence of effectively life in prison (minimum 86 years). Adam showed no remorse, refused to attend most of his trial, and has consistently withheld the location of Harmony's remains. Prosecutors described his actions as "callous and heartless."
C. Key Witness: Kayla Montgomery (Born 1990/1991) Adam Montgomery’s estranged wife and Harmony’s stepmother. Kayla initially lied to investigators and a grand jury about Harmony's whereabouts, claiming she was returned to her biological mother. She later pleaded guilty to perjury, accepting a plea deal that required her to provide full and truthful testimony against Adam. Kayla became the prosecution's "star witness," detailing Adam's fatal beating of Harmony, and the gruesome, months-long concealment and disposal of the child's body in various locations (car trunk, cooler, shelter ceiling vent, restaurant freezer). She testified to Adam's physical and emotional abuse of her, explaining her initial fear and silence. After serving 16 months for perjury, she was released on parole in March 2024.
D. Victim's Mother: Crystal Sorey (Born 1989) Harmony's biological mother, who lost custody due to substance abuse issues but achieved sobriety. She was crucial in initiating the investigation, reporting Harmony missing in November 2021 after being blocked from contacting her daughter for over two years. Crystal provided emotional victim impact statements during Adam's sentencing and filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the state of New Hampshire for systemic failures, which was settled for $2.25 million in May 2025.
E. Lead Investigators & Prosecutors:
Chief Allen Aldenberg (Manchester Police Department): Led the public search efforts for Harmony and later announced the transition to a homicide investigation, expressing outrage over the systemic failures that allowed Harmony's death.
John M. Formella (New Hampshire Attorney General): Oversaw the homicide investigation and prosecution, making public announcements on the determination of Harmony’s murder and subsequent charges.
Senior Asst. Attorney General Christopher Knowles: The lead prosecutor in Adam Montgomery’s murder trial, presenting the state’s case relying heavily on forensic evidence and Kayla Montgomery’s testimony to secure a conviction without a body.
Detective Scott Reily (Manchester Police Department): Key investigator who discovered Harmony's blood and decomposition odor in the Families in Transition shelter ceiling vent, leading to a critical breakthrough in the case.
Katie Swango (NH State Police Lab): Forensic scientist who conclusively identified Harmony's DNA in blood samples from the shelter ceiling, providing crucial scientific evidence.
F. Other Key Witnesses & Persons of Interest:
Kevin Montgomery (Adam's Uncle): Reported seeing Harmony with a black eye in July 2019 and Adam's confession to "bashing her around the fucking house," a critical early warning sign ignored by DCYF.
Michael Montgomery (Adam's Brother): Corroborated Adam's abusive behavior towards Harmony, including an incident where Adam forced Harmony to scrub a toilet with her toothbrush as punishment.
Tim and Michelle Raftery: Harmony's foster parents for much of her early life, who described her as a thriving and happy child before she was placed with her father.
Blair & Jonathan Bobbitt-Miller: Adoptive parents of Harmony's half-brother, Jamison, who advocated for Harmony and spoke powerfully at Adam's sentencing about Jamison's grief and questions about his sister.
Christina Lubin (Kayla’s Mother): Unwittingly harbored Harmony’s body in a cooler in her apartment’s hallway for a period and was lied to about Harmony’s whereabouts.
Anthony Bodero: A friend who lent the Montgomerys his Audi SUV to live in after their car broke down, and unknowingly housed Harmony’s body in a tote bag in his car trunk.
Judge Mark Newman (Massachusetts Juvenile Court): The Massachusetts judge who awarded Adam custody in February 2019, whose decision has been heavily scrutinized for its role in the systemic failures.
Maria Mossaides (Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate): Authored a scathing report in May 2022 detailing systemic failures by Massachusetts child welfare agencies in Harmony’s case.
IV. Forensic & Physical Evidence
In the absence of Harmony’s body, the prosecution built a robust circumstantial case supported by a mosaic of forensic and physical evidence:
Blood and DNA Evidence:Shelter Ceiling: The most critical evidence was the discovery of "blood-stained drywall" and stains in the ceiling vent of the Families in Transition shelter room where Harmony's body was hidden. Lab analysis "conclusively" matched the DNA to Harmony Montgomery, demonstrating her presence and likely violent death in that location.
Pink Trolls Toothbrush: Found in the trunk of the Chrysler Sebring (the family's car and murder scene), this toothbrush, identified as Harmony's, tested positive for the presence of blood and Harmony's DNA, connecting her directly to the vehicle.
Fingerprint Evidence: Adam Montgomery's fingerprints were found on the inside of the ceiling vent cover at the Families in Transition shelter, physically linking him to the concealment of Harmony's body. His fingerprints were also found on the red cooler used to store her body.
Forensic Odor Detection: Multiple law enforcement officers, including Detective Scott Reily, testified to detecting a "strong odor of decomposition" or "smell of a dead body" emanating from the shelter's ceiling vent upon inspection, corroborating Kayla's testimony about the body's presence and state.
Physical Containers & Related Items:Red Cooler: Seized from Kayla's mother's apartment, this cooler was identified by Kayla as where Adam initially stored Harmony's body. Adam's fingerprints were on it.
CMC Maternity Bag: Kayla testified that Adam eventually compressed Harmony's remains into this smaller hospital bag for easier transport and concealment, including in a stroller next to her living children.
Concealment Tools & Materials: Evidence, largely from Kayla's testimony and purchase records, indicated Adam bought lime and power tools (like a grinder and metal-cutting blade) in February 2020 to dismember and accelerate the decomposition of Harmony's body.
Digital & Location Data:U-Haul Rental Records: Showed Adam rented a U-Haul truck in March 2020, with toll data indicating the truck crossed Boston's Tobin Bridge multiple times. This supported Kayla's account of the final disposal trip and helped define a search area in the Revere/Chelsea, MA wetlands.
Cell Phone Data: Used to track Adam's movements and corroborate witness timelines, although specifics were not widely publicized.
Police Bodycam Video: Footage (played for the jury without audio) of Adam's initial interaction with police in December 2021 showed his evasive demeanor and refusal to cooperate, visually suggesting consciousness of guilt.
Witness Testimony as Corroboration: Kayla Montgomery's detailed testimony served as a roadmap for investigators, and almost every aspect of her account of the murder and body concealment was corroborated by physical evidence, scientific findings (DNA, fingerprints), or other witness statements.
V. Key Geographic Locations
The tragic events of Harmony's life and death unfolded across several significant locations:
77 Gilford Street, Manchester, NH: The last known residence where Harmony lived with Adam and Kayla Montgomery. Police visited this house in October 2019 (the last verified sighting of Harmony) and conducted extensive searches in January 2022.
Chrysler Sebring (family car/murder scene), Manchester, NH: The vehicle where Harmony was fatally beaten by Adam Montgomery on December 7, 2019, while the family was living homeless. The car broke down near Webster and Elm Streets in Manchester.
West Side Apartment (Christina Lubin’s), Manchester, NH: Kayla's mother's apartment where Harmony's body was briefly hidden in a red cooler in the hallway in December 2019.
Families in Transition Homeless Shelter, Manchester, NH: A family shelter where Adam hid Harmony's body in the ceiling vent of their room in late December 2019/early 2020. This location yielded pivotal DNA and fingerprint evidence.
Portland Pie Company, Manchester, NH: Adam Montgomery's former workplace where he stored Harmony's remains in a walk-in freezer for a period in early 2020.
644 Union Street, Manchester, NH: An apartment where Adam and Kayla lived after the shelter, and where Adam allegedly performed further acts of desecration (e.g., adding lime, dismemberment) to Harmony's body. A refrigerator from here was seized as evidence.
U-Haul Disposal Corridor (Manchester, NH → Boston/Revere, MA): The suspected route Adam Montgomery took in March 2020 to dispose of Harmony's remains, based on U-Haul rental and toll records. This led to extensive searches in marshy wetlands in Revere, Massachusetts.
Lawrence, Massachusetts (Juvenile Court): The venue for the February 2019 custody hearing where Judge Mark Newman awarded custody of Harmony to Adam Montgomery, despite significant red flags. Audio recordings of this hearing are now being released.
VI. Investigation & Legal Proceedings
A. Initial Investigation (Dec 2021 – Aug 2022): The investigation began as a missing persons case in December 2021 after Crystal Sorey reported Harmony missing. Manchester Police, with support from the NH State Police and FBI, launched a public search and established a tip line. Adam Montgomery was quickly identified as a person of interest due to his evasiveness and was arrested in January 2022 on child abuse and endangerment charges. Kayla Montgomery was also arrested for welfare fraud. The case transitioned into a homicide investigation on August 11, 2022, after forensic breakthroughs (Harmony's DNA and Adam's fingerprints in the shelter ceiling).
B. Indictment & Pre-Trial (Aug 2022 – Jan 2024): Adam Montgomery was formally indicted on October 24, 2022, for second-degree murder, falsifying physical evidence, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with a witness. He pleaded not guilty and was held without bail. Kayla Montgomery pleaded guilty to perjury in November 2022 in exchange for her cooperation and truthful testimony against Adam. In an unrelated but significant case, Adam was convicted of firearms theft in June 2023 and sentenced to a consecutive 30-60 years in prison in August 2023, ensuring his prolonged incarceration regardless of the murder trial outcome.
C. Murder Trial (February 2024): Adam Montgomery’s murder trial took place in Hillsborough County Superior Court from February 8-22, 2024, presided over by Judge Amy Messer. Adam largely refused to attend the trial. The prosecution, led by Senior Asst. Attorney General Christopher Knowles, presented compelling evidence, including Kayla Montgomery's harrowing testimony, forensic DNA and fingerprint results from the shelter ceiling, and digital evidence tracking Adam's movements. The defense argued Kayla was the killer, but called no witnesses and failed to present direct evidence supporting this claim. On February 22, 2024, the jury found Adam Montgomery guilty on all counts.
D. Sentencing (May 2024): On May 9, 2024, Judge Messer sentenced Adam Montgomery. She imposed a sentence of 45 years to life for second-degree murder, plus consecutive terms for the other convictions, totaling a minimum of 56 years to life. This was ordered to run consecutively to his prior 30-60 year firearms sentence, resulting in an effective 86 years to life in prison. Adam refused a prosecution offer to reduce his sentence if he revealed the location of Harmony’s remains.
E. Appeals and Post-Conviction Motions: Adam Montgomery's defense filed an appeal with the New Hampshire Supreme Court in March 2025, challenging the trial court's decision to join the 2019 assault charge with the murder charge, the admissibility of Kayla Montgomery's testimony on prior abuse, and the use of a silent bodycam video. The appeal is pending as of August 2025.
F. Civil and Systemic Proceedings: Crystal Sorey filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the state of New Hampshire, which was settled for $2.25 million in May 2025. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in April 2025 that audio recordings of Harmony’s 2019 custody hearing must be made public to promote transparency and learn from systemic failures. Both New Hampshire and Massachusetts have initiated reforms in their child welfare systems to address the lapses exposed by Harmony’s case.
VII. Lingering Questions & Dominant Theories
Despite Adam Montgomery’s conviction, several profound questions and theories continue to define the Harmony Montgomery case:
Where are Harmony’s Remains? This remains the most heartbreaking unanswered question. Adam Montgomery has steadfastly refused to reveal the location of his daughter's body, even when offered a reduced sentence. Investigators believe the remains were disposed of in March 2020, likely in a remote or obscured location (such as wetlands or a landfill) in the Greater Boston area, based on U-Haul rental and toll data. Extensive searches, particularly in Revere, Massachusetts, have yielded no results. The dominant theory is that recovering her body will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, without Adam's cooperation.
Full Truthfulness of Kayla Montgomery’s Account: While Kayla’s testimony was pivotal, some public skepticism lingers regarding whether she fully disclosed her involvement or minimized her culpability. The defense argued she had incentives (her plea deal) to shift all blame to Adam. However, the prosecution successfully corroborated much of Kayla’s account with physical and forensic evidence, leading the jury to find her testimony credible. The question of her moral responsibility for not intervening or reporting sooner, despite alleged coercion, remains a point of public debate.
Adam Montgomery’s Motive and Mindset: Beyond the immediate trigger of toilet-training accidents, the deeper motivations for Adam’s extreme violence are still debated. Theories include drug-fueled rage, resentment toward caring for a child with special needs, a desire to eliminate perceived obstacles to his criminal lifestyle, or an ultimate act of depraved indifference. The court characterized his actions as demonstrating an "extreme indifference to the value of human life."
Systemic Failures – How Did This Happen? This is a dominant and critical question that has led to significant introspection. Investigative reports (like the Massachusetts OCA report) definitively conclude that agencies in both Massachusetts (DCF, courts) and New Hampshire (DCYF) failed Harmony. Key failures include: inadequate assessment of Adam's fitness to parent, circumventing interstate placement safeguards (ICPC), and disregarding multiple abuse reports from family members. The overarching theory is that a systemic prioritization of parental rights over child safety, coupled with poor inter-state communication and insufficient follow-up, created the deadly vulnerability for Harmony.
Why Didn’t Anyone Notice for Two Years? The prolonged delay in reporting Harmony missing highlights systemic blind spots. Factors include the Montgomerys' transient lifestyle (homelessness, squatting), Harmony not being enrolled in school (not mandatory for age 5 in 2020), and Adam and Kayla consistently lying to everyone about Harmony's whereabouts. While DCYF received some concerns, they were not thoroughly pursued. This question underscores a societal critique regarding better tracking of at-risk children and more rigorous follow-up by child welfare agencies.
Adam’s Appeal and Legal Precedents: The New Hampshire Supreme Court’s ruling on Adam’s appeal will be significant. Legal experts are watching how the court addresses issues like the joinder of the prior assault charge with the murder trial, the admissibility of Kayla’s "prior bad acts" testimony against Adam, and the use of the silent bodycam video during trial. The outcomes could set precedents for future complex homicide cases, particularly those involving child victims and no bodies.
Harmony’s Legacy – Will Reforms Endure? A forward-looking question is whether the public outcry and policy changes spurred by Harmony’s case will lead to lasting reforms or fade over time. The dominant hope among child advocates is that Harmony’s tragedy will serve as a permanent catalyst, ensuring that future child protection systems prioritize children’s safety, enhance inter-state coordination, and act decisively on warning signs. The Massachusetts SJC's decision to release the custody hearing audio exemplifies a move towards greater transparency to prevent similar tragedies.
In conclusion, while the criminal case against Adam Montgomery has resulted in a conviction, the larger "case of Harmony Montgomery" remains an active and evolving narrative, driving ongoing searches, legal challenges, and critical discussions about child welfare system accountability and reform.
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