Adam Montgomery, the New Hampshire man charged with murder in the disappearance of his 5-year-old daughter, Harmony, was sentenced to decades in prison on unrelated weapons charges Monday, with a judge assuring him the sentence didn't factor in what he's accused of in his upcoming case.
He was found guilty in June on six separate charges, including being a career armed criminal, and sentenced to between 32-and-a-half and 75 years behind bars. Montgomery was accused of having a shotgun and a rifle, even though he has multiple felony convictions in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
These charges were not related to the second-degree murder charge he faces in the death of his daughter, Harmony Montgomery.
Speaking briefly at his sentencing on the gun charges in Hillsborough Superior Court, Adam Montgomery stridently denied killing his daughter, a charge he called offensive, as he asked that the judge not consider that case when she sentenced him.
Montgomery began by saying he didn't want to dispute that he was found guilty in the weapons case, then pivoted to his request that the judge not factor in the murder case as she mulls how long the man should spend in prison for two counts each of being an armed career criminal, receiving stolen property and theft.
"I did not kill my daughter, Harmony, and I look forward to my upcoming trial to refute those offensive claims," he continued.
He also noted that he didn't want to be addicted to drugs and that he aims to spend his time in prison to better himself.
"I could have had a meaningful life, but I blew that opportunity through drugs. But I loved my daughter unconditionally and I did not kill her, so please don't consider anything that relates to those charges, only consider the facts of this case," Montgomery concluded.
After he spoke, the judge took a break to consider what he said, as well as what the arguments of the prosecutor and defense lawyer. The prosecution was seeking more time in prison than the defense, with the two sides disagreeing over whether there were aggravating factors that should put Montgomery in prison for longer.
The judge ultimately returned and sentenced Montgomery to 15-30 years on each of the armed career criminal charges, to be followed by 7-and-a-half to 15 years for both of the theft charges. She said he could have five years removed from the final prison sentence for good behavior.
The judge noted Montgomery's concern that the pending murder charge might be part of what motivated her, but said it did not, pointing out that some of what he'd been convicted of involved "maybe some of the most violent" behavior she's seen — including holding a gun to someone's neck during a robbery before he himself was shot.
And in the case for which he was convicted, the judge said, "you bragged about the guns, you talked about them being hidden in the walls of your home, you talked about concerns about being discovered by the ATF."
Harmony Montgomery's body has never been found, but she is presumed dead, and authorities believe she was murdered in December 2019. Her disappearance only came to light in 2021, and her case garnered national attention, outrage and upset.
Adam Montgomery pleaded not guilty in October to a second-degree murder, falsifying physical evidence and abuse of a corpse charges. Authorities allege that he killed his daughter, Harmony, by repeatedly striking her in the head with his fist.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
