Inside interrogation of Harmony Montgomery’s father & how he remained defiant when quizzed about daughter’s injuries
DETECTIVES investigating the death of Harmony Montgomery quizzed her father about "marks" and "injuries" that she allegedly sustained while in her care, court documents have revealed.
Adam Montgomery, who was arrested on Monday in connection with the murder of his daughter Harmony, asked for a cigarette and remained defiant during a January 4 questioning for allegedly assaulting his daughter in 2019 while they lived in their Manchester, New Hampshire home.
After Montgomery asked why he was being charged with second-degree assault, the detective said, "Well, your daughter had some injuries that you know about when you lived in Gilford Street," according to court documents reviewed by The U.S. Sun.
The following exchange ensued.
Montgomery: "No, I do not. What are you referring to?"
Detective: "Well you were there, I wasn't, right?
Montgomery: "What are you referring to?"
Detective: "I'm referring to her (Harmony) having some good marks."
Montgomery: "What are you referring to?"
Detective: "Marks that were left on her by you."
Montgomery: "Absolutely not. I have nothing else to you."
HARMONY MONTGOMERY
"After his last statement, the defendant (Montgomery) sat hunched forward with his arms crossed, avoiding eye contact," court documents say.
After about 15 seconds of silence, he accused police of "being out of line" and told detectives: "I have nothing to explain."
The interview continued for about 12 more minutes before Montgomery had enough, according to court documents.
“You know what, man, like I don’t even want to talk anymore. Like this is just beating around the bush. It just seems a little too silly to me,” Montgomery is quoted as saying in court documents.
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"After a short pause, the defendant asked for a cigarette and then
mentioned again how he felt the conversation was pointless," the documents say.
MONTGOMERY CHARGED WITH MURDER
Montgomery was charged with Harmony's murder, state prosecutors and Manchester police announced on Monday.
He allegedly punched the girl in the head with a closed fist contributing to her death, authorities said during a press conference.
The 32-year-old is charged with second-degree murder, falsifying physical evidence, abuse of a corpse, and witness tampering, among other charges.
State Attorney General John Formella announced on Monday that Adam allegedly "purposely altered, destroyed, concealed or removed" the body of Harmony sometime between December 2019 and March 2020.
He is expected to be arraigned on the new charges on Tuesday.
ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE
At the time of the January 4 interrogation, which Montgomery's defense team tried to suppress, he was facing a charge of interference with custody and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
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.
HARMONY'S DISAPPEARANCE
Harmony was last seen alive in October 2019. However, police were not aware of her disappearance until after Christmas in 2021.
According to records by the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, Harmony bounced between her mother’s care and DCF for much of her young life.
The young girl was placed in her father's custody in 2019 when she was roughly five years old.
Harmony was living in squatter-like conditions at a messy home where neighbors reported multiple fights and possible child abuse, according to police reports obtained by The U.S. Sun through open records requests
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 animal 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. And there is trash everywhere. She is concerned for the child and asked that we check the condition."
That report was from August 5, 2019. Police and New Hampshire Department for Children, Youth and Families, which Harmony's biological mother ripped for not protecting her daughter, responded.
ADAM AND UNCLE FIGHT, HOUSE IS A MESS
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 appropriate for the current conditions.
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"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.