Harmony Montgomery’s father goes on trial for daughter’s murder: Live

Questions arose over how a little girl could not be seen for more than two years without any action being taken by authorities.

Multiple family members have said they raised concerns for Harmony’s safety with New Hampshire’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) in the two years that authorities weren’t searching for her.

Ms Sorey accused authorities of “failing” her daughter. She said she made multiple attempts to report concerns to child services.

On November 18 2021, she contacted Manchester Police saying she believed her daughter was missing.

Police officers contacted the New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) about the location of the missing child. Then, on 27 December of that year, the DCYF reported that it was also unable to locate Harmony.

Manchester Police announced a search was launched on 31 December 2021.

The judge has given instructions to the jury.

Court has taken a lunch recess and opening statements are expected to begin once jurors return to the courtroom.

Charges against Adam Montgomery are being read to jurors.

During an interview with detectives, Kayla Montgomery said that Mr Montgomery had repeatedly punched Harmony in the face on 7 December 2019, after becoming upset with her for having bathroom accidents in the car their family was living in after they were evicted from their home that November.

The 48-page probable cause affidavit detailed how Ms Montgomery told investigators her husband had allegedly “delivered sets of three-to-four blows with a closed fist to Harmony’s face/head on three separate occasions over the course of a few minutes” that morning.

After the final blow, Mr Montgomery allegedly said: “I think I really hurt her this time. I think I did something.”

Harmony made a “moaning type noise” for approximately five minutes “and then stopped,” Ms Montgomery told investigators.

No one checked on Harmony or stopped to get her medical attention, Ms Montgomery told investigating officers.

Instead, the family allegedly continued their ride to a Burger King before returning to the apartment complex where they usually parked their car.

They remained in the parking lot for 20 minutes before driving off again. In a second interview, Ms Montgomery admitted she and Mr Montgomery used heroin and fentanyl during this period.

It was only when their car, a Chrysler Sebring, broke down that she claimed the couple discovered “Harmony was not breathing” and had died.

Mr Montgomery then allegedly placed Harmony’s lifeless body in a red duffel bag. While living in the parking lot, Ms Montgomery claimed her husband would occasionally leave Harmony’s body out in the snow to slow the rate of decomposition.

When the family moved in with Ms Montgomery’s mother and her boyfriend, Mr Montgomery placed the duffel bag containing Harmony’s body in a red cooler in the common hallway of their apartment building.

After that, the Montgomerys moved into a shelter house, where the bag began to leak. Mr Montgomery reportedly put the duffel bag into a trash bag, and stowed it inside a vent shaft in the ceiling of their room.

Police officers later removed the entire section of the ceiling, including the vent, and found stains consistent with signs of decomposition.

Ms Montgomery gave detectives two different versions of how Mr Montgomery then transferred Harmony’s body to a much smaller, maternity tote bag which “would not likely fit Harmony’s body unless it was dismembered or grossly distorted”.

She claimed that, in spring 2020, Mr Montgomery rented a U-haul truck to dispose of Harmony’s body during the middle of the night. When he returned the next morning, he allegedly “said words to the effect of ‘it’s done’”.

Seventeen jurors, fourteen women and three men, have been chosen.

According to WMUR, two jurors were excused from the panel after they expressed distress at the prospect of seeing disturbing evidence in the case.

Several jurors have said they’re uncomfortable with the case, with prosecutors noting that they may only be excused if they think that could prevent them from being impartial.

Welcome to The Independent’s liveblog for the trial of Adam Montgomery, the New Hampshire father accused of murdering his five-year-old daughter in 2019.

The case of Harmony Montgomery, who was born in Massachusetts to unmarried parents with a history of substance abuse, exposed weaknesses in child protection systems and provoked calls to prioritize the well-being of children over parents in custody matters.

Harmony was moved between the homes of her mother and her foster parents multiple times before Adam Montgomery received custody in 2019 and moved to New Hampshire.

Harmony was reported missing in 2021 by her mother, who said she hadn’t seen the girl in more than two years.

Six months later, her father was arrested in her murder.