MANCHESTER, N.H. (WHDH) - Adam Montgomery received a sentence of 56 years to life in prison Thursday in connection with the murder of his five-year-old daughter, Harmony Montgomery.
Montgomery, who did not attend his trial, was ordered to be present for his sentencing and listened as several people delivered victim impact statements.
“Did she cry for me?” asked Harmony’s biological mother, Crystal Sorey, during her statement. “Did she scream? Did she beg you to stop? I’ll never know.”
Harmony was reported missing in 2021. In court, prosecutors said they believed she died nearly two years earlier, in December 2019, after Adam beat her after she had a bathroom accident.
Adam was charged with second-degree murder, second-degree assault, witness tampering, falsifying physical evidence and abuse of a corpse. A jury found him guilty in February of this year.
Montgomery’s estranged wife, Kayla Montgomery testified in his trial, saying Harmony’s body was hidden before Adam eventually disposed of it.
Kayla was Harmony’s stepmother. She pleaded guilty to a perjury charge in connection with the investigation into Harmony’s murder and testified against Adam as part of her plea deal. Sorey also testified in Adam’s murder trial.
Though Adam’s attorneys said he did not kill Harmony, his attorneys acknowledged their client’s guilt on charges that he “purposely and unlawfully removed, concealed or destroyed” Harmony’s corpse and falsified physical evidence.
Harmony’s body has not been found.
Sorey was seen arriving at Hillsborough County Superior Court in Manchester near 12:45 p.m. Thursday. She stopped to speak with Manchester Chief of Police Allen Aldenberg before entering the building.
Ahead of Thursday’s hearing, prosecutors asked that Montgomery receive a sentence of 56 years to life in prison for his crimes, according to court documents.
Speaking in court, the prosecution said it would amend its recommendation to the minimum of 35 years to life if Adam told authorities where he hid Harmony’s body and if authorities were able to recover the body within the next seven days.
Adam’s lawyer, Caroline Smith, later said Adam would not take the prosecution up on its offer because he maintains he did not kill anyone.
Taking the microphone, Sorey recalled Harmony, saying she loved her brother and loved Adam’s sons.
“You may have taken her physically from me, but she is always, always with me,” Sorey said.
She vowed to keep looking for Harmony, saying “with or without you, we will find my daughter.”
In sentencing Adam, Judge Amy Messer said “You treated [Harmony’s] body like trash — worse than trash.”
“You did unimaginable things to her body, and all in an effort to save yourself from being discovered as her murderer,” Messer said.
Officials react to Montgomery sentence
Before his sentence in Harmony’s murder, Adam was already sentenced to spend decades behind bars after his conviction on unrelated weapons charges.
Public officials reacted to Adam Montgomery’s new sentence Thursday, with Attorney General John Formella in a statement saying “Justice has been served.”
Moving forward, Formella said “Harmony Montgomery’s memory and legacy remain our focus.”
“Today’s sentence demonstrates that our legal system takes heinous crimes seriously and holds perpetrators accountable for their actions,” Formella said. “The murder of an innocent child leaves a lasting scar on New Hampshire and our hearts go out to Harmony’s family and all those who knew and loved her.”
Formella thanked prosecutors and investigators, saying “Their tireless efforts led to the justice Harmony received in the sentence handed down today.”
“While no sentence can bring back the life that was taken, we will honor Harmony’s memory by working to ensure that we are doing all we can to protect New Hampshire’s children and bring any person that would harm a child to justice,” Formella said.
Police speaking outside the courthouse said they will continue to search for Harmony’s remains. Police also said Montgomery’s sentence marked “closure.”
With his current sentence added to his prior sentence, Adam will now be eligible for parole in 2142, when he is 118 years old.
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