Harmony Montgomery is a young girl who went missing in December of 2019 when she was 5 years old. Her disappearance has now become a homicide investigation, with her father and stepmother as prime suspects.
Harmony Montgomery was born in June 2014 to her mother Crystal Sorey. She was born with a visual disability, which rendered her blind in one eye. Her father Adam Montgomery was in prison at the time of her birth. In August 2014, Harmony was removed from Crystal’s care 3 times as a result of her addiction.
In January and July of 2015, Harmony was taken to visit her father in prison on 2 separate visits. By September, Adam Montgomery was released from prison and moved to New Hampshire. About a year later, Adam Montgomery contacted the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families to resume visits with Harmony. Their visits continued for about 5 months, until Adam stopped responding to future visit requests in February of 2017. In August 2018, Adam went back to visiting Harmony after 11 months.
During the previous month of July 2018, Harmony’s mother Crystal lost custody of Harmony, and Harmony was placed in foster care. In December of 2018, the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families ordered an investigation at Adam’s home, but this did not follow through. In February of 2019, a family court judge granted Adam legal custody of Harmony.
Harmony’s mother Crystal stated that on Easter of 2019 she FaceTimed Harmony, and that was the last time she saw her daughter. On July 29, 2019, DCF received an anonymous tip that they observed what appeared to be a black eye on Harmony while visiting the family’s home the previous week. A CPS worker visited the home, but reported that Harmony appeared uninjured.
On August 7, 2019, a social worker visited the family’s home to interview Harmony as well as her father and stepmother Kayla. The social worker observed that Harmony had a red mark in one of her eyes and a faded bruise under her eyelid. When questioned, Adam claimed that Harmony was struck by a toy while playing with one of her siblings. On October 1, 2019, a social worker visited the house for a final time, during which they reported that Harmony appeared happy and healthy. The assessments concluded that the report of abuse was unfounded, but the family was at high risk of future welfare concerns.
According to Harmony’s stepmother Kayla, between November and December of 2019, Adam told her that he was taking Harmony to live with her mother in Lowell, Massachusetts. She claims that around this time was the last time she saw Harmony. Around this time, friends of the family claim they remembered seeing the couple with their 2 kids and Harmony, but by December, Harmony was no longer with them.
On January 8, 2020, DCYF received a referral about the family’s home. Adam Montgomery told CPS that Harmony was living with her mother and had been living with her since Thanksgiving of the previous year. On the 21 of January, CPS left a voicemail to Harmony’s mother Crystal to confirm Harmony’s address, but they never got a response.
By September of 2021, a close friend of Crystal contacted DCYF after concerns that Crystal hadn’t seen Harmony since Easter of 2019. It was also confirmed that Harmony had never been registered in the Manchester school system. On November 18, 2021, Crystal contacted the Manchester police, reporting that she hadn’t seen her daughter since their last phone call over 2 years before.
After being unable to locate Harmony, Manchester police began trying to locate Adam Montgomery in December of 2021. Around this time, Crystal sent a letter to the Manchester Mayor begging for help in finding Harmony. On December 31, 2021, police found Adam living in his car with a new girlfriend. They stated that he was uncooperative and unwilling to provide information regarding Harmony’s whereabouts. Adam’s new girlfriend, Kelsey Small, was found dead in a hotel room about 3 months later, but detectives say this is unrelated to Harmony’s case. A press conference was later held in regards to Harmony’s disappearance as the case began to gain national attention.
On January 3, 2022, a 24-tip hotline was set up for people to leave information regarding Harmony’s disappearance. The following day, investigators searched the previous Montgomery family’s home located on Gilford street, but no evidence was found. The same day, Adam Montgomery is arrested and charged with second-degree assault, interference with custody, and endangering the welfare of a child. On January 6, 2022, Harmony’s stepmother Kayla is also arrested and charged with felony welfare fraud, which was later dropped for a charge of felony theft.
In early 2022, investigators continued their search for Harmony. They collected several pieces of evidence from Harmony and her family’s previous home, including a refrigerator. It was then announced in August 2022 that Harmony was likely murdered in December 2019 when she was 5, changing the investigation from a missing persons case to a homicide investigation. Investigators stated that they received multiple sources of investigative information, as well as finding biological evidence that led them to this conclusion. They are now trying to determine where Harmony’s remains are, how she was killed, and who is responsible.
What happened to Harmony is a tragic mystery, but I know the truth will be revealed very soon. With her father and stepmother in custody and the evidence building against them, they are likely to be brought to justice. The biggest focus is bringing Harmony home and giving her the justice she deserves. She was a happy and sweet child with a bright smile who deserved so much more in life.
CASE UPDATE- On October 24, 2022, New Hampshire law enforcement announced that Adam Montgomery is charged for Harmony’s murder.
Resources-
https://www.wmur.com/article/harmony-montgomery-timeline/40872411
