New Hampshire Supreme Court Overturns Murder Conviction in High-Profile Case
The New Hampshire Supreme Court has overturned the murder conviction of Adam Montgomery, who was accused of killing his 5-year-old daughter, Harmony Montgomery, and subsequently hiding her body for months before its disposal.
Montgomery was convicted of second-degree murder in 2024 concerning the death of Harmony in December 2019. His troubling history also includes a 2019 conviction for second-degree assault related to hitting his daughter, falsifying physical evidence, and witness tampering, culminating in a 56-year prison sentence.
In its ruling to vacate the murder conviction, the court argued that the trial should have separated the murder and assault charges, as combining them compromised Montgomery’s right to a fair trial.
The court highlighted that the evidence supporting the fatal attack on December 7, 2019, was significantly weaker compared to the testimonies from multiple disinterested witnesses who corroborated the July assault. The judges noted a potential bias in the jury’s evaluation of the evidence, emphasizing that they could unfairly connect the July incident to the later accusation of murder.
Further complicating the case was the nature of the evidence against Montgomery, much of which came from his wife, Kayla Montgomery. She testified that he stored their daughter’s body in various locations, including a ceiling vent in a homeless shelter and a walk-in freezer at his workplace, claiming that he intended to mutilate the body. However, the court concluded that this evidence only supported Kayla’s assertions regarding Montgomery’s actions after Harmony’s death and did not confirm his role in her killing.
The court also examined other elements of the prosecution’s evidence, including testimonies from Montgomery’s friends. Prosecutors claimed that Montgomery had asked for a U-Haul in March 2020 to move his daughter’s body. One friend recounted seeing Montgomery pacing anxiously and expressing feelings of guilt, saying, “I’m screwed.” However, the court maintained that this testimony did not substantiate Kayla’s account of Harmony’s death.
Despite the ruling, Montgomery will not be released from prison. He is currently serving a minimum of 32.5 years following an unrelated gun offense committed in 2023. Additionally, he faces further decades in prison related to the assault conviction from July 2019, which the court acknowledged in its ruling.
Montgomery’s lawyer, Pamela Phelan, emphasized the importance of a fair judicial process, stating that true justice can only be achieved through impartial trials. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the New Hampshire Department of Justice has yet to comment on whether a new murder trial will proceed.
Harmon’s disappearance was first reported in 2021, nearly two years after her alleged murder. Notably, her body remains unfound, adding a layer of tragedy to this already complicated case.
