Dad 'beat daughter to death before eating meal with her body in the car'

08 February 2024 , 19:29

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Harmony Montgomery, 5, was missing for two years before local police uncovered the truth

New Hampshire prosecutors Thursday outlined the heinous acts of Adam Montgomery, who allegedly murdered his daughter Harmony Montgomery, 5, and subsequently relocated her body multiple times, during the opening statements of his murder trial.

The defendant's daughter vanished in 2019, but local law enforcement agencies didn't catch wind until about two years later - the girl's body has never been found. "She was a daughter, she was a sister, she was a Minnie Mouse fan, she was a fun-loving girl that loved being a big sister. She was just five years old when the defendant brutally murdered her," prosecutor Christopher Knowles told jurors during his opening statement.

Montgomery is facing multiple charges, including assault, witness tampering and, most notable of all, second-degree murder. Knowles asserted the accused murderer beat Harmony in the car due to a bathroom accident.

READ MORE: Little girl, 5, ‘beaten to death by dad for wetting herself in car with body moved around for months’

Adam Montgomery allegedly beat his daughter to death after she relived herself in his car (AP)

He then continued driving until he reached a Burger King where he at a meal and subsequently did drugs. "He pulled into that parking lot at Burger King and he ordered his food. He ordered his food and he ate. He didn't stop to check on Harmony," Knowles said. "He didn't look back at her. He didn't show any concern for this innocent little girl, the child he had just beaten. He ordered his food, and he ate. And he didn't stop."

Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him

Montgomery said his attorneys are ready to make concessions in connection to the charges of falsifying tangible evidence and abusing a corpse on the first day of his trial, which was Wednesday.

Kayla Montgomery has agreed to cooperate with the prosecution in her estranged husband's trial

The tragic death of Harmony, who was born to parents with histories of drug addiction, appeared to be a catalyst for a overhaul of child protection systems. The incident prompted social workers to make more wellness-check calls for the children and not the parents.

Harmony reportedly bounced between foster homes and the homes of her mother until Adam was awarded custody in 2019 and moved to New Hampshire. The prosecution seems poised to call Montgomery's estranged wife Kayla Montgomery, who is currently serving an 18-month prison sentence after entering a guilty plea to perjury charges.

Prosecutors alleged that Montgomery repeatedly moved his daughter's corpse for two years (CBS News Boston)

The mother has agreed to work with the prosecution. Defence attorney James Brooks stood before jurors and implored them to find his client guilty on charges related to hiding his daughter's corpse. However, he asserted that Kayla was the one who actually killed Harmony.

"Kayla Montgomery was the last person to see Harmony alive and know how Harmony died," Brooks said. "Adam is not an innocent here. He and Kayla covered up Montgomery's death. Adam Montgomery did not kill Harmony."

According to investigators, Montgomery continually transferred Harmony's corpse from container to container and location to location for three months. Kayla said his hiding places included the trunk of a friend's car, a cooler in his mother-in-law's apartment building and the ceiling vent of a homeless shelter.

Mataeo Smith