Adam Montgomery is charged with second degree murder, tampering with witnesses and informants, falsifying physical evidence, and abuse of a corpse in the 2019 murder of his 5-year old daughter (pictured here). He has also been charged with second degree assault.
Harmony's body has not been found.
Photo Credit: Jennifer Knight
(stay tuned for updates to these summaries, this page is a work in progress)
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2024
Jury Selection
Seventeen are seated. They will find out who the five alternate jurors and the foreperson are at the end of the evidence phase, just after closing arguments and just before deliberation. Each jury position is chosen at random by the judge in a sort of lottery, using a wooden bowl and tiles that are numbered 1-17 (one for each juror seated). The first five numbers will become the alternates. The sixth number drawn will become the foreperson, if they agree to take the position. They will deliberate from 9am until 4pm eastern every day until they reach a verdict.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2024
Pre-View Statements and Jury View (Bus Tour)
The jury should give evidentiary value to their personal experience on this tour.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2024
Opening Statments, Prosecution then Defense
The jury should not give evidentiary value to the opening statements as made by the attorneys on either side of this matter.
Presentation of Evidence Begins
#1 - Michelle Raftery - Harmony's Foster Mother
Harmony's former foster mother is a Behavioral Health Partner and former Family Resource Liason (FRL), working with foster parents, with more than 13 years of experience under her belt. Harmony called her "Mama" and she called Michelle's husband, Tim, "Dada" or "Papa." Michelle and Tim became Harmony's foster parents for the first of three times in August of 2014 when Harmony was only two months old. Harmony was initially diagnosed with Holoprosencephaly and she was not expected to live past seven months of age. Michelle was told that Harmony was blind in both eyes. It was later learned, however, that Harmony was only blind in one eye, and a more accurate diagnosis was actually Septo-optic dysplasia. Michelle described Harmony as loving, sweet, happy, very social, and said that she left a sparkle with everyone she met. Harmony was in Michelle's care on three separate occasions during her five years of life. The first time, when she was two months old, foster care lasted two months before Harmony was given back to her mother, Crystal Sorey. Then, when Harmony was approximately two and a half years old, Michelle was given custody of Harmony again after DCYF removed Harmony from Crystal's custody for a second time. Harmony once again was placed back into her birth mother's custody, only to be removed again and placed back into Michelle's custody or a third and final time, ten months later. The last time Michelle saw Harmony was in December of 2018. At that time, Harmony was fully potty trained. She did not have accidents. She was not developmentally delayed. Michelle stated, "Co-parenting a child with trauma and DCF involvement is extremely difficult." Harmony left Michelle's foster home and was placed into a different, more therapeutic foster care environment.
#2 - Crystal Renee Sorey - Victim’s Birth Mother
#3 - DD Travers
#4 - Kevin Montgomery - Adam’s Uncle
#5 - Katie Morin - Associate of Adam Montgomery, Dated Briefly
#6 - Nicholas Ahern - Associate of Adam Montgomery
#7 - Paul Montray - Sheriff's Office
#8 - Demetrios Tsaros - Former DCYF Worker
FRIDAY, FEBUARY 9, 2024
#9 - Kayla Montgomery - Adam's Wife, Harmony's Stepmother
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2024
#9 - Kayla Montgomery - Harmony's Stepmother (continued)
#10 - Courtney Garcia - Adam's Former Boss, Wife of Adam's Childhood Friend
#11 - Kimberly "Kimmie" Frain - Former Co-worker of Kayla & Adam
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2024
#12 - Neil Penttinen - Manchester Police Department, Community Policing Unit
#13 - Matthew "Matt" Gendron - Former Co-worker of Adam & Kayla @ Dunkin Donuts
#14 - Aaron Sweeney - Former Auto City Tow Truck Driver
#15 - Joseph Tucker - Former Manchester Police Department Officer, Detective
#16 - Brian O'Leary - Manchester Police Department Officer, Detective
#17 - Anthony "Tone Capone" Bodero - Adam & Kayla's (former) Drug Dealer
#18 - Ryan Heile - Detective, Manchester Police Department
#19 - Christina "Chris" Lubin - Kayla Montgomery's Mother
#20 - Katie Swango - Criminalist, New Hampshire State Police (Forensic Lab)
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2024
#20 - Katie Swango - Criminalist, New Hampshire State Police (Forensic Lab)
#21 - Scott Riley - Police Officer, Forensic Interview Consultant
#22 - Ray Lamy - Detective, Manchester Police Department
#23 - Rachel Radwich - Manchester Police Department, Evidence Division
#24 - Yared Lujano Mondragon - Construction, Framing and Sheetrock @ FIT Shelter
#25 - Kevin McMahon - New Hampshire State Police Forensic Lab (retired)
#26 - Martin Orlowicz - Pattern Evidence Unit, Analysis and Comparison
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024
#27 - Alan Ackroyd-Isales - Senior DNA Analyst, DNA Labs International
#28 - Emily Thompson - Former Delivery Driver @ Portland Pie Company
#29 - Cameron Gibney - Former Front of House Manager @ Portland Pie Company
(motion from the defense was heard by the Court outside the presence of the jury)
#30 - Eugene Robert "Bob" Wasson - Home Depot
#31 - Max Rahill - Current Detective, Former Patrol Officer, Manchester PD
#32 - Britney Bedard - Associate of Adam & Kayla through ex-boyfriend Travis Beach, Rented the Econo Lodge motel rooms in her name
#33 - Dennis Cloutier - Maintenance @ 644 Union Street (Adam & Kayla's Apartment)
#34 - Brendon Middleton (in custody) - Associate of Adam Montgomery through Travis Beach & Britney Bedard, Rented the U-Haul Van in his name with Bedard's Card
#35 - Roseanne "Rose" Smith - Driver, Non-emergency Medical Transportation, Pelican Transportation Services (drove Adam & Kayla to and from Methadone Clinic)
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2024
#36 - Travis Beach - Associate of Adam Montgomery
#37 - Tarah Hilbert - Property Manager at Adam & Kayla's Union Street Apartment
#38 - Jessica Guerin - Associate of Adam Montgomery through Shane Perkins
#39 - Nicole Giles - Hostile Witness (arrest warrant issued after she didn't show up to testify on 2/6 and 2/14) Helped Adam & Kayla move from FIT Shelter to Union Street Apartment, maintained a relationship and had several conversations with the couple after the move (no photos or video of this witness should be published)
#40 - Michael Dobe - Security & Asset Protection, Walmart (ECO ATM footage)
#41 - Adam Bergeron-Rosa - Detective, Manchester Police Department (interviews, evidence collection, leads, processing crime scenes, etc.) Currently on FMLA Leave.
#42 - Louis Krawczyk - Detective, Cyber Crimes, Manchester Police Department
#43 - Craig Stanzel - Officer, Manchester Police Department
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2024
#44 - Douglas Small - Kelsey Small's Grandfather
#45 - Bryan Hernandez - Mass. State Trooper, Detective @ Suffolk County DA's Office
#46 - Rebecca Maines - "Best Friend" of Adam Montgomery (self-proclaimed, hung out with him for approximately 2 months in 2021)
#47 - Matthew LaRochelle - Police Captain Manchester Police Department
THE STATE RESTS.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2024
THE DEFENSE RESTS.
Closing Arguments, Defense then Prosecution
Jury Instructions
Five Alternates and a Foreperson are Selected at Random by the Judge
Jury Deliberation Begins
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2024
Deliberation Continues
Harmony is born on June 7, 2014 to Crystal Sorey and Adam Montgomery while Adam is serving time in prison.
01/2015 - Harmony and Crystal visit Adam in prison
06/07/15 - Harmony turns one year old
07/2015 - Harmony and Crystal visit Adam in prison
09/2015 - Adam is released from prison and moves to New Hampshire
06/07/16 - Harmony turns two years old
09/2016 - Adam contacts DCYF to request visitation
09/16-01/17 - Adam visits Harmony five times (approx. once a month for five months)
02/2017 - Adam stops responding to DCYF
06/07/17 - Adam Montgomery and Kayla Rivera get married
06/07/17 - Harmony turns three years old
06/08/17 - Kayla gives birth to Adam & Kayla’s first biological child, a boy
09/2017 - Adam contacts DCYF to request visitation (first time in seven months)
06/07/18 - Harmony turns four years old
07/2018 - Crystal Sorey loses custody of her two children, Harmony and Jamison
08/2018 - Adam visits Harmony one time (first time in 11 months, 9th time in her life)
10/2018 - Adam & Kayla & their son move into Adam’s Grandmother’s house
12/2018 - Mass. DCYF requests a home visit from NH DCYF but it doesn’t happen, because the paperwork isn’t filed correctly
Harmony was removed from Crystal’s custody three times between August 2014 and January 2018. She has since given birth to a third child, a son, who remains in her care and custody.
January
01/2019 - Adam’s grandmother (Helen), brother (Michael Jr), and his brother’s girlfriend (also Kayla) move to Florida
01/30/19 - Kayla gives birth to Adam & Kayla’s second biological child, another boy
February
02/21/19 - Crystal Sorey attends a pre-adoption hearing for Jamison in Boston
02/21/19 - Adam Montgomery gets custody of his daughter, Harmony, while living at 77 Gilford Street with Uncle Kevin, Kayla, and their two sons
02/21/19 - Kayla adds Harmony to her welfare benefits
April
04/21/19 - Crystal Sorey speaks with Harmony for the last time
May
05/30/19 - New Hampshire abolishes the death penalty
June
06/07/19 - Harmony turns five years old
06/2019 - Uncle Kevin moves to Florida and then reports Adam & Kayla to DCYF and says that Adam & Kayla are on drugs and there is no electricity in the house
06/2019 - DCYF and Manchester Police make a home visit
06/07/19 - Jamison goes to live with Blair and Jonathan permanently
July
07/07/19 - Kayla calls 911 to report that a friend of hers, Alex Call, came over the night before and refuses to leave and is high. Call gets trespassed from the property
07/10/19 - “Sebastion” calls 911 to report domestic violence at 77 Gilford Street, banging, screaming, children, female left house, male yelling to get back inside
07/23/19 - 77 Gilford Street is listed for sale ($0)
07/29/19 - Uncle Kevin comes back from Florida and reports Adam to DCYF anonymously for giving Harmony a black eye (injury from one week prior)
August
08/05/19 - Irene Dupont visits police station in order to report squatters at 77 Gilford Street, young children, no electricity, generator, trash everywhere
08/07/19 - DCYF Home Visit (explains the now invisible black eye with “toy”)
08/19/19 - Adam calls 911 on Kevin to report harassment and false DCYF claims
08/21/19 - Heather McCracken calls 911 to report squatters at 77 Gilford Street saying the house is up for auction, generator running, trash all over, no clue how many people
September
09/05/19 - 77 Gilford Street is sold ($187,403)
09/15/19 - “Sarah” calls 911 to report a dog being abused at 77 Gilford Street
09/11/19 - Kevin and Adam Montgomery both call 911. Adam says Kevin barged into the house and was trying to steal things. Kevin says the back door was open, he pushed the refrigerator out of the way that was against it, and the stuff he is taking is his. He flipped a bed over and pushed Adam out of the way but did no damage. The police report notes “clutter and empty food containers in every room, all three children appeared clean and fed”
09/18/19 - Anonymous call to 911 about loud music at 3am, caller says the Sebring appears to have been broken into, pry marks all over it
October
10/01/19 - DCYF sees Harmony for the last time during a home visit “happy and healthy” “unfounded” “high risk for welfare concerns”
10/03/19 - Adam steals two guns (a rifle and a shotgun) from Kim & Chris Frain.
November
11/05/19 - Adam calls 911 to report his friend, Todd Discamti, borrowed the Chrysler Sebring and had not returned
11/22/19 - Blair Miller and his husband Jonathan finalize the adoption of Jamison
11/23/19 - Kayla Montgomery is fired from Dunkin Donuts
11/27/19 - Adam & Kayla are officially evicted from squatting at 77 Gilford Street and start living in a 2010 Chrysler Sebring in the parking lot of the Colonial Village Apartments, according to Kayla
11/28/19 - Adam & Kayla & the kids visit Matt Garcia & Courtney O’Brien’s house
11/29/19 - Adam hides Harmony under a blanket in the car so that Tone Bodero will not see that she has two black eyes, according to Kayla (Tone says he never saw any of them in the Sebring)
December
12/07/19 - According to Kayla, Adam hits Harmony in the face 10-15 times between 2 & 3am when he wakes up and realizes that Harmony has had another accident in the car
12/07/19 - Kayla is dosed at the methadone clinic at 7:04am, and Adam is dosed at 7:09am
1/07/19 - Kayla says Adam comes back to the car and realizes Harmony has had another accident in the car and begins hitting her again in the face and head
12/07/19 - Adam kills Harmony with several blows to the head from the front seat while Harmony is in the rear passenger seat, while they are driving, on the way to Burger King and then to score drugs from Tone Bodero at Colonial Village (according to Kayla Montgomery)
12/07/19 - Chrysler Sebring breaks down at the intersection of Elm and Webster. Adam puts Harmony’s body in an Under Armour duffle bag and walks it back to Colonial Village Apartments and the family lives in Anthony “Tone” Bodero’s Audi for a couple of days with Harmony’s body in the trunk
12/07/19 - Kimberly Frain visits Adam & Kayla & the boys in the Audi, late at night, because the battery was drained
12/2019 - Adam & Kayla & the boys stay with Kayla's aunt Kim Simmons for a couple of days until Kayla's mom picks them up in her van. Harmony's body is stored under the porch, according to Kayla although no evidence of this is found
12/2019 - Adam & Kayla & the boys move in with Christina Lubin & John Galyon (Kayla’s mother and her boyfriend) on Dubuque Street and they stay for “two-to-three weeks” leaving at the end of December. Harmony’s body is kept in a red cooler, according to Kayla although no evidence is found
12/16/19 - Auto City Collision Repair makes an Abandoned Vehicle Tracking Report
12/30/19 - Adam & Kayla & the boys move into the FIT Shelter. Harmony’s body is kept inside the ceiling in the duffle bag which is accessed through a vent
January
01/08/20 - DCYF receives a referral “about the Montgomery household” and Adam says that Harmony is with her mother in Massachusetts and has been since Thanksgiving 2019
01/12/20 - “Karen” called 911 to report that 77 Gilford Street had been broken into, the front door had been kicked in and was standing open. The property was supposed to be vacant. Officers learned from Adam Montgomery that they simply left the door open when they moved out, because there was a foul odor
01/14/20 - Adam Montgomery starts work at Portland Pie Company
01/21/20 - DCYF leaves a voicemail for Crystal Sorey in order to confirm Harmony’s address - no return call from Crystal Sorey
01/29/20 - Chrysler Sebring is sold to Hebert’s Used Auto Parts
February
02/05/20 - smell complaint at FIT Shelter (Adam & Kayla & kids still there). Adam transfers Harmony’s body out of the duffle bag and into a CMC maternity bag inside the FIT Shelter bathroom and they store the maternity bag in the FIT Shelter closet
02/07/20 - Kayla pushes a (front and back) stroller to Portland Pie Company with Harmony’s body (inside the maternity bag) placed in between her two boys, inside a plastic tote. Adam then stores the maternity bag in the Portland Pie Co. cooler for “a week or two”
02/2020 - Kayla Montgomery gets pregnant again
02/2020 - Harmony’s body is moved from Portland Pie Co. back to the FIT Shelter
02/20/20 - Adam & Kayla & the boys (and the bag) move into 644 Union Street #2.
02/2020 - Harmony’s body is removed from the CMC maternity bag and treated with quicklime in the apartment’s bathtub before Harmony’s body is repackaged into the maternity bag. Harmony’s body is then stored in the apartment freezer
02/22/20 - Adam Montgomery stops working at Portland Pie Company
02/21/20 - another smell complaint at the FIT Shelter (Adam & Kayla had moved out)
02/27/20 - maintenance work order at 644 Union Street “snake tub” & “fix lever”
March
03/01/20 - Britney Bedard visits Adam & Kayla & the boys at 644 Union Street
03/01/20 - Portland Pie Company permanently closes for business
03/03/20 - Facebook messages between Travis Beach and Theresa Morrill at 11:21am asking if she can help rent a U-Haul because Adam is moving
03/03/20 - Facebook message from Travis to Adam at 1:36pm says “Her mom said a big fat NO sry bubba”
03/03/20 - Britney Bedard rents two rooms at the Econo Lodge for two nights (216 for Adam & Kayla & the boys, 313 for Britney Bedard & Travis Beach). Harmony’s body is kept in the motel mini-fridge, inside the CMC maternity bag, according to Kayla although no evidence is found
03/03/20 - Facebook message from Travis to “Junn Person” saying he is in 313
03/03/20 - Brendon Middleton rents a U-Haul at 5:49pm with Travis & Britney who then turn the keys over to Adam Montgomery after they all (Adam, Kayla, Britney, Travis, and Brendon smoke some crack) Adam tells Travis approximately five times that he "fucked up" while they are smoking a cigarette after getting high
03/03/20 - Adam tries to reach Travis on Facebook messenger
Adam 11:25pm “Yo”
Adam 11:27pm “If you are awake call me”
Adam 11:27pm “Need to talk”
03/04/20 - Several calls and messages are exchanged between Travis and Adam
Travis 12:43am “Hey can we use the U-Haul for like 10 mins”
12:43am Adam missed a call from Travis
3:35am Travis missed a call from Adam
Adam 3:35am “Know whats up bro hit me up”
3:37am Travis missed a call from Adam
3:38am Travis missed a call from Adam
3:40am Travis missed a call from Adam
3:44am Travis missed a call from Adam
3:46am Travis missed a call from Adam
3:47am Travis missed a call from Adam
3:49am Travis missed a call from Adam
3:51am Travis missed a call from Adam
3:52am Travis missed a call from Adam
3:53am Travis missed a call from Adam
03/04/20 - Tobin Bridge Local North at 4:44am - did not pay toll in U-Haul
03/04/20 - Tobin Bridge Local South at 4:45am - did not pay toll in U-Haul
03/04/20 - Tobin Bridge Local North at 5:25am - did not pay toll in U-Haul
03/04/20 - More calls and messages between Adam and Travis
6:59am Travis missed a call from Adam
Travis 12:16pm “Yo plz let me know when I can come by and grab my stuff cause we only have the car till 130 thank u bubba”
12:18pm Adam missed a call from Travis
12:22pm short calls and video chats between Adam and Travis until 12:57pm
03/04/20 - Adam Montgomery returns the U-Haul at 1:47pm
03/04/20 - Further calls and messages on Facebook between Adam and Travis
Travis 2:47pm “Pro what UHALL did y drop it off at cause we just got a text saying the van was supposed to be back at 2 so plz let me know wtf is going on”
Travis 2:47pm “ASAP”
Adam 7:08pm “I dropped it off on a Willow my word”
Adam 7:08pm “Please don’t message me stuff like this on FB again”
Travis 7:33pm “Um ok my bad won’t happen again bubba”
9:26pm - Travis missed a call from Adam
Adam 9:27pm - “Yo bro can you call me please I need to talk to you it’s important very important please call me”
03/05/20 - Travis Beach surrenders to his probation officer
April
04/01/20 - 77 Gilford Street is listed for sale ($120k)
May
05/22/20 - 77 Gilford Street is sold for $120k
October
10/2020 - Adam and Kayla are evicted from 644 Union Street apartment
November
11/04/20 - Kayla gives birth to Adam & Kayla’s third biological child, a girl
March
03/17/21 - Kayla & her kids leave Adam after Adam beats up Kayla
03/21/21 - Kayla & her kids move in with Kayla’s mother
May
05/14/21 - U-Haul van is sold to Bob and Joshua Wood at auction
June
06/02/21 - Kayla removes Harmony from her welfare benefits
July
07/06/21 - Chris Lubin applies for a restraining order against Adam to keep him away from her house and her daughter and her grandchildren - says Adam is stalking her daughter
September
09/2021 - One of Crystal’s friends contacts DCYF
09/10/21 - DCYF contacts the school district, looking for Harmony
October
10/2021 - Kayla’s last reported physical contact with Adam
November
11/2021 - Kayla’s last reported verbal contact with Adam
11/18/21 - Crystal Sorey reports Harmony missing (last contact April 2019)
December
12/27/21 - DCYF notifies police they are unable to find Harmony
12/27/21 - Manchester Police Department starts contacting Adam’s family
12/28/21 - First interview with Kayla Montgomery (lies about murder)
12/29/21 - Crystal sends letter to the Mayor of Manchester (Joyce Craig)
12/31/21 - First contact with Adam Montgomery and Kelsey Small, living in a car
12/31/21 - Second interview with Kayla Montgomery (lies about murder)
12/31/21 - Voluntary interview with Joseph Eckert (Crystal’s boyfriend)
12/31/21 - Protective supervision is granted to DCYF from Adam Montgomery
12/31/21 - Adam Montgomery is served with the order of protective supervision
12/31/21 - Manchester Police hold a press conference about Harmony being missing
12/31/21 - Adam Montgomery has a phone conversation with Matt Garcia and says he gave Harmony back to Crystal because she was having accidents in the car
January
01/01/22 - Hebert’s Used Auto Parts consents to search and seizure of Sebring
01/02-01/04/22 - Manchester Police search the 77 Gilford Street property
01/03/22 - Manchester Police hold a press conference for reward and tip line announcement
The original tipline was 603.203.6060 and it was eventually changed to 603.932.8997.
The reward fund eventually grew to $144,000.00.
01/04/22 - Adam is arrested & interviewed, sent to Hillsborough House of Corrections
01/04/22 - Attorney General announces arrest and charges
01/05/22 - Adam Montgomery is charged and arraigned (2nd degree assault, interference with custody, two charges of endangering the welfare of a child)
01/05/22 - Investigators speak with Courtney O’Brien & Matt Garcia (separately)
01/05 or 01/06/22 - Kayla is arrested for felony welfare fraud, charges later dropped before new felony theft charge was added
01/19/22 - DNA report from the State Lab confirms Harmony’s toothbrush
February
02/25/22 - Report is released by Governor Sununu’s Office
02/26/22 - Anonymous tipster calls the police information line about Travis Beach & Jennily Paris having a conversation about Adam Montgomery at the tipster’s house, says they were discussing a U-Haul
March
03/09/22 - Voluntary interview with Travis Beach at Probation & Parole Office
03/13/22 - Kelsey Small dies of an overdose at the same Econo Lodge
03/21/22 - Anthony Bodero testifies under oath before the Grand Jury for Hillsborough County Northern District
April
04/04/22 - Adam is arrested on theft charges (firearms)
04/04/22 - DCYF releases reports
04/12/22 - Kayla is arrested and charged with 2 counts receiving stolen property in connection to firearms (later dropped)
04/20/22 - Interview with Bobby Johnson regarding Travis Beach and a conversation they had at the end of March or beginning of April while Jennily Paris was present
04/21/22 - Interview with Travis Beach at the New Hampshire State Prison
May
05/04/22 - Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate releases a report
05/07/22 - Kayla is released from jail
05/20/22 - Kayla Montgomery testifies under oath before the Grand Jury for Hillsborough County Northern District (lies about murder)
05/20/22 - Donna Demers testifies under oath before the Grand Jury for Hillsborough County Northern District
June
06/03/22 - Kayla Montgomery’s first proffer interview after being arrested the same day for committing perjury with the grand jury
06/03/22 - Christina Lubin & John Galyon consent to a search of their home and the seizure of a red and white cooler
06/04/22 - Detectives search the FIT Shelter, seize ceiling parts
06/04/22 - Detectives receive copies of two FIT Shelter maintenance reports
06/09/22 - first Serology, DNA and Fingerprint report from the State Lab
06/09/22 - Voluntary interview with Nicole Giles, former FIT resident
06/10/22 - second Serology, DNA, and Fingerprint report from the State Lab
06/14/22 - Detectives seize the refrigerator from the 644 Union Street apartment
06/23/22 - Kayla Montgomery’s second proffer interview
06/27/22 - Voluntary interview with Britney Bedard in Daytona Beach, Florida
06/30/22 - Detectives receive maintenance records from 644 Union Street
July
07/06/22 - third Serology, DNA, and Fingerprint report from the State Lab
07/06/22 - Detectives interview Brendon Middleton
07/11/22 - Detectives search Econo Lodge #216 and process the mini-fridge
07/20/22 - Detectives receive toll violation report from MassDOT
August
08/04/22 - first DNA report from DNA Labs International
08/09/22 - Travis Beach’s proffer interview
08/11/22 - Manchester Police announce that Harmony's case has been escalated to a homicide investigation (two years and nine months after she was killed)
08/23/22 - Cameron Gibney (PPC) confirms the type of CNC Maternity Bag
September
09/08/22 - Detectives process the seized refrigerator from 644 Union with Blue Star
09/09/22 - Kayla is arrested on a bench warrant for FTA
09/11/22 - Detectives travel to Lancaster, PA to process the former U-Haul van
09/13/22 - Kaylas bond is revoked
09/14/22 - second DNA report from DNA Labs International
09/22/22 - Anthony Bodero’s proffer interview
09/22/22 - Donna Demers’ proffer interview
October
10/24/22 - Adam is arrested and charged with second degree murder (already in custody)
November
11/18/22 - Kayla pleads guilty to two felony counts of perjury and agrees to testify against Adam at his upcoming homicide trial
01/26/23 - Grand Jury Indictment for Adam on new charges of being an armed career criminal and a felon in possession of a firearm
03/16/23 - Kayla interviews with police again
04/06/23 - In a report, the Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate expresses concerns that officials aren’t doing enough for the children in custody cases
04/07/23 - Manchester Police, Massachusetts State Police and other agencies search the wetlands along Route 107 in Revere and confirm they are looking for Harmony
06/01/23 - Testimony begins in Adam’s weapons trial (six charges)
06/05/23 - Kayla testifies at Adam’s weapons trial
06/08/23 - Adam is found guilty on weapons charges after Kayla testifies for the State and becomes an “armed career criminal”
06/20/23 - The affidavit of probable cause against Adam Montgomery in the homicide case is released to the public
08/07/23 - Adam Montgomery is sentenced to decades in prison on weapons charges
01/11/24 - Kayla is interviewed again by detectives and prosecutors pre-trial
02/06/24 - Jury selection begins on Adam's assault and homicide cases
by Jennifer Knight for crimecurious.com
February 1, 2024
Kayla Lee Montgomery (Rivera) is 33-years old. She has a GED, a severe drug addiction, and three biological children - all under the age of seven. She also has an older son whom she is estranged from. Her oldest son is not Adam Montgomery's biological child and will remain anonymous for our purposes here.
She is currently locked up in the state of New Hampshire where she is serving time after pleading guilty on two counts of perjury.
Kayla is taking prescription medication, under a doctor’s care, for substance use disorder while she is incarcerated.
Medication Assisted Therapy takes place in three stages. Induction (1-2 days) Stabilization (several weeks) and Maintenance (as long as it takes).
These medications work by tricking the brain into thinking it's receiving the abused drug. Patients do not experience the intense ‘high’ produced by their former drug of choice, but these medications do prevent withdrawal symptoms that would otherwise occur as addiction subsides and substances clear the body. She’s reportedly been on this medication for more than seven years.
Kayla Montgomery has not been charged in the 2019 murder of her 5-year old stepdaughter, Harmony Montgomery, and many viewers find that upsetting.
Kayla admits that she was physically present when Harmony was beaten to the point of death by Adam Michael Montgomery, who is Kayla’s husband and Harmony’s father. Kayla also admits to helping Adam evade detection by taking steps to cover up the murder.
Prosecutors believe that Harmony Montgomery was killed nearly two years before she was reported missing. Adam and Kayla apparently just went on with their lives.
According to Kayla, Adam killed Harmony on December 7, 2019. The couple then carted Harmony’s lifeless body around like luggage for approximately four months before Adam finally discarded her remains in an unknown location. To date, Harmony has not been found.
Kayla Montgomery lied to investigators, and she lied to the grand jury. She was then charged with perjury and Kayla continued to lie. She lied again during the first of two proffer interviews.
Most people only get one shot to come clean with detectives and prosecutors in a child homicide case. When one is as dirty as Kayla Montgomery, however, coming clean is an obviously complicated process.
Her husband has been charged with second degree assault, second degree murder, tampering with witnesses and informants, falsifying physical evidence, and abuse of a corpse.
Adam’s trial is scheduled to begin on February 6, 2024, and Kayla is meant to serve as the district attorney’s star witness. Credibility of the witness will surely be raised by Adam’s defense team. They have already begun the impeachment process.
We can expect to see several potential credibility issues at play during trial, because Harmony Montgomery was being raised in an unstable environment by seemingly volatile parents who were frequently homeless and constantly involved with drugs and guns and theft and violence. In fact, several proffer deals were made with several witnesses.
According to Kayla’s most recent version of events, Adam killed Harmony by delivering several blows to her head, from the front seat of the family’s 2010 Chrysler Sebring, while he was driving the vehicle. Harmony was in the rear passenger seat. Kayla admits that she and her husband had just gotten high on heroin and fentanyl when it happened.
Kayla says the car broke down during that same drive, and that’s when they realized Harmony was no longer alive.
Adam placed Harmony’s body inside a duffle bag and then carried her back to the parking lot where the family had been living inside their car. Tone Bodero allowed them to sleep in his vehicle in that same parking lot for a couple of nights, until they figured something else out.
Adam & Kayla & their sons then moved in with Kayla’s mother, Chris Lubin, and stayed there for a few weeks, until the end of December, when they moved into the Families in Transition or FIT Shelter on Lake Ave - 177 Lake Avenue, to be exact.
53 days later, the family moved into an apartment of their own at 644 Union Street, where they lived until they were inevitably evicted in October of that same year.
Most people were told that Harmony had gone to live with her biological mother, Crystal Sorey. Unfortunately, Crystal hadn’t spoken to her daughter for nearly eight months at the time Harmony was killed, and she didn’t report her missing until almost two years after that. Harmony Montgomery was failed by many.
Although the state Department of Children Youth and Families was called almost incessantly by citizens who were making reports about the Montogomery family and the conditions in which they were living, DCYF had not physically seen Harmony during a home visit for more than two years.
The organization has since released a report to the public regarding the handling of the Montgomery DCYF Case File.
Kayla Montgomery gave birth to a third child, a daughter, less than one year after allegedly watching her husband kill Harmony.
She continued to receive welfare benefits, more specifically food stamps, in Harmony’s name, for a year and a half after Harmony was killed. Kayla was arrested for welfare fraud in January of 2022 and those charges were later changed to felony theft. Is that enough? Perjury and welfare fraud or theft? In exchange for the testimony of a woman who has already lied under oath on more than one occasion? How good is her word?
Kayla Montgomery was also arrested in April of 2022 for her involvement in the theft of firearms, two counts of receiving stolen property. The gun charges were later dropped, after she agreed to testify against her husband at trial in that case.
Adam was found guilty on all six weapons charges, but how much weight did Kayla’s testimony actually carry? Will Kayla finally tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth regarding Harmony Montgomery’s murder during Adam's homicide trial?
Will Harmony finally get the justice she deserves after being failed by so many with no way of defending or taking care of herself? Will Harmony’s murder change the way situations like hers are handled by government agencies?
Even with the public release of a well written and lucid affidavit of probable cause for the arrest of Adam Montgomery, those of us in the court of public opinion still have more questions than answers.
I will be attending this trial in person and bringing you (almost) nightly recaps of each day’s events during trial via YouTube.
Kayla Montgomery will testify against her husband, Adam Montgomery.
Sharing my Experience from Inside the Courtroom
Topics: Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Sharing my Experience from Inside the Courtroom
Topics: Friday, February 16, 2024
Sharing my Experience from Inside the Courtroom
Topics: Wednesday, February 14 and Thursday, February 15, 2024
Sharing my Experience from Inside the Courtroom
Topics Include: Adam & Kayla's (former) Drug Dealer & Kayla Montgomery's Mother Testify for the State of New Hampshire
Sharing my Experience from Inside the Courtroom
Topics Include: Kayla Montgomery's Testimony, Direct Examination and Cross Examination + Redirect & Recross
Sharing my Experience from Inside the Courtroom
Topics Include: Kayla Montgomery's Testimony, Direct Examination and Partial Cross Examination + Observations of Jury Reactions
Sharing my Experience from Inside the Courtroom
Topics Include: Jury Selection Jury View Bus Tour Opening Statements Presentation of Evidence (the first day of witnesses)
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