Deceased/Not Found NH - Harmony Montgomery, 7, Manchester, Oct 2019 *reported missing Dec 2021* Arrest* MEDIA ONLY

[Seattle1]

25 Investigates: Missing NH girl went from DCF custody to custody of father, with criminal record

1/4/2022

25 Investigates obtained Massachusetts DCF records that reveal Harmony was bounced between her mother’s care and DCF for much of her young life. She was placed in the custody of her father Adam Montgomery in 2019, when Harmony was roughly 5 years old. The records stated “Custody of Harmony was returned to her father in February 2019. Once Harmony was returned to her father’s care/custody, her involvement with the Department ended as she does not live in Massachusetts.”

The records also state Montgomery was incarcerated during some of Harmony’s life prior to that.

A source told 25 Investigates that Harmony’s care and protection case unfolded in Essex County courts. What’s unclear is whether DCF ever conducted a home study before Harmony was placed with her father and whether any child welfare was checking in on her once that placement was finalized.

25 Investigates went to courthouses in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

We found Adam Montgomery has a criminal history dating back to 2007 in the Granite State for charges ranging from burglary to first degree assault to stalking.

In Massachusetts courts, we found a 2014 case out of Haverhill that charged Montgomery with armed robbery and assault with intent to murder. Police records indicate the shooting happened during a drug deal. Charges were later reduced but he served time in connection with the incident.

We contacted both DCF in Massachusetts and the Department of Children Youth and Families in New Hampshire.

A DCF spokesperson told us “Due to state and federal privacy requirements, the Department of Children and Families cannot confirm or deny if a family has history with the Department.”

25 Investigates has also confirmed the identity of Harmony’s mother. She too had a criminal history we uncovered pulling court records in Massachusetts. DCF has been involved with this mother for many years. She has not had custody of her daughter Harmony since February, 2019. And, again, police say Harmony went missing in October of that year. It’s unclear whether she’d had contact with Harmony since Montgomery was given custody.

 

[Seattle1]

Kerry Kavanaugh
@KerryKavanaugh

25 Investigates: We obtained DCF records that show missing Harmony Montgomery went from DCF custody in MA to the custody of her father in NH, a man with a criminal record, in February 2019. Was any child welfare agency checking on her since then?
@boston25
at 6



2:09 PM · Jan 4, 2022

[Noting that DCF records are confidential.
When asked how she obtained confidential records, the reporter responded as follows]:


Kerry Kavanaugh@KerryKavanaugh

Replying to
@***********
@boston25

Through a source and involved parties gave us permission to report what we are reporting tonight.

2:49 PM · Jan 4, 2022


Kerry Kavanaugh@KerryKavanaugh

.
@BlairMillerTV
has personal connection to missing NH girl He adopted Harmony’s biological brother thru DCF. He asked about her & says he was told she was reunited w/ her dad. I contacted DCF in MA & NH. Neither would talk about Harmony citing privacy laws



boston25news.com
Boston 25 Washington Correspondent Blair Miller shares his personal connection to missing girl in NH
Boston 25 Washington correspondent Blair Miller and his husband Johnathon have adopted three boys. They adopted their youngest son, Jamison, through the Massachusetts Department of Children and...

7:33 AM · Jan 3, 2022·

 

[Seattle1]

JB Biunno #HeyJB on Twitter

#BREAKING: FBI’s Boston office officially joining the growing nationwide search for Harmony Montgomery. The reward for info is up to $33K, and it could grow higher. New energy tonight behind finding the missing 7-year-old not seen since October 2019. #HarmonyMontgomery @WFLA

8:24 PM · Jan 4, 2022·Twitter for iPhone

Marni Hughes on Twitter

Tune in to NewsNation Prime at the top of the hour. On the show tonight, the disappearance of Harmony Montgomery. I talk to @CallahanWalsh
about the case. Also, Uber driver stranded on that VA highway, &@BrianEntin
with latest on Laundrie case. Join us, 9/8c. #newsnationprime

8:43 PM · Jan 4, 2022·Twitter Web App

FBI Boston on Twitter

Can you help us locate 7-year-old Harmony Montgomery who was last seen in the fall of 2019? Today, @mht_nh_police announced that the reward for
information has increased to $33,000. You can submit tips by calling or texting 603-203-6060.


7:45 PM · Jan 4, 2022·

 

[Seattle1]

FBI Assists Search For Missing New Hampshire 7-Year-Old Harmony Montgomery
1/4/22

[...]

“In keeping with standard protocol, we are assisting the Manchester Police Department with their investigation into the suspicious disappearance of Harmony Montgomery,” an FBI spokesperson told The Daily Beast on Tuesday, noting that local officials are still leading the probe. “We urge anyone with information about Harmony’s current whereabouts to contact law enforcement.”

[...]

In the days since launching the investigation that has garnered national attention, authorities have searched the home Montgomery once lived in with her family, launched a 24-hour tipline, acquired assistance from the FBI, and announced a reward for information about Harmony’s whereabouts.

[...]

 

[Seattle1]

DCYF director stands by agency as search for girl continues

1/4/2022

Director says contact with families typically reduced after family reunification

CONCORD, N.H. —
The director of the New Hampshire Division of Children, Youth and Families is standing by his agency's work as Manchester police search for a child who was last seen in 2019.

Police say they are trying to find Harmony Montgomery, 7, after they were notified of her disappearance last week. Rewards for information about her whereabouts have grown to $33,000.

Anyone with information is asked to call 603-203-6060.

The case has drawn attention to DCYF, but Gov. Chris Sununu is unflinching in his support of the agency, and its director said the agency is stronger now than it has ever been.

In an exclusive interview with News 9 Investigates, Director Joe Ribsam said that when he came on board four years ago, New Hampshire's child protective system was in crisis. But now, caseloads for social workers are dramatically lower, and cutting-edge family support programs are in place. The governor agrees.

"No, the system is not in disarray," Sununu said. "We brought in a whole new team just a few years ago, revamped our quality assurance and control process, and they work very hard on all these cases all across the state."

A source close to the child told News 9 Investigates that Harmony was reunited with her father, Adam Montgomery, after spending time in foster care in Massachusetts.

DCYF officials said that says in general, once reunification happens, contact with the family is reduced gradually. Caseworkers have to focus on the active investigations, which number about 12,000 per year in the state.

"It's difficult to account for what happened when we are not engaged with the family," Ribsam said. "What's important to figure out right now is what has been happening with this young girl for the past few years."

Ribsam said thousands of reports of suspected abuse and neglect come into the agency every year, and the public never sees what action DCYF takes, which he knows is frustrating. A high-profile case like Harmony's triggers an internal review.

"These are really tough cases, to be sure," Ribsam said. "I don't think they are indicative of a system failure, per se."

Harmony's mother said she not only wants to find her daughter, but also Harmony's father, who she said she hasn't spoken with since 2019. She said she has been reporting her concerns to DCYF repeatedly since then.

 

[Seattle1]

FOX: Missing Harmony Montgomery: Adoptive parents' push to reunite separated siblings triggered suspicions

1/4/22

[...]

They were so close in foster care that Harmony would sleep with her arm around him every night, as if he were her son, he said.

When the Millers adopted J, he only had one bag in his possession ...

"When he came to foster care, he had no toys," Miller said. "She gave her Tickle Me Elmo to J."

Once the Millers adopted J, they said they heard him crying at night for his sister.

[...]

... "She told us that she had sent an email to someone at the local government level, and that she was going to the courthouse and to the police…And then she was able to contact Adams family, and that's when they expressed concern that Harmony could be in danger."

[...]

 

[Seattle1]

Harmony Montgomery Disappearance: Adam Montgomery, Missing NH Girl’s Father, Arrested – NBC Boston

JAN 5, 2022

An arrest has been made in connection with the case of missing 7-year-old New Hampshire girl Harmony Montgomery, the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office said Wednesday.

Adam Montgomery, the Father of Missing 7-Year-Old Harmony Montgomery, Was Just Arrested
The father of Harmony Montgomery, a 7-year-old who was reported missing two years after she was last seen in New Hampshire, has been arrested in the latest twist in the investigation.

Adam Montgomery, 31, was arrested Tuesday evening on a slew of charges, including felony second-degree assault in connection with 2019 conduct against his daughter, Harmony. The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office has also charged Montgomery with one misdemeanor charge of interference with custody, and two misdemeanor charges of endangering the welfare of a child pertaining to Harmony.

Arrest made in connection with the missing 7-year-old girl from N.H. – Boston 25 News

Montgomery is expected to be arraigned on Wednesday in the Hillsborough County Superior Court North at 11 a.m.

Father Of Missing New Hampshire Girl Arrested: Attorney General
The arraignment is expected to take place via WebEx at 11 a.m.

 

[Seattle1]

Manchester NH Police@mht_nh_police
Arrest made in Connection with Harmony Montgomery - 31-year-old Adam Montgomery was taken into custody Tuesday. https://facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FManchesterNHPolice%2Fposts%2F2148289411986669&show_text=true&width=500…







6:34 AM · Jan 5, 2022·

 

[Seattle1]

FOXNEWS: Missing Harmony Montgomery's father arrested in New Hampshire, charged with punching her face in 2019

1/5/22

Adam Montgomery is charged with punching his missing daughter, Harmony, back in 2019 and child endangerment

 

[Seattle1]

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Adam Montgomery

 

[Seattle1]

Steve Cooper@scooperon7

Held without bail, Adam Montgomery never actually appeared in court today on charges related to his missing 7 year old daughter in Manchester NH...reward money to help find harmony is up to $43,000 now #7News



10:42 AM · Jan 5, 2022

 

[Seattle1]

‘I bashed her around the house’: Harmony Montgomery’s Dad Punched Her When Baby Brother Cried, Made Her Clean Toilet with Toothbrush [Affidavit]

1/5/22

An arrest affidavit sheds light on the disturbing home life of 7-year-old Harmony Montgomery, a 7-year-old New Hampshire girl who has been missing for two years.

According to the New Hampshire Department of Justice, police arrested Adam Montgomery, 31, on charges of felony second-degree assault, interference with custody, and two charges of endangering the welfare of a child, pertaining to his daughter, Harmony.

Harmony hasn’t been seen since 2019, according to police, but was only reported missing in late 2021.

“Although an arrest has been made, the search for Harmony continues,” the department said.

Court documents released Wednesday indicate that police received a call from Harmony’s biological mother, Crystal Sorey, on November 18, 2021, who claimed her daughter was missing. According to CBS Boston, Sorey told police that Harmony’s father had physical custody of the girl and she couldn’t get in touch with him.

Sorey reportedly added that she lost custody of Harmony in 2018 due to drug issues.

 

[PommyMommy]

Manchester NH Police on Twitter
Another arrest in connection with the missing child, Harmony Montgomery. 31-year-old Kayla Montgomery has been charged with Welfare Fraud.

9:02 AM · Jan 6, 2022·Twitter Web App

Manchester NH Police | Facebook
Attorney General John M. Formella, Hillsborough County Attorney John Coughlin, and Manchester Police Chief Allen D. Aldenberg announce that Kayla Montgomery, age 31, of Manchester, New Hampshire, was arrested on January 5, 2022, in Manchester.

Ms. Montgomery’s arrest was pursuant to an arrest warrant for one charge of Welfare Fraud, a class A felony, contrary to New Hampshire RSA 167:17-b. This charge alleges that between December 2019 and June 2021, Kayla Montgomery obtained over $1,500 in food stamp benefits by failing to remove Harmony Montgomery from Kayla’s family account with NH DHHS Division of Family Assistance and continuing to collect food stamp benefits for Harmony, despite the fact that Harmony was no longer living with Kayla and Kayla’s husband, Adam Montgomery.

Kayla Montgomery is not the biological mother of Harmony Montgomery.
Ms. Montgomery is expected to be arraigned at 11:00 a.m. today in the Hillsborough County Superior Court North. The arraignment will likely be accessible via WebEx.

Officials are continuing to search for Harmony and are requesting the public’s assistance in locating her.

The charges and allegations against Ms. Montgomery are merely accusations, and she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 6, 2021
Missing Harmony Montgomery: Timeline of New Hampshire girl's disappearance | Fox News
[...]

September 2014

Adam Montgomery pleads guilty to charges of larceny, carrying a firearm without a license and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building in an armed robbery during which he allegedly shot a man in the head.

Harmony is around four months old. Montgomery receives a sentence of 18 months behind bars, according to the Essex County Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts.

July 2018

Crystal Sorey loses custody of Harmony in Massachusetts, in part due to struggles with substance abuse.

Harmony begins bouncing in and out of foster care.

Between February and June 2019

Harmony’s father, Adam Montgomery, secures custody of his daughter, taking her out of Massachusetts’ foster care system. The exact date is redacted in adoption documents given to Blair and Johnathon Miller, who took in Harmony’s brother on June 7.

"From night one, in the bedroom, he asked where Harmony was going to sleep," Johnathon Miller told Fox News Digital.

[...]

Aug. 16, 2019

The Millers meet Sorey for the first time and offer to adopt Harmony if the need ever arises, according to Johnathon Miller.

They discuss J’s strong bond with his sister and exchange numbers with Sorey, remaining in regular contact ever since, following up on Harmony and giving her updates on J. They also frequently sought to connect the siblings over FaceTime, but each time Sorey told them Adam Montgomery wasn’t answering her.

[...]

June 2020

Around the time of Harmony’s sixth birthday, Sorey tells the Millers she hasn't been able to reach Montgomery or her daughter.

[...]

July 29, 2021

Sorey tells the Millers that she finally found Montgomery, but he immediately blocked her on social media, according to Johnathon Miller.

September 2021

Johnathon Miller says Sorey told him she’d made contact with one of Montgomery’s aunts, who told her she hadn’t seen Harmony since some point in 2019.

Shortly afterward, she reportedly saw Montgomery posting a lot of his belongings on Facebook Marketplace.

Sept. 16, 2021

The Millers begin attempting to contact Adam and Kayla Montgomery over Facebook but have no luck.

Blair Miller, a Washington-based news anchor for Boston 25, reaches out to New Hampshire’s Division for Children, Youth and Families. Sorey later tells them she finally heard back from the agency.

Nov. 16, 2021

Sorey discusses filing a missing person report for Harmony with the Millers.

Nov. 18, 2021

Manchester school officials reveal they have no records that Harmony has ever been enrolled there. Sorey reports Harmony missing to the Manchester Police Department.

The Millers again offer to take Harmony into emergency foster care if needed.

[...]

 

[Seattle1]

Stepmother of missing Harmony Montgomery arrested for welfare fraud | Daily Mail Online

1/6/22

• Kayla Montgomery, 31, charged with felony welfare fraud for collecting food stamps in the name of her missing stepdaughter, Harmony Montgomery
• Police say Kayla obtained $1,500 in food stamps from December 2019 to June 2021 for Harmony even though the girl was last seen in November 2019
• Kayla claimed she last saw Harmony, then aged 5, before her husband, Adam Montgomery, said he was driving the child back to her mother
• Crystal Sorey reported her daughter Harmony missing in November, saying she has not seen her in over two years
• Adam Montgomery, 31, was arrested on Wednesday on charges of assault, interference with custody and endangering the welfare of a child
• Affidavit says Montgomery punched the then 5-year-old girl in the face, giving her a black eye

 

[Seattle1]

Kayla Montgomery’s Mother just told us that she believes Harmony disappeared sometime after Thanksgiving 2019, no later than December 6,2019. That’s when she said Harmony’s Dad, Adam, said he dropped child off w/her Mom. @boston25 #truecrime

https://twitter.com/bward3/status/1479149617057042436?s=21

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 6, 2022
Kayla Montgomery Affidavit: 010622MontgomeryK-Affidavit.pdf (nh.gov)

Josh Benson on Twitter
$129/MONTH. The additional amount the family received starting in March 2019 after #HarmonyMontgomery was added to the family's welfare account. Kayla wrote Harmony "is living with us full time." Affidavit also states Adam Montgomery was granted full custody of HM on 02.22.19.
9:13 AM · Jan 6, 2022·Twitter Web App

Christopher Gavin
An affidavit filed against Kayla Montgomery (stepmom to #HarmonyMontgomery) states Kayla had Harmony added to her family's welfare account with the state in Feb. 2019, writing that Harmony "is living with us full-time." Benefits then increased by $129 per month in March.

Document states Lawrence Juvenile Court (in Mass.) says Adam Montgomery was granted full custody of Harmony on Feb. 22, 2019.

On Jan. 7, 2021, Kayla indicated to the state her household consisted of "2 adults married filing jointly, 4 children," per affidavit. Case worker noted Kayla "seemed confused about whether or not Harmony lived there because goes to her mom's every other weekend."

Reminder: Kayla allegedly told police last week she has not seen or heard about Harmony since November/December of 2019. Said Adam told her he was bringing Harmony back to the girl's mother's in Lowell at that time

Affidavit in Kayla's case continues to say that on June 2, 2021, another benefits account change report began regarding Kayla's income. "DHHS noted that case management for HM was closed, noting 'client said she moved back with her mother and to remove her from her case.'"

Arraignment:

 

[PommyMommy]

Manchester NH Police on Twitter
Reward Money Climbs to $60,000 - anyone who has information regarding 7-year-old Harmony Montgomery is asked to call the MPD dedicated tipline 603-203-6060.

Kayla Montgomery Social Media:

Log into Facebook | Facebook

Kay Rivera

Kayla Montgomery’s Mother just told us that she believes Harmony disappeared sometime after Thanksgiving 2019, no later than December 6,2019. That’s when she said Harmony’s Dad, Adam, said he dropped child off w/her Mom. @boston25 #truecrime

https://twitter.com/bward3/status/1479149617057042436?s=21

 

[PommyMommy]

victoria price on Twitter
Adam Montgomery’s mother-in-law filed for a restraining order against him in July 2021. The complaint says wife Kayla was living with her mother at the time due to alleged violence from Adam. Adam apparently came to the home and tapped on a window with a knife.
After court, Kayla’s mom says her daughter had no involvement in Harmony Montgomery’s disappearance. She says “My daughter has a good heart. I don’t know what her heart was on on this but I do believe her. She’s staying very, very consistent in what she’s saying

Manchester Residents Arrested on Organized Retail Crime Enterprise Charges
Kayla L. Rivera, 24, and BP, 23, both of Manchester, were arrested at 8:41 p.m. on May 1, and charged with organized retail crime enterprise. They were arrested after police received a suspicious activity call from Colby Court.

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 6, 2022
The mother of Kayla Montgomery speaks to the media. Montgomery is the stepmother of a missing girl.