Adam Montgomery expressed frustration with the authorities during his New Hampshire trial, stating that they were "wasting their time" during the multi-state search for his daughter's remains in late 2022, as heard in a call recording.
In Montgomery's continuing trial in Manchester, the prosecution rested its case on Tuesday. Harmony Montgomery, age five, was killed, and Mongomery, who earlier this month pled guilty to two lesser counts of mistreatment of a body and fabricating details, is now charged with one count of second-degree murder, as per The Independent.
Testimony Unveils Adam Montgomery's
Rebecca Maines, in prison for a parole violation, testified that Adam Montgomery had been trying to see his daughter, Harmony Montgomery, since 2019, when he dropped her off to be with her mother. Despite being granted legal custody, Harmony's mother wouldn't allow him to visit her. Authorities believe Montgomery killed her on December 7, 2019, but she was reported missing nearly two years later.
Adam Montgomery pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in 2022 and proclaimed in court last year that he did not kill his daughter and loved her unconditionally. Defense attorneys acknowledged he is guilty of two lesser charges: falsifying evidence and abusing a corpse. However, they suggested Harmony died on December 6 alone with her stepmother, Kayla Montgomery.
Adam Montgomery, serving a 30-year prison sentence for an unrelated gun conviction, hasn't been attending his trial. Prosecutors rested Tuesday, and the defense is scheduled to present its case on Wednesday.
Maines, who described Montgomery as her best friend, testified about an incident where she "backhanded" her daughter after she put her hand over her younger brother's lips and nose. Her uncle, Adam Montgomery's uncle, also testified that he "bashed" Harmony around the house after seeing her put her hands on her brother, according to AP News.
Rebecca Maines Under Cross-Examination
Maines has a criminal record from 2014 to 2019, including theft and fraud convictions. She is scheduled for a parole hearing in April and faces several pending charges. During cross-examination, she admitted to being a criminal and was in treatment for substance abuse.
Defense attorneys suggested that Maines was trying to improve her legal situation by testifying, but she denied making or asking for promises about her pending charges in exchange for her testimony. Adam Montgomery and Kayla Montgomery were not in a relationship when Harmony was born in 2014.
The child lived with foster families and her mother, Crystal Sorey, who lost custody in 2018. Kayla Montgomery, Harmony's mother, has been the star witness against her estranged husband, serving an 18-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to perjury for lying during grand jury testimony.
According to her testimony, Harmony's family, which included their two young kids, had been evicted and were living in a car at the time. She added that her husband had hit Harmony in her head many times because she had wet herself.
She provided details about giving food to the children without confirming Harmony's well-being, finding Harmony gone and hiding the body in different locations such as a ceiling escape at a homeless shelter and a walk-in freezer at her husband's workplace. Kayla Montgomery said she stopped from speaking out about Harmony's death due to fear of her husband, Mass Live reported.
