The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is ordering a review of the case surrounding the disappearance of 7-year-old Harmony Montgomery, who was last seen in 2019 after a juvenile court being placed in the custody of her father.
In a letter dated Jan. 21, SJC Chief Justice Kimberly S. Budd informed New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu of the review.
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A few days before, Sununu placed the blame for Harmony Montgomery's disappearance at the feet of the Massachusetts court system in a letter to Budd.
"I share your view that we need to learn as much as we can about what
happened. To that end, the Massachusetts Trial Court is cooperating fully with the
Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate's review of this tragedy. In addition, the
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has directed the Chief Justice of the Trial Court to conduct a review of the matter," Budd wrote.
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Sununu's letter pointed to a February 2019 decision by a judge in Lawrence that gave sole custody of Harmony to her father while the New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth and Families was in the middle of conducting a home study of Adam Montgomery and his then-wife Kayla Montgomery.
Court records pertaining to juvenile cases are confidential so it’s unknown what went into the judge’s decision. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and the Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate have said they are investigating.
On Monday, investigators in New Hampshire gave an update on the case. The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office said the investigation to date has narrowed the window of Harmony's disappearance to a period of under two weeks in 2019. Investigators had said previously that she was last seen in October of that year during a Manchester police call for service at her home.
Based on information gleaned from witness interviews, investigators said they believe Harmony disappeared sometime between Nov. 28 and Dec. 10 of that year.
Police in Manchester, New Hampshire became involved in the case in late 2021, after Harmony was reported missing by her biological mother. She first reported her daughter was missing last November, and that she had last seen her during a FaceTime conversation in Easter 2019.
More on the Harmony Montgomery Case
Harmony’s father and stepmother have both been arrested on charges related to her well-being.
Adam Montgomery, 31, was charged with counts including failing to have Harmony in his custody. Kayla Montgomery, 31, was charged with welfare fraud on suspicion of obtaining $1,500 in food stamps from December 2019 to June 2021 for Harmony at a time when the girl was not living with Kayla and Adam. The two have pleaded not guilty.
Police have already received hundreds of tips in the case and the reward fund has grown to almost $150,000.
Anyone with information about Harmony's whereabouts now or during the time period she is believed to have gone missing between Nov. 28 and Dec. 10, 2019, or who saw either of the vehicles in question is asked to call or text the 24-hour tip line dedicated to the investigation at (603) 203-6060.
