The father of a missing girl has been arrested and charged with her death, according to law enforcement officials.
At a news conference Monday, New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella announced that Adam Montgomery, father of Harmony Montgomery, has been charged with second-degree murder, falsifying evidence, abuse of a corpse and tampering with witnesses, according to Fox News.
Formella said investigators believe Montgomery killed the little girl “by repeatedly striking Harmony in the head with a closed fist in Manchester on or about Dec. 7, 2019,” CNN reported. Police think Montgomery destroyed or hid her body, which has yet to be found, according to the report.
Harmony was last seen alive three years ago, in October of 2019, when she was 5. She 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, CNN reported.
Sorey told Boston NBC affiliate WTBS she was “completely disgusted beyond belief” by the latest turn of events, although she said she was not surprised at the news.
Missing Harmony Montgomery’s father has been arrested in New Hampshire. Adam Montgomery is charged with assault, interference of custody, and endangering the welfare of a child. Harmony remains missing. Police say she hasn’t been accounted for since 2019. pic.twitter.com/J6nz62vlSl
— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) January 5, 2022
“We’ve known all along he murdered her,” Sorey said. “Now we know how, but the huge question remains, where is she?”
“She was so innocent,” Sorey said of her daughter. “So happy, full of life, kind…She didn’t survive one punch let alone how many.”
Sorey doesn’t think the investigation should end with Montgomery’s arrest.
“He took her life but there were people who handed Harmony over to him and they might as well have handed her over with a weapon,” she told WTBS.
Like many who have followed the case, Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg became emotional during Monday’s news conference, the Boston Herald reported.
“I ask that in memory of Harmony, that we all make every effort to do something nice for a child today,” Aldenberg told the news reporters.
“do something nice for a child today ,” Manchester police chief Allen ALDENBERG chokes up discussing the murder investigation of #harmonymontgomery pic.twitter.com/sXTKdRinFG
— Amy Coveno (@amyWMUR) October 24, 2022
“I know of no other way to respect and honor this innocent and defenseless child than to extend an act of kindness to another child in her memory.
“Just take a few moments out of your day to say something nice to a child, give him or her a hug, some special words of encouragement, give them an extra hug or simply tell them that you love them and that you’ll always protect them.”
