The father of missing New Hampshire girl Harmony Montgomery has been charged with her murder, authorities announced on Monday.
Adam Montgomery allegedly struck Harmony repeatedly “in the head with a closed fist,” state Attorney General John Formella said at a news conference announcing the charges, according to the Associated Press.
The 32-year-old has been charged with second-degree murder, falsifying physical evidence, abuse of a corpse and tampering with a witness.
Harmony was five years old when she disappeared in 2019. She wasn’t reported missing until a year later, and her body has never been found.
“I do want to again express my deepest sympathies to Harmony’s family, friends and loved ones,” Mr Formella said at the news conference in Manchester.
“We understand that today’s news, while significant for purposes of this investigation, is yet another difficult moment for those who loved Harmony and those who have followed this case.”
Mr Montgomery will be formally arraigned in Manchester on Tuesday, according to a statement from the New Hampshire Department of Justice
He and his wife Kayla Montgomery have pleaded not guilty to charges of physically abusing Harmony and endangering her welfare stemming from incidents in July 2019.
Harmony has not been seen since October or November 2019. She had been living with her father and his wife Kayla Montgomery at a house on Gilford Street in Manchester at the time of her disappearance.
Harmony had been in and out of foster care for much of her life. In 2018, her mother Crystal Sorey lost custody of her due in part to substance abuse.
Authorities weren’t notified of her disappearance so a missing persons investigation was only launched in December 2021.
Mr Montgomery has repeatedly refused to cooperate with law enforcement about the investigation.
The Manchester Police Department is continuing to investigate the case and asks that anyone with “information about the location of Harmony’s remains or the circumstances of her murder, please call or text the 24-hour tip line dedicated to Harmony Montgomery at 603-203-6060.”
