Harmony Montgomery updates — New search underway in wetlands months after father Adam was indicted for daughter’s murder

Police said two year gap is ‘extremely concerning’

During a press conference on December 31, 2021, Police Chief Allen Aldenberg told the media that Manchester authorities were not alerted to Harmony’s disappearance until December 2021, two years after the little girl had gone missing.

Aldenberg said, “For us to have a two-year delay, that is extremely concerning.”

He added, “That’s not something that happens to us on a regular basis. It doesn’t happen every day.”

‘I think he sold her’

She then went on to explain what she thinks happened to her daughter.

Sorey told Entin: “I think he sold her because the same week that they’re saying this happened — the day after Thanksgiving to December 6 — was the week after my son legally got adopted on the news.”

“He knew what my son looked like. … He saw that and I really think that’s connected,” she added.”

“I think he got that idea from seeing that and was like ‘Oh, I can do it illegally.'”

‘He used to choke me’

The mom of the missing New Hampshire girl claimed Adam Montgomery used to be violent, when she spoke to NewsNationNow’s .

When Entin asked Sorey if she had ever seen her ex be violent, she said: “Yeah, when I was in a relationship with him. He used to choke me.

“[When] I was pregnant with her he choked me.”

‘That’s my Harmony’

The young girl’s little brother has been searching for his missing sister in a park, the boy’s adopted dads exclusively told The US Sun.

Harmony used to take care of her little brother, Jamison, as they bounced around the foster care system but were ultimately separated in 2019.

Jamison was adopted by Blaine and Jonathon Miller in November 2019, when Harmony had been reunited with her biological father months earlier.

Blaine told The Sun that even at a young age, Jamison is very aware and keeps asking where Harmony is.

“We try to shield him from the news, but he saw her picture on a flyer and said, ‘That’s my Harmony,'” Jonathon said.

“We brought him to a park, and he was looking for her.”

Time frame of Harmony’s disappearance

According to records by the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, Harmony was bounced between her mother’s care and DCF for much of her young life.

The young girl was placed in the custody of her father, Adam, in 2019 when she was roughly five years old.

Investigators have since narrowed the time frame of Harmony’s disappearance to November 28 to December 10, 2019.

Adam, 31, is being held on charges of felony second-degree assault stemming from an alleged attack against Harmony in 2019.

He has not been charged with the child’s disappearance, but he is facing a misdemeanor charge of interference with custody and two misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

Harmony’s stepmom was jailed

Prosecutors have dropped the welfare fraud charges against Harmony’s stepmother, Kayla, and replaced them with three other charges, including theft, per court records.

Kayla has not been identified as a suspect in the disappearance of Harmony, and all charges against her concern alleged theft of food stamps and government benefits.

The count was dropped because of new information about the benefits provided by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, according to the attorney general’s office.

The new charge maintains that the stepmom of the seven-year-old still accepted food stamp benefits for Harmony while she was missing.

Montgomery is a suspect in an unsolved murder

Adam Montgomery is the prime suspect in the 2008 murder of Darlin Guzman in Lynn, Massachusetts, according to .

On February 10 that year, cops found Darlin fatally shot in a convenience store parking lot in Lynn’s Austin Square.

She was shot in the chest and pronounced dead on arrival at a nearby hospital.

Montgomery, who was 18 at the time, along with two family members has been the sole focus of the murder probe, the outlet reports.

The outlet said Montgomery and his two family members agreed to meet with Darlin at the convenience store on the day she was fatally shot.

Darlin’s car was recovered days later in Billerica, which is in the direction of Bedford, New Hampshire, where Montgomery was living with his family at the time.

Who is Adam Montgomery?

Harmony’s father, Adam Montgomery, is being held without bail in a New Hampshire jail, according to a local media report.

Montgomery is a suspect in an unsolved Massachusetts murder, according to a law enforcement official close to the investigation.

Investigators announced the arrest of Adam Montgomery, who was taken into custody on January 4, 2022.

Montgomery has been charged with felony second-degree assault, interfering with custody, and child endangerment stemming from his alleged 2019 conduct against Harmony.

What happened to Adam Montgomery’s girlfriend?

The  reported that Montgomery’s girlfriend, Kelsey Small, has died, although her cause of death is still unknown.

A spokesperson for the Manchester Police said Small’s death does not appear suspicious at this time, but would not release information regarding her living situation at the time of her death.

Her death was reported on Twitter by the True Crime Sisters who said, “She was only 27 years young and many are mourning her loss.

“Our True Crime Sisters team would like to extend our deepest heartfelt condolences to Kelsey’s family and loved ones at this time.”

Adam’s brother spoke about the abuse

Adam’s brother, Michael, told police the 31-year-old was physically abusive to Harmony and gave her a black eye.

A detective then spoke to Adam’s uncle Kevin and asked him about Harmony’s eye injury.

According to court documents, Kevin said that Adam told him in July 2019 that he [Adam] “bashed her [Harmony] around the house.”

Adam was allegedly angry at Harmony, who was five years old at the time, because she was supposed to be watching her infant brother, but he started crying, which enraged the father.

The uncle also said Adam spanked his daughter, forced her to stand in the corner for hours, and ordered her to scrub a toilet with her toothbrush.

Adam Montgomery allegedly abused his daughter

Harmony’s father was accused of assaulting Harmony shortly before her disappearance and also faces misdemeanor charges of interference with custody and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

The father has a violent past and allegedly “bashed (Harmony) around the house,” forced her to scrub the toilet with her toothbrush and stand in the corner for hours during a drug relapse, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Harmony’s mother said child services ‘failed’ her

In a Facebook post, Crystal Sorey said that the New Hampshire DCYF “failed” her daughter.

In all-caps, she wrote, “Myself & her family have filed dozens of reports of abuse & neglect & nothing was done until I called the police & wrote a letter to the NH mayor.”

Sorey was likely referring to the Manchester, New Hampshire Mayor Joyce Craig.

The mayor received an email in December “primarily regarding issues with follow-up” on Harmony’s case from the Division for Children, Youth and Families, but the mayor’s office did not confirm if Sorey was the sender.

“I’m calling on all my guardian angels to surround my baby & keep her safe & bring her home to me & her brothers,” Sorey also posted, with a photo collage of Harmony and some of her siblings.

In one comment, she said that she was not yet “allowed” to say more about the details of the disappearance and that she would not share information that might interfere with the investigation.

Harmony’s mom last saw her on a Facetime call

Harmony Montgomery’s mom, Crystal Sorey, claims said she last saw her daughter looking “frightened” during a FaceTime call around Easter 2019, according to an affidavit.

“Crystal stated Adam was visible in the background of the video call,” read court documents. 

“Crystal recalled that H.M. seemed frightened, and believes that was the last time she actually saw her daughter.”

Since then, Adam cut off all ties with Sorey and the family, the affidavit says.

Last photos were taken in 2019

The most recent photos of Harmony show her at five years old, although the missing girl would now be eight.

That’s because the most recent pictures of the girl are from 2019 before she went missing.

A haunting look inside the home

Just months ago, the FBI searched an apartment that was once occupied by Harmony's father, Adam Montgomery, and her ex-stepmother, Kayla.

Cops descended on the small, one-bedroom in New Hampshire on June 14 where they were seen removing a fridge as part of their investigation into the disappearance of Harmony.

"It's heartbreaking, to be in the apartment that you think something might have happened in," the current resident, using the alias Ginger, .

"I've been crying for like days though."

Fights at the Montgomery home, concluded

A few weeks later – September 11, 2019 – Manchester police officers on patrol broke up a fight outside the Gilford Street home between Adam and Kevin.

According to the report, Adam accused Kevin and his wife of “barging their way in without his permission,” and Kevin said they were trying to retrieve their belongings after moving to Florida.

The officers went in with Kevin and his wife and noticed “clutter in every room consisting of clothing and empty food containers,” the report said.

“Adam told me although the power had been turned off several months ago due to nonpayment, he has a portable generator in the driveway which powers the refrigerator. I could see food in the cupboards and refrigerator.

“I went upstairs where I contacted Adam’s wife Kayla and the three children (names redacted). All three children appeared to be clean and fed. Their clothing was approriate for the current conditions.

“Although this area was highly disheveled, it did not appear unsafe.”

A January 2020 police report described a “very bad odor” coming from the home which was why the door was open.

Fights at the Montgomery home, continued

The August 5, 2019 police report concluded that they’ve been here “several times,” “everyone’s home, generator is running, food in the house, they are healthy, all is well.”

About two weeks later – August 21, 2019 – another neighbor called to report a suspected squatter in the home.

The report reads: “There is a generator running and there is trash all over the place. Unknown exactly how many people are in there.

“Getting numerous calls about this. Tenant Adam is in the process of being evicted. His uncle Kevin Montgomery has been calling in checking conditions and harassing him.”

The report says that the state’s Department for Children, Youth and Families was involved.

Fights were reported at the Montgomery’s ‘messy’ home

Reports obtained by The Sun pull back the curtain on Harmony Montgomery’s squatter-like living conditions at a messy home with her father where neighbors reported multiple fights and possible child abuse.

She had been living at 77 Gilford St. with her biological father Adam Montgomery and his wife Kayla, as well as Adam’s uncle Kevin Montgomery.

Officers responded to the home at least 16 times between January 2019 and January 2020, according to the police reports.

There were verbal bouts between Adam and Kayla, fights between Adam and Harmony’s uncle, “messy” home conditions and concerns of child and animals abuse, the police reports said.

“Neighbor concerned about young child living at this address. Said she thinks the parents are squatting there and have no electricity, just a small generator,” the police report from August 5, 2019, said.

“And there is trash everywhere. She is concerned for the child and asked that we check the condition.”

Mother's heartbroken plea

Crystal Sorey shared a video with her reaction to Thursday's update about Harmony's disappearance where she begs for information on her daughter's murder.

"Tell us where her remains are so we can bring her home and she can lay to rest," Crystal says tearfully in the video shared by .

"She might be passed away but she's not resting because she's not home.

"I just want to bring her home where she belongs."

Harmony reported missing by email

The details of who brought Harmony’s case to authorities are unclear, and questions remain about the timeline of events.

According to a statement Mayor Joyce Craig’s office made to  the mayor’s office received an email in December 2021 regarding Harmony.

It’s not clear what the details of the email included, but the outlet says the email was “primarily regarding issues with follow-up” from the Division for Children, Youth and Families.

The identity of the person who sent the email is unknown.

Investigation was previously focused on another home

Harmony’s father Adam and his estranged wife Kayla cut off all communications with their families – and a series of errors by Child Protective Services left Harmony’s mom and family in the dark.

Until Tuesday, the investigation focused on a home on Gilford St in Manchester, New Hampshire, where Harmony was last seen.

Officers responded to the home at least 16 times between January 2019 and January 2020, according to the police reports obtained by The Sun through a public records request.

Harmony’s family was living in cars

According to the New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella, police learned that Adam and Kayla Montgomery lived with Harmony and two other children when they were evicted on November 27, 2019.

Multiple people reported seeing Harmony with Adam and Kayla in the following days, but between December 6 and 10, they had only their two common children with them and not Harmony.

“Witnesses have reported that during that time, Adam, Kayla, and the children were homeless and living out of cars, possibly in the North End of Manchester,” the attorney general’s office said in a release.

One of the cars was a silver 2010 Chrysler Sebring, and the other a dark blue 2006 Audi S4.

Young brother's heartbreaking request

Blair and Johnathon Miller, who adopted Harmony's younger brother Jamison in November 2019, told The U.S. Sun that they're on a summer getaway but will talk to their youngest son about Thursday's update when they get back.

Before the recent devastating news, Blair said Jamison recently asked his dads to hang a picture of him and Harmony when they were in foster care.

They were tied at the hip, and Harmony was his protector, he said.

"When he feels the wind, he often says, 'That was Harmony sending me a hug.' So when you think of the wind, think of Harmony," Mr Blair Miller said.

"We pray that Jamison will grow up feeling the love that has come from so many people in so many communities. We only wish that Harmony got that same chance."

Governor speaks up

New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu released a written statement in response to the update regarding Harmony's case.

The governor says: "Our greatest fears were confirmed today, and now our efforts shift to ensuring justice for Harmony.

"I commend the tireless dedication of the law enforcement community for their unwavering efforts and commitment to transparency and recognize they have much work ahead of them.

"We have come to know Harmony through her bright smiles in her photos and she will not be soon be forgotten by her fellow Granite Staters."

'The time is now'

At Thursday's press conference, Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg encouraged residents to step up if they might have seen anything that could assist authorities in the homicide investigation.

"As I stated from the beginning of this investigation and throughout, every effort has been made to bring Harmony home to her family," Aldenberg said.

"Our commitment to bringing Harmony home has not wavered, nor will it.

";The time is now. Time to step up and do the right thing. Make a call to that tip line or contact the Manchester Police Department any way you see fit.

"Harmony is a sweet, innocent child who deserves to be brought home to her family and her friends."