Harmony Montgomery (L) and Adam Montgomery (R) appear in images released by the Manchester, N.H. Police Department.
The New Hampshire father accused of hitting his young daughter in July 2019 and snubbing police when asked about her disappearance months later has been arrested on eight gun theft charges.
Adam Montgomery, 32, was indicted in March on one count of second-degree assault for allegedly hitting his daughter, Harmony Montgomery, in July of 2019, when the girl was just 5 years old.
He allegedly told his uncle, Kevin Montgomery, that he had violently abused his daughter, who would now be 7 years old.
“I bashed her around this house,” Montgomery reportedly said.
Harmony was reported missing in January, even though she hadn’t been seen since late November or December of 2019.
According to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Justice on Monday, Montgomery has been arrested for eight charges relating to a firearms theft that allegedly occurred in September and October of 2019.
“The charges allege that between September 29, 2019, and October 3, 2019, in Manchester, Adam Montgomery stole a rifle and a shotgun from C.F.,” the press release says, referring to the rightful owner of the weapons by only their initials.
The New Hampshire DOJ outlined the eight charges against Montgomery:
- Two charges of theft by unauthorized taking for stealing the rifle and the shotgun,
- Two charges of receiving stolen property for receiving or retaining the rifle and the shotgun,
- Two charges of felon in possession for possessing the rifle and the shotgun after having been convicted of one or more qualifying felonies, and
- Two charges of armed career criminal for possessing the rifle and the shotgun after having been convicted of three or more qualifying felonies.
Although the alleged theft took place around the last time Harmony was seen, the New Hampshire DOJ says that there is “no evidence of any connection” between the stolen firearms and Harmony Montgomery’s disappearance.
The armed career criminal charges carry a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum 40 years in prison, the NHDOJ says. The theft and receiving stolen property charges carry a maximum term of 7.5 to 15 years in prison, and the felon in possession charges each carry a maximum term of 3.5 to 7 years.
As the search for Harmony continues, the details surrounding her case—and people connected to it—are increasingly troubling.
Harmony’s stepmother, Kayla Montgomery, is currently facing a count of theft by deception for allegedly collecting benefits on Harmony’s behalf despite her disappearance.
The indictment outlining the charge alleges that “on various occasions between approximately November 30, 2019, and June 2, 2021, Ms. Montgomery represented to NH DHHS that H.M. (DOB 06/07/2014) was a member of Ms. Montgomery’s household despite H.M. not being a member of Ms. Montgomery’s household during that time period,” and that Kayla received more than $1,500 in benefits for that time period.
On March 13, Kelsey Small, who had dated Adam Montgomery, was found dead in Manchester. A spokesperson told Law&Crime at the time that Small’s death was “not considered suspicious.”
Small was linked to the case because she was present when police arrested Montgomery in December for allegedly beating Harmony. Small had told police that she knew of Montgomery’s four children, but she had no information about them. She also said that Montgomery never spoke about Harmony.
At the time of his arrest, Montgomery didn’t respond to investigators’ questions about Harmony.
“I have nothing else to say,” Montgomery said, according to an affidavit.
Harmony’s biological mother, Crystal Sorey, had lost custody of Harmony in 2018 over drug use, Law&Crime previously reported. She has since regained sobriety.
Sorey has said she last saw Harmony in a video chat around Easter 2019, and has allegedly claimed that Montgomery and Kayla blocked her on social media and on their phone.
Sorey described her daughter as appearing frightened in that video chat, police said.
Montgomery is expected to be arraigned on the gun theft charges on Wednesday.
[Images via Manchester, N.H. Police Department.]