2014 – 2019

Harmony Rene Montgomery

Harmony was an independent spirit from the start. As a toddler, she displayed a fierce determination, exploring the world with wide-eyed curiosity. She loved books, often losing herself in the pages, and spent hours playing with her dolls, creating elaborate stories for them.

Her peers were drawn to her, and she engaged with them effortlessly, her charm and boundless energy making her a favorite among them.

Harmony’s early language skills were remarkable, and she quickly became known for her empathetic nature.

She had a way of understanding others, offering comfort with a hug or a few kind words. And when it came to food, Harmony was a little connoisseur.

She delighted in all types of cuisine, savoring everything from sweet fruits to crisp vegetables, and even had a surprising fondness for onions.

One of her favorite pastimes was playing in a vegetable garden. Given the chance, Harmony would gleefully pick cherry tomatoes and cucumbers, relishing the simple joy of nature’s bounty. These moments in the garden were filled with laughter and a sense of peace.

But in 2019, that laughter was silenced. Harmony Renee Montgomery went missing from Manchester, New Hampshire. Her disappearance went unnoticed for nearly two years, with no reports filed until 2021.

The once-vibrant child, full of life and love, had vanished, leaving behind only memories of her charm, her empathy, and her infectious zest for life.

Harmony Montgomery was born on June 7th, 2014, 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.

Almost immediately after Harmony’s birth, the Haverhill, Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) became involved. In June 2014, they received three reports alleging neglect of the newborn due to Crystal’s substance use. Although DCF initially gave Crystal a chance to overcome her addiction, by August, they took legal action in juvenile court and removed Harmony from her care. She was placed with a foster family, with the initial goal of reuniting her with her mother.

Despite her health challenges, Harmony’s foster mom noticed something remarkable—Harmony was tracking the spoon with one of her eyes during feeding. Concerned, she brought this to the attention of the medical team, leading to a revised diagnosis. Harmony’s condition was changed to septo-optic dysplasia (SOD), which, while still serious, was not fatal. The main impact was that Harmony remained legally blind in one eye.

In September 2014, DCF began trying to contact Harmony’s father, Adam, who was still in prison. It wasn’t until December that they finally reached him. Adam requested to see his daughter, and in January 2015, when Harmony was six months old, Adam met her for the first time in the visitation room of his prison.

As Harmony’s first year of life came to a close, DCF held a significant meeting in July 2015 called a “Permanency Planning Conference.” Due to the length of time Harmony had spent in foster care—seven out of her twelve months—DCF decided that reunification with her mother was no longer the primary goal. Instead, they shifted the focus to finding a permanent adoptive family for Harmony.

For the remainder of 2015, Harmony continued to live with her foster family, the Rafterys. In September, Adam was released from prison and moved to New Hampshire. A month later, he began dating his future wife, Kayla Rivera.

By June 2016, Harmony had turned two years old. She had spent 19 out of her 24 months of life—about 80%—with her foster family. DCF held another “Foster Care Review” meeting that month, reaffirming that Harmony’s permanency goal remained adoption.

However, in October 2016, after more than a year of silence, Adam contacted DCF, expressing interest in seeing his daughter. Over the next five months, from October 2016 to February 2017, Adam saw Harmony at least once a month.

In February 2017, Harmony’s case was transferred to a different DCF office because Crystal had moved. The new team, with fresh eyes, noticed that Crystal seemed more stable, was participating in her services, and was consistently visiting Harmony. This led to an internal decision to change Harmony’s permanency goal back to reunification with her mother. At the time, Harmony was two-and-a-half years old and had spent 85% of her life with her foster family.

In March 2017, Harmony was returned to Crystal’s care full-time. But by January 2018, when Harmony was about three-and-a-half, new reports of neglect surfaced, hinting that Crystal had relapsed. DCF intervened once again, removing Harmony from her mother’s care and placing her back with the Rafterys for the third time. The foster family, deeply concerned, expressed their frustration to DCF. They believed that the repeated removals and reunifications were causing Harmony trauma. Her behavioral issues were escalating, and her needs were growing more complex. After three months, the Rafterys made the difficult decision to return Harmony to DCF.

By June 2018, on Harmony’s fourth birthday, DCF held another Foster Care Review meeting. Despite Crystal’s consistent visits and participation in her action plan, Adam’s involvement remained minimal. The permanency goal was still reunification with Crystal.

In August 2018, Adam resumed supervised visits with Harmony, seeing her one to two times per month for five months. During this time, Adam also took legal action, requesting a “review and redetermination hearing” in juvenile court. The hearing was scheduled for February 2019, coinciding with one that Crystal had also requested.

As Harmony’s young life unfolded, marked by uncertainty and shifting goals, she remained caught in a web of decisions and circumstances beyond her control. Her story is one of resilience amidst constant upheaval, a little girl navigating a world that seemed to change as frequently as the seasons. Read More

Harmony Montgomery

Missing Since: November, 2019 Manchester, NH

Age Now: 9 Years Old

Female

Harmony was independent as a toddler and very young child. She liked books, playing with dolls, and playing with her peers. She is described as both “charming” and “very active.” Harmony had very well-developed language skills and was known to be very empathetic. Also, as a toddler she loved to eat! She loved all types of foods including fruits, vegetables, and even onions.

As a young child she had the opportunity to play in a vegetable garden and would pick the cherry tomatoes and cucumbers.

Harmony Renee Montgomery went missing from Manchester, New Hampshire in 2019. She was not reported missing until 2021, nearly two years after she was last seen alive.

Harmony Montgomery had been missing for two years before anyone realized she was gone.

Who failed Harmony Montgomery?

Harmony was last seen in the fall of 2019 in Manchester, New Hampshire, but for two whole years, nobody reported her missing.

Harmony Renee Montgomery was born on June 7, 2014, to Adam Montgomery and Crystal Sorey. In an interview, Crystal Sorey revealed that they were homeless when Harmony was born. This was due to Adam’s disrespectful behavior towards his grandmother using drugs in her bathroom. ( source Twitter Spaces)

It was not entirely clear to the medical providers at Harmony’s birth what medical conditions she had. The medical experts believed that Harmony would either be severely disabled or never be able to see.

However, Harmony proved them wrong. Despite being blind in one eye, she grew stronger with each passing week. As she grew into a toddler, it became evident that although she had some visual impairments, she had developed superior coping mechanisms and a talent for overcoming obstacles.

At the time of Harmony’s disappearance, she lived with her father, stepmother, and the couple’s two children. Harmony’s mother, Crystal Sorey, had lost custody of her daughter due to substance abuse problems. Read More Here

December 2021 is When authorities finally began searching for the missing child, they were two years behind the search.

Six months into the missing person’s investigation, the little girl’s father and step mother was later charged with second-degree murder, tampering with witnesses, falsifying evidence, and abuse of a corpse.

Harmony Montgomery

Affidavit

Adam Montgomery Affidavid

Superior Court Compliant

Indictment

Notice of Indictemnt

Court Records

State of New Hampshire v. Adam Montgomery
Case No: 216-2022-CR-02372
Hillsborough County Superior Court – Northern District

Amendment to Order on Media Rules

Tags: Montgomery – 2nd Degree Murder

Date Filed: 05/08/2024

Statement of No Change of Financial Status

Tags: Montgomery – 2nd Degree Murder

Date Filed: 05/08/2024

State’s Sententing Memorandum

Tags: Montgomery – 2nd Degree Murder

Date Filed: 05/07/2024

Sentence Sheet – Witness Tampering form 115C

Tags: Montgomery – 2nd Degree Murder

Date Filed: 05/07/2024

Sentence Sheet – 2nd Murder Sentencing Form 112c

Tags: Montgomery – 2nd Degree Murder

Date Filed: 05/07/2024

Sentence Sheet – Abuse of Corpse sentencing

Tags: Montgomery – 2nd Degree Murder

Date Filed: 05/07/2024

Sentence Sheet – Falsifying Physical Evidence sentencing form 113c

Tags: Montgomery – 2nd Degree Murder

Date Filed: 05/07/2024

Court Order on Media Rules for Sentencing Hearing

Tags: Montgomery – 2nd Degree Murder

Date Filed: 05/03/2024

Order Re: Defendant’s Appearance at Sentencing Pursuant to RSA 651:4-a

Tags: Montgomery – 2nd Degree Murder

Date Filed: 04/19/2024

RESPONSE TO STATE’S NOTICE FOR DEFENDANT’S APPEARANCE AT SENTENCING

Tags: Montgomery – 2nd Degree Murder

Date Filed: 03/28/2024

STATE’S NOTICE FOR DEFENDANT’S APPEARANCE AT SENTENCING

Tags: Montgomery – 2nd Degree Murder

Date Filed: 03/20/2024

REQUEST FOR DOCUMENTS IN CRIMINAL CASES

Tags: Montgomery – 2nd Degree Murder

Date Filed: 03/12/2024

Arrest Warrant

Tags: Montgomery – 2nd Degree Murder

Date Filed: 02/15/2024

Indictment

Tags: Montgomery – 2nd Degree Murder

Date Filed: 01/20/2023

Indictment

Tags: Montgomery – 2nd Degree Murder

Date Filed: 01/20/2023

Probate hearing regarding Harmony Montgomery; mother seeks legal death declaration for Harmony Montgomery.