World Courant
MANCHESTER, N.H. — A New Hampshire man was convicted Thursday of first-degree homicide within the loss of life of his 5-year-old daughter, who police consider was killed almost two years earlier than she was reported lacking in 2021 and whose physique was by no means discovered.
Adam Montgomery, 34, didn’t attend the trial and was not current when jurors delivered their verdict. He had proclaimed his innocence and stated in courtroom final 12 months in an unrelated case that he cherished Concord Montgomery “unconditionally.”
“I’m grateful to the choose, jury and the Division of Justice for delivering justice for Concord,” New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu stated in an announcement. “Adam Montgomery is a monster and deserves to spend the remainder of his life in jail. ”
Adam Montgomery’s attorneys beforehand admitted his guilt on two lesser fees, specifically that he “deliberately and unlawfully eliminated, hid or destroyed” her corpse and falsified bodily proof, however stated he didn’t kill his daughter. The jury additionally convicted him of assaulting Concord Montgomery in 2019 and tampering with the prosecution’s key witness, his estranged spouse and stepmother of his daughter, Kayla Montgomery.
Investigators consider Concord Montgomery was murdered in December 2019, regardless that she had not been reported lacking for almost two years. Kayla Montgomery testified that the physique was hidden within the trunk of a automotive, a cooler, a ceiling fan and a freezer within the office earlier than Adam Montgomery threw it away.
Legal professional James Brooks deferred remark to Caroline Smith, the lead legal professional representing Adam Montgomery. She didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Adam Montgomery had custody of the woman. Her mom, Crystal Sorey, who was now not in a relationship with him, stated the final time she noticed Concord Montgomery was throughout a video name in April 2019. She ultimately went to police, who introduced they have been wanting in New York to the lacking little one. Yr’s Eve 2021.
Images of the woman have been extensively circulated on social media. Police ultimately decided that she had been murdered.
“I am relieved that justice is being served,” Sorey instructed WMUR-TV on Thursday. “It is clearly not over but. I’ve some peace understanding that he’s being held accountable as a result of he thought he was so untouchable and that she did not matter, that nobody would miss her. He was so flawed, he was so flawed.”
She stated she nonetheless desires to seek out her daughter’s stays so she will be able to lastly deliver her house.
“We now have but to seek out her,” Police Chief Allen Aldenberg stated Thursday. “This woman deserves higher than the life she had.”
Concord Montgomery’s case has uncovered weaknesses in little one safety methods and prompted calls to prioritize the welfare of kids over dad and mom in custody circumstances. Concord was moved between her mom’s and her foster dad and mom’ properties a number of instances earlier than Adam Montgomery gained custody in 2019 and moved to New Hampshire.
“I nonetheless firmly consider that some individuals at different companies needs to be held accountable. And that is what I am asking for,” Aldenberg stated, referring to little one welfare officers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. “This little five-year-old woman deserves to have somebody held accountable who failed alongside the way in which, as a result of we would not be standing right here immediately if different individuals had executed their jobs.”
Kayla Montgomery is serving an 18-month jail sentence after pleading responsible to perjury in reference to the investigation into the kid’s disappearance and agreeing to cooperate with prosecutors. She testified that her husband killed Concord Montgomery on December 7, 2019, whereas the household was residing of their automotive after being evicted from their house.
Kayla Montgomery testified that her husband repeatedly punched Concord Montgomery within the face and head as a result of he was indignant that she was having lavatory accidents within the automotive.
The couple seen that the woman was lifeless hours later when the automotive broke down. That is when Adam Montgomery stuffed her physique right into a duffel bag, Kayla Montgomery testified.
Over the subsequent three months, she testified, Adam Montgomery moved the physique from container to container and place to put. In accordance with his spouse, the areas included the trunk of a pal’s automotive, a cooler within the hallway of his mother-in-law’s condo constructing, the ceiling fan at a homeless shelter and a freezer on the office.
Lead Detective John Dunleavy stated Thursday that whereas he thought of the conviction a victory, it felt incomplete as a result of Concord Montgomery was nonetheless lacking.
“We did not discover her,” he stated. “I will be working for some time, I nonetheless have about fifteen years left. And so long as I am a police officer, I will hold in search of her.”
Prosecutor Benjamin Agati stated at a information convention that the trial doesn’t finish the seek for the woman. He stated that after analyzing the miles Adam Montgomery drove to Massachusetts within the rental automotive, there may be roughly 26 miles he might have traveled the place her stays might be positioned.
“She’s someplace alongside that route,” he stated, pointing to earlier searches within the Revere, Massachusetts, space. “These are nonetheless our main search areas.”
Agati stated when Adam Montgomery is sentenced within the coming months, he’ll face a minimal sentence of 35 years to life on the homicide cost, a harsher sentence due to his daughter’s younger age. He stated this might be part of armed prison fees for which he’s already serving a minimal sentence of greater than 33 years.
When requested if that meant Adam Montgomery would by no means get out of jail, the prosecutor stated, “It is lots of time, and I hope I am not working towards when that minimal date ever comes.”
