The father of long-missing New Hampshire girl Harmony Montgomery was on Monday arrested on charges including second-degree murder, authorities said.
Adam Montgomery was arrested at 10:30 a.m. on four charges, police said. He's accused of beating his daughter to death around Dec. 7, 2019, and concealing the body by March 4, 2020.
Along with the second-degree murder charge, Adam Montgomery, 32, faces charges of abusing a corpse, falsifying evidence and tampering with witnesses, according to New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella. He was due to face the charges in Hillsborough County Superior Court Tuesday, but he waived his arraignment.
Formella called the indictment a "major step" in the investigation, and expressed his "deepest condolences" to Harmony's family.
"We understand that today's news, while significant for purposes of this investigation, is yet another difficult moment for those who loved Harmony and those who have followed this case," he said.
Harmony was last seen alive in 2019, when she was 5, but her disappearance only came to light in December 2021. Since then, the case has captured the attention of many across New England. Authorities announced in August that they believed she had been murdered.
Harmony's mother, Crystal Sorey, has been saying since the investigation began that Adam Montgomery must have had something to do with the girl's disappearance and death.
"We've known all along he murdered her," Sorey said Monday. "Now we know how, but the huge question remains, where is she?"
New Hampshire investigators believe she’s right–Adam is now charged with murdering the child when she was just 5 years old.
The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office said Monday it believes Adam Montgomery struck Harmony in her head with his fist around Dec. 7, 2019. Over the next three months, they say he falsified evidence and concealed or destroyed her body.
"She was so innocent," Sorey said. "So happy, full of life, kind."
She spoke exclusively to NBC10 Boston after the charges were announced.
"She didn't survive one punch, let alone how many," Sorey said.
Authorities allege Adam Montgomery pressured his wife, Kayla, to lie to investigators.
"I'm completely disgusted beyond belief," said Sorey.
Sorey wants Harmony home to be laid to rest, and she wants Adam to speak up.
"You can at least have the decency to say 'I ain't saying nothing else, but I'll tell you where she's at,'" said Sorey.
Sorey says she wants justice for her daughter and to make sure anyone who played a role in her death will be held accountable.
"He took her life, but there were people who handed Harmony over to him, and they might as well have handed her over with a weapon," she said.
Authorities are still asking for the public's help finding Harmony's body or providing information about how she was killed by calling or texting 603-203-6060, the state and local police 24-hour tip line
"I ask that, in memory of Harmony, we all make every effort to do something nice for a child today," an emotional Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg said.
Adam Montgomery was previously indicted on an assault charge alleging that he struck Harmony in the face in July 2019. He’s also accused of unrelated firearms theft charges and has pleaded not guilty.
Her stepmother has also been arrested since Harmony's disappearance. She was charged with lying to investigators looking into Harmony's disappearance, and she was jailed last month for failing to appear for a court hearing.
