HARMONY MONTGOMERY CASE FILES
Harmony Montgomery
June 7, 2014: Harmony Renee Montgomery was born to her mother, Crystal Sorey, who was 24 years old, and her father, Adam Montgomery, who was 25 and incarcerated at the time. From the very beginning, Harmony faced significant challenges. She was diagnosed with a rare brain condition called holoprosencephaly (HPE) shortly after birth. Doctors informed Crystal that Harmony was blind in both eyes and had less than a year to live, a prognosis that cast a shadow over her early days.
Harmony Montgomery Source Sections
Quick Links
Harmony Montgomery Source Sections
Source and record categories from the original page.
Harmony
Foster Care
DCF Files
timeline
trial
Life in foster care
Harmony Montgomery
Life in foster care
DCF Files 2014 -2019
June 7, 2014
- Harmony Renee Montgomery was born to Crystal Sorey and Adam Montgomery.
- Harmony was diagnosed at birth with a visual disability and was blind in her right eye.
- According to Crystal Sorey, the family was homeless around the time Harmony was born. Crystal later said this followed Adam Montgomery’s behavior at his grandmother’s home and drug use in the bathroom. Source
- At two months old, Harmony was removed from Crystal Sorey’s care and placed in foster care by the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, DCF.
- At approximately six months old, Harmony met Adam Montgomery for the first time during a supervised prison visit arranged by the DCF case management team.
- Shortly after that visit, Harmony was returned to Crystal Sorey’s care, but DCF retained legal custody.
- Harmony was removed again by the DCF Haverhill Area Office due to Crystal Sorey’s substance use.
- Harmony was placed back in her prior foster home for the second time. She was approximately 10 months old.
- At approximately one year old, Harmony visited Adam Montgomery in prison for the second time.
- Adam Montgomery initiated telephone contact with the DCF case management team.
- Adam Montgomery met with the DCF case management team.
- Harmony had her third supervised visit with Adam Montgomery. She was two years old.
- The family’s case was transferred from the DCF Haverhill Area Office to the Jackson Square Area Office in Boston because Crystal Sorey relocated.
- Adam Montgomery continued to live in New Hampshire.
- After approximately two years in foster care, the DCF case management team returned Harmony to Crystal Sorey’s care.
- Crystal Sorey informed DCF that Adam Montgomery had contacted her and that she had allowed him to speak with Harmony by telephone.
- DCF warned Sorey that this was not permitted without approval.
- Crystal Sorey informed the DCF case management team that she had continued communication with Adam Montgomery.
- Adam Montgomery reported that he had been having weekend overnight visits with Harmony for approximately four weeks, picking her up from Crystal Sorey on Fridays and returning her on Sundays.
- Those visits raised concerns because they were unsupervised and outside the approved DCF plan.
- Two reports of neglect were filed with the DCF Jackson Square Area Office.
- The reports alleged that Harmony was neglected by both Crystal Sorey and Adam Montgomery.
- The concerns involved Adam Montgomery’s unsupervised visits with Harmony while she was in Crystal Sorey’s care.
- Harmony, then approximately three and a half years old, was removed from Crystal Sorey’s care for the third time due to Sorey’s substance use.
- Crystal Sorey sought a Review and Re-determination hearing, seeking to have Harmony placed back in her care.
- Her hearing was scheduled for February 2019.
- Adam Montgomery also sought a Review and Re-determination hearing, seeking to have Harmony placed in his care.
- His hearing was scheduled for the same date as Crystal Sorey’s hearing in February 2019.
- Massachusetts DCF requested that New Hampshire’s child welfare agency conduct a home visit to evaluate Adam Montgomery’s ability to care for Harmony.
- This evaluation was part of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) process.
- Because a court hearing was approaching, the ICPC request was ordered expedited.
- At the same time, Massachusetts DCF held an internal meeting and concluded that Crystal Sorey was struggling with sobriety and had been inconsistent in her visits with Harmony.
- Because Adam Montgomery had recently engaged with DCF and appeared to comply with requirements, the review panel shifted the permanency goal from reunification with Crystal to reunification with Adam.
- Approximately one week later, DCF reversed course after another internal meeting, known as a Permanency Planning Conference, and reinstated the goal of adoption.
- At this point, DCF had sole legal custody of Harmony, who was approximately four and a half years old.
- Adam Montgomery’s Review and Re-determination hearing took place in Juvenile Court.
- Crystal Sorey’s hearing did not take place that day because she was not present in court. She reportedly had a scheduling conflict involving a different Care and Protection case for Harmony’s half-sibling.
- Adam Montgomery’s hearing proceeded without Crystal Sorey present.
- The hearing included attorneys for Massachusetts DCF, as well as attorneys for Crystal Sorey, Adam Montgomery, and Harmony.
- Adam Montgomery’s attorney argued that he was a capable and fit parent.
- Adam testified about his life and presented himself as stable, married to Kayla Montgomery, and the father of a newborn son.
- Crystal Sorey’s attorney supported placing Harmony with Adam Montgomery, a position Crystal later criticized.
- Harmony’s attorney stated that Harmony had expressed a desire to live with her father and supported placement with Adam, despite Adam having limited contact with Harmony during her life.
- The only opposition came from the attorney representing Massachusetts DCF, who argued that Adam Montgomery was unfit, citing his criminal history and poor record with Harmony.
- DCF urged the court to delay any placement decision until the ICPC report was completed.
- The judge awarded Adam Montgomery full custody of Harmony, ordered DCF to close the case, and determined that the ICPC did not apply.
- The decision later drew heavy criticism from child advocates and officials, including New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu.
- Crystal Sorey had her last known contact with Harmony by FaceTime around Easter.
- During the call, Crystal said she saw Adam Montgomery in the background and believed Harmony appeared frightened.
- Crystal Sorey began dating a man referred to as J.E.
- Adam Montgomery, Harmony, Kayla Montgomery, and the other children visited Adam’s aunt, Kendra, and stayed at her home during the summer.
- Adam Montgomery allegedly admitted to his uncle, Kevin Montgomery, that he had caused Harmony’s black eye.
- Kevin Montgomery is Adam Montgomery’s uncle. Michael Montgomery Sr. is Adam Montgomery’s father.
- Kayla Montgomery called the police on a friend named Alex Call, who was allegedly high and refused to leave the house.
- Police were called to the house because of a domestic violence incident.
- New Hampshire DCYF received a report of abuse involving Harmony.
- Kevin Montgomery reported that Harmony had a black eye.
- DCYF worker Demetrios Tsaros visited but reportedly saw Harmony only from a distance.
- Kevin Montgomery submitted an additional report detailing further concerns of abuse.
- Adam Montgomery canceled a scheduled home visit with Demetrios Tsaros.
- Police were called for a welfare check at 77 Gilford Street after a neighbor expressed concern about a young child living there.
- The neighbor believed the family was squatting and had no electricity.
- Demetrios Tsaros was assigned to investigate reports that Adam Montgomery had physically abused Harmony, including the allegation that he gave her a black eye.
- Demetrios Tsaros visited again and observed bruising around Harmony’s eye.
- Harmony reportedly said her brother hit her with a lightsaber.
- No proper safety assessment was completed, law enforcement was not notified of the injury as a suspected abuse concern, and no protective action was taken.
- Despite visible bruising and concerns about the home environment, Tsaros emailed Manchester Police and stated: “I saw the children and did not observe any bruises, marks, etc.”
- Tsaros contacted a doctor and Kevin Montgomery again.
- He failed to verify whether Harmony had been medically examined.
- The Millers met Crystal Sorey and offered to adopt Harmony if the opportunity or need arose.
- The house at 77 Gilford Street, where Adam, Kayla, Harmony, and three other children were staying, was sold at a public foreclosure auction.
- Despite the sale, the family continued staying in the home.
- Adam’s brother, Michael Montgomery, reportedly said the only source of electricity was a generator and that the home had no central heat.
- Concerned family members in Florida contacted police and DCYF for welfare checks.
- The property at 77 Gilford Street was in foreclosure and had been owned by Helen Montgomery and Christina Digirolamo before it was sold at auction in 2019.
- 12:42 p.m. A domestic incident occurred between Kevin Montgomery and Adam Montgomery at 77 Gilford Street.
- Kevin Montgomery and Helen Montgomery filed reports about foreclosure, filth, and lack of hot water.
- Detective Sgt. Mike Bergeron of the Manchester Police Department filed a report noting clutter and poor home conditions.
- Tabby Scott, a friend of Kayla and Adam Montgomery who was described as close to Adam, posted a picture with Harmony.
- She also posted separate selfies with Harmony, Kayla, and Adam, captioned: “No matter what, I love you guys to death.”
- Friends of the family said Tabby’s father had dated Adam’s mother and that Tabby and Adam had known each other since childhood.
- Demetrios Tsaros and the police made a final visit to the home.
- They saw Adam Montgomery, Kayla Montgomery, Harmony Montgomery, and the other children in the household.
- The assessment was later determined to be unfounded, although the family was scored as high risk for future child welfare involvement under the Risk Assessment tool.
- The risk factors included a history of substance use, prior child protection involvement, and economic challenges.
- Law enforcement considers this the last confirmed sighting of Harmony.
- Kevin Montgomery called the police to request an escort for himself and his mother so they could enter 77 Gilford Street, retrieve their belongings, and check on the children.
- Kevin requested the escort to avoid a confrontation.
- During this visit, Kevin saw Harmony briefly and described her as looking “timid.”
- This reported sighting is separate from law enforcement’s last confirmed sighting on October 1, 2019.
- After holding the file for approximately three months, Demetrios Tsaros closed the case as “unfounded.”
- Christina Lubin, Kayla Montgomery’s mother, claimed that she saw Harmony around Thanksgiving.
- Christina said it was the only time she saw Harmony and described her as clean, polite, cute, and without visible bruises.
- The visit was brief.
- Christina also said Kayla later told her that Harmony had gone to live with her biological mother.
- This was a reported sighting, not the last confirmed law-enforcement sighting.
- 3:00 a.m. According to Kayla Montgomery’s later account, Adam Montgomery woke up and discovered that five-year-old Harmony had soiled herself.
- Kayla said Adam responded by punching Harmony in the face multiple times.
- 7:04 a.m. Kayla went to a local clinic to get her methadone dose. Adam followed shortly after at approximately 7:09 a.m.
- After they returned to the car and resumed driving, Adam noticed that Harmony had another bathroom accident.
- Harmony was seated in the back seat on the right side while Adam was driving.
- Kayla testified that Adam turned from the driver’s seat and repeatedly struck Harmony in the head and face.
- After the final series of blows, Adam allegedly said, “I think I really hurt her this time. I think I did something.”
- Harmony moaned for several minutes, then fell silent.
- The attack occurred while the family was traveling on Route 3, on the way to a Burger King in Manchester.
- They later returned to the parking lot of the Colonial Village Apartments.
- Kayla said Adam sent her to obtain heroin and fentanyl from a person named Tone, and that they used drugs in the parking lot for approximately 20 minutes.
- Later that morning, they got back on the road in their Chrysler Sebring, but the car broke down near Elm Street and Webster Street.
- Adam, Kayla, their two boys, and Harmony were all in the vehicle.
- As they tried to gather the children, they realized Harmony was unresponsive.
- Kayla said Harmony was not breathing and had no pulse.
- Adam placed Harmony’s body into a large duffel bag from the vehicle.
- The Colonial Village apartment complex was approximately a quarter-mile away, and the group walked back, with Kayla carrying the boys and Adam carrying the duffel bag.
- They returned to Tone and asked for help.
- Tone allowed them to stay in his Audi S4, which was parked in the Colonial Village lot.
- According to Manchester Police records, the abandoned Sebring was found shortly after noon and towed approximately one hour later.
- Adam and Kayla never recovered the vehicle, and it eventually ended up in a salvage lot.
- DCYF received an anonymous report alleging that Adam and Kayla Montgomery were using drugs around their children.
- Adam Montgomery told Demetrios Tsaros that Harmony was living with Crystal Sorey.
- This claim was not verified.
- Child Protective Services Worker Demetrios Tsaros left Crystal Sorey a voicemail.
- Crystal Sorey did not return the call.
- When Adam and Kayla Montgomery moved to the Econo Lodge, Adam reportedly transferred Harmony’s remains into a mini-refrigerator in room 216.
- Adam used a cargo van for the move, which was initially described as a furniture-moving van.
- The van was a 2019 GMC Savana rented under the name Brendon Middleton from a U-Haul facility at 515 South Willow Street in Manchester, New Hampshire.
- The rental was arranged by Middleton’s friend, Travis Beach, because Beach reportedly did not have an ID or debit card.
- After the van was rented, Middleton drove it to the gas station next to the U-Haul facility.
- From there, either Travis Beach or Britney Bedard took possession of the van and delivered it to the Econo Lodge in Manchester.
- Adam reportedly took only the maternity bag containing Harmony’s body.
- Kayla said Adam refused to tell her where he was going, saying it was “in case something like this happened.”
- The Massachusetts Department of Transportation, MassDOT, reported three toll violations involving the U-Haul van allegedly driven by Adam Montgomery.
- 4:44 a.m. First toll violation at the Tobin Bridge North.
- 4:45 a.m. Second toll violation at the Tobin Bridge South.
- 5:25 a.m. Third toll violation at the Tobin Bridge local north.
- The toll records were used as evidence consistent with Kayla Montgomery’s account that Adam disposed of Harmony’s body during this period.
- The U-Haul location on South Willow Street in Manchester is approximately 49.6 miles one way from the Tobin Bridge area.
- A direct round trip would be approximately 99.2 miles, before accounting for any local driving, detours, stops, or route differences.
- MassDOT provided photo evidence of the U-Haul van at toll locations. The images were reportedly distorted for privacy, but the timestamps supported the timeline of the trip.
- Kayla Montgomery later told authorities that Adam had kept Harmony’s body in a Catholic Medical Center maternity bag.
- The bag was allegedly stored inside a freezer at their previous residence, 644 Union Street, apartment 2.
- According to Kayla, this storage method continued until spring 2020, when Adam moved the remains.
- Law enforcement later searched a wetlands area in Revere, Massachusetts, north of Boston, as part of the search for Harmony or evidence connected to her disappearance.
- No public finding from that search has confirmed the recovery of Harmony’s remains.
- Assessment #850020 was closed as “unfounded.”
- Kayla Montgomery left Adam Montgomery and went to her mother’s house with her three children.
- Kayla later said Adam had physically assaulted her and that she could no longer stay with him.
- Crystal Sorey posted a TikTok slideshow of Harmony’s photos, hoping someone could help locate her.
- Approximately one month later, Crystal commented that Harmony was “not quite missing,” because she believed Adam had her and had not allowed Crystal to see or speak with Harmony in two years.
- Crystal wrote that Harmony was believed to be somewhere in Manchester and that she needed to find her.
- The search for Harmony intensified after one of Crystal Sorey’s friends contacted New Hampshire DCYF.
- The friend reported that Crystal had not seen Harmony since April 2019, approximately two and a half years earlier.
- DCYF contacted the local school district to look for any record of Harmony.
- DCYF learned that Harmony had never been enrolled in school.
- DCYF attempted to contact Adam and Kayla Montgomery.
- During this period, Adam and Kayla appeared to evade contact with authorities.
- Kayla later had her final contact with Adam during this general time period.
- Crystal Sorey reported Harmony missing to the Manchester Police Department.
- Manchester Police notified DCYF and urged the agency to investigate Harmony’s whereabouts.
- DCYF informed Manchester Police that it also could not locate Harmony.
- Manchester Police escalated efforts to locate Harmony and began contacting Adam Montgomery’s family members.
- Manchester Police contacted Kayla Montgomery.
- Kayla said she did not know where Harmony was.
- Kayla claimed Adam had told her that he returned Harmony to Crystal Sorey around Thanksgiving of the previous year.
- Crystal Sorey sent an email to Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig. Source
- Manchester Police held a press conference.
- Police stated that they had received a report that Harmony Montgomery had not been seen since late 2019.
- Police described the circumstances surrounding her prolonged absence as concerning and said the case was being thoroughly investigated.
- Adam Montgomery was arrested by the Manchester Police Department.
- He was charged with one misdemeanor count of interference with custody, two misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child, and one felony count of second-degree assault.
- Manchester Police arrested Kayla Montgomery on one felony charge of welfare fraud contrary to RSA 167:17-b.
- Prosecutors dropped the felony welfare fraud charge against Kayla Montgomery.
- A new felony theft charge was added.
- Investigators determined that Harmony had been murdered.
- Adam Montgomery was additionally charged with two counts each of being an armed career criminal, felon in possession of a firearm, theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, and receiving stolen property.
- Adam Montgomery was additionally charged with two counts of receiving stolen property related to a gun theft from September or October 2019.
- The Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate released its investigative report on Harmony Montgomery’s case.
- The report examined the child welfare history, the Massachusetts court process, DCF involvement, and the interstate placement concerns surrounding Harmony’s transfer to Adam Montgomery.
- Adam Montgomery’s murder trial began in Hillsborough County Superior Court in Manchester, New Hampshire.
- The jury began deliberating after hearing evidence and testimony in Adam Montgomery’s murder trial.
- Adam Montgomery was found guilty of second-degree murder in Harmony Montgomery’s death.
- He was also convicted of related charges, including assault, falsifying evidence, abuse of corpse, and witness tampering.
- Harmony’s body had not been recovered.
- Read More Here
- Harmony Montgomery was declared legally dead after Adam Montgomery was convicted of her murder.
- Crystal Sorey sought the legal declaration in connection with future civil action.
- Adam Montgomery was sentenced in Hillsborough Superior Court.
- He received a minimum sentence of 56 years in prison for Harmony’s murder and related charges.
- The sentence was ordered in addition to his prior sentence for unrelated firearms charges.
- Harmony’s remains had still not been found.
- New Hampshire agreed to pay $2.25 million to Crystal Sorey to resolve a negligence lawsuit connected to Harmony’s case.
- The state denied wrongdoing, and the settlement was described as a way to avoid prolonged litigation and bring some closure to affected families.
- The New Hampshire Supreme Court heard arguments in Adam Montgomery’s appeal of his second-degree murder conviction.
- The defense challenged aspects of the trial, including the admission of other assault evidence and whether charges should have been tried separately.
- No immediate decision was issued at the close of the hearing.
- A wrongful death lawsuit filed by Crystal Sorey against Adam Montgomery was reported to be back on track after a court dismissal was vacated.
Harmony Montgomery Photo Gallery
Photo Gallery
Harmony Montgomery Photo Gallery
Case images and related visual records.
-
- U-Haul van at Tobin Bridge Toll from MassDOT
-
- U-Haul van at Tobin Bridge Toll from MassDOT
Search for Harmony and U-Haul Travel
Harmony Montgomery
Search for Harmony and U-Haul Travel
Search information and U-Haul travel details.
search for Harmony Body
New Hampshire Attorney General Benjamin Agati stated after the verdict that the search for Harmony’s body will persist despite the trial’s conclusion.
Agati said, “One thing we couldn’t disclose before, but can now after the verdict, is that during the trial, people learned the last place Adam Montgomery drove that U-Haul. I have some specifics on that, and I’m hopeful people are paying attention.”
U-haul Travel
He drove 133 miles on that U-Haul. Subtracting the 3.2 miles back and forth from the rental, that left him with roughly a 106-mile road trip all the way down at least through the Tobin Bridge tolls, we know. Northbound, southbound, and
northbound again through those tolls, and then back to Manchester. That only left him with 26 miles of driving that he could have done between where he was at the Econo Lodge in Manchester and going through the Tobin those three times.”
Court Records
Affidavit
Court Records
State of New Hampshire v. Adam Montgomery Case No: 216-2022-CR-02372
Hillsborough County Superior Court – Northern District
Adam Montgomery Affidavit Probable Cause Statement
Superior Court Complaint Notice of Indictment
State of New Hampshire v. Adam Montgomery
Adam Montgomery Case File
State of New Hampshire v. Adam Montgomery
Case No: 216-2022-CR-02372 Hillsborough County Superior Court – Northern District
- Date Filed: 05/08/2024 Amendment to Order on Media Rules
- Date Filed: 05/08/2024 Statement of No Change of Financial Status
- Date Filed: 05/07/2024 State’s Sentencing Memorandum
- Date Filed: 05/07/2024 Sentence Sheet – Witness Tampering form 115C
- Date Filed: 05/07/2024 Sentence Sheet – 2nd Murder Sentencing Form 112c
- Date Filed: 05/07/2024 Sentence Sheet – Abuse of Corpse sentencing
- Date Filed: 05/07/2024 Sentence Sheet – Falsifying Physical Evidence sentencing form 113c
- Date Filed: 05/03/2024 Court Order on Media Rules for Sentencing Hearing
- Date Filed: 04/19/2024 Order Re: Defendant’s Appearance at Sentencing Pursuant to RSA 651:4-a
- Date Filed: 03/28/2024 RESPONSE TO STATE’S NOTICE FOR DEFENDANT’S APPEARANCE AT SENTENCING
- Date Filed: 03/20/2024 STATE’S NOTICE FOR DEFENDANT’S APPEARANCE AT SENTENCING
- Date Filed: 03/12/2024 REQUEST FOR DOCUMENTS IN CRIMINAL CASES
- Date Filed: 02/15/2024 Arrest Warrant
- Date Filed: 01/20/2023 Indictment
- Date Filed: 01/20/2023 Indictment