Harmony Montgomery update: Search for missing New Hampshire child is now investigated as homicide

On Thursday, New Hampshire authorities announced that they will now treat the 2019 disappearance of Harmony Montgomery as a homicide.

Harmony Montgomery, who would have been 7 years old now, was last seen around late 2019. However, she was only reported missing to authorities in January 2022, after they were notified by the New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth, and Families.

Sportskeeda previously reported that the girl's father, 31-year-old Adam Montgomery, was arrested in January 2022 due to allegations that he assaulted his daughter in late 2019. Authorities accuse him of refusing to provide information and have identified him as a prime suspect in what is believed to be a murder.

Along with Adam Montgomery, authorities detained the missing girl's stepmother Kayla Montgomery on charges of welfare fraud.

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The investigation into the disappearance of Harmony Montgomery

According to the Washington Post, Harmony Montgomery had a troubled life, having spent time in various foster homes in Massachusetts, where she also cared for her younger brother Jamison.

In 2019, when she was 5 years old, Harmony Montgomery was last seen by authorities when they received reports that her father had assaulted her. The alleged assault of Harmony Montgomery at the hands of her father and the fact that he did not report her disappearance led police to identify him as a prime suspect in what is now believed to be a homicide investigation.

In early 2022, shortly after Adam Montgomery was arrested, it was revealed that Harmony's stepmother Kayla Montgomery had collected over $1500 in food stamp benefits in the girl's name, under the pretense that she was still safe and living with them.

In June 2022, the case saw further developments as the FBI searched the Montgomery home. Though their findings were not reported, CBS revealed that investigators were seen moving around a refrigerator.

The girl's biological mother, Crystal Renee Sorey, said in an interview with NBC Boston that she does not believe her daughter was murdered.

She said:

“I don’t feel like she’s gone. I just don’t feel that in my heart, like, I don’t feel like I lost her. And a mother knows, a mother knows if your baby’s here or not. I know she’s here.”

As of now, neither Adam nor Kayla Montgomery is facing any charges related to the disappearance or murder of Harmony.

The investigation also revealed that Adam Montgomery's girlfriend, 27-year-old Kelsey Small, was found dead in a hotel room in Manchester, Massachusetts, on March 13. Authorities did not link her to the young girl's disappearance, nor did they believe Small's death resulted from any foul play.