A New Hampshire girl who had been missing for nearly three years is now considered a homicide victim. Authorities made the announcement even if her remains have yet to be found.
New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella told reporters that Harmony Montgomery was most likely killed in Manchester in early December 2019. The girl was five years old at the time, according to NBC News.
Formella, the state's top prosecutor, said investigators had uncovered biological evidence that led them to this difficult and tragic conclusion. Formella noted that this is now officially a homicide investigation, and their investigators will continue to probe into what happened to Harmony leading to her murder and search for her remains.
Authorities appeal for the public's help in finding Harmony's remains
Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg and Formella did not take questions or elaborate on the evidence that led them to declare Montgomery's death.
Thursday's unfortunate development comes more than seven months after cops in Manchester said they first learned Harmony had not been seen for two years since late 2019. But Manchester police said they learned she was missing only in December.
Aldenberg called Montgomery a sweet and innocent 8-year-old girl. Authorities are asking help from the public in locating Harmony's remains and identifying her killer. Aldenberg said the time is now to step up, do the right thing, and make the call to that tip line. He added that Harmony deserves to be brought home to her family and friends.
New Hampshire law enforcement officials had said that she was in the custody of her dad, Adam Montgomery, when she was last seen in late November 2019. Adam and his wife, Kayla, who is not Harmony's mom, have both been arrested and charged, but not in direct connection with the girl's disappearance. Both of them had pleaded not guilty, according to WMUR.
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Harmony's parents had substance abuse issues
According to court documents, Adam was charged with assault after he was alleged to have told an uncle that he had given his daughter Harmony a black eye in June 2019. On the other hand, Kayla had been accused of welfare fraud and collecting more than $1,500 in food stamp benefits for Harmony, even though the missing girl was no longer living at their home.
According to a report from the state Office of the Child Advocate, Harmony was born in Massachusetts and spent much of her life in the custody of that state's Department of Children and Families.
According to the child advocate agency, harmony's mom, Crystal Sorey, and dad had substance abuse issues. A court awarded custody to Adam Montgomery, who lived in New Hampshire, in February 2019.
Sorey contacted Manchester police back in November, saying that she was sober but that Adam had been blocking all her attempts at communication and that the last time she had seen her daughter Harmony was on a video call in April 2019, according to a police affidavit.
