Adam Montgomery's New Hampshire murder trial now in hands of jurors as deliberations begin
BOSTON – The decision of Adam Montgomery's guilt or innocence is now in the hands of a jury during the New Hampshire murder trial for the man accused of killing his daughter, 5-year-old Harmony Montgomery.
After a two-week trial and 50 witnesses for the prosecution, Montgomery's defense team called no witnesses.
They attempted to get some charges against Montgomery dismissed, and also tried to get the judge to throw out the testimony of his wife Kayla. But both failed, and the trial moved right to closing statements Wednesday once the state rested its case a day earlier.
Montgomery is accused of beating his daughter Harmony to death on December 7, 2019 while the family was living in a car, then spending months concealing and contorting her body before disposing of it. Harmony's body has never been found.
Harmony was reported missing in 2021, launching a massive search in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
In closing statements, prosecutors repeated their story of how they believed Harmony died.
"It was the defendant, in the car, on the morning of [December 7], with his fists," prosecutor Benjamin Agati told the jury.
Montgomery "may have genetically donated half his DNA to [Harmony], but he was never her father," Agati said. "She was an object that he beat, stuffed, put in a cooler."
On the other hand, defense focused its closing on destroying the credibility of the state's star witness, Kayla Montgomery.
Adam's estranged wife is currently serving jail time for perjury, and is the last adult other than Adam to have seen Harmony alive.
"Her story is crazy," defense attorney Caroline Smith said. "She's lying because she has something to hide still, because the truth points to her. Adam did some very very bad things. But he did not kill his daughter."
Several adults, including the defendant and several witnesses, admit to being active drug users at the time Harmony's death occurred. Their stories have changed over time, and the jury has to analyze their credibility while making a decision.
Adam Montgomery has not been in the courtroom since jury selection. He waived hig right each day to be present at his trial.
Each day, Harmony's biological mother Crystal Sorey, and the girl's foster family – with whom she lived for the majority of her life – have been in the courtroom watching testimony.
The jury deliberated for a little over two hours on Wednesday before heading home for the day. They will return on Thursday at 8:45 AM.
