A man in the United States who killed his five-year-old daughter told a friend that he “hated” the girl “to his core” because she reminded him of his ex-wife, according to court testimony on Tuesday. Adam Montgomery’s trial began more than four years after Harmony was last seen alive in 2019, according to The Independent. Police searched for the girl for over two years after she went missing but were unable to find her alive. Montgomery was charged in 2022 with second-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, and falsifying physical evidence.
Adam’s estranged wife, Kayla Montgomery, told police that he struck Harmony several times after she had a bathroom incident.
Montgomery killed the little girl and hid her remains in a ceiling vent at a shelter where the family stayed after death. He later stored the remains in his workplace freezer before disposing of them in March 2020, according to The Independent.
Rebecca Maines, Adam’s friend and former girlfriend Kelsey Small, was one of the witnesses who testified on Tuesday. She remembered what Adam had told her about a time when he hit Harmony.
“He informed me that he was in the bathroom… He had walked out to find Harmony with his hands covering the baby’s mouth and nose, and the baby was not breathing and turning blue. He claimed he saw red and simply backhanded her,” she was quoted as saying by NBC Boston.
Ms. Maines also claimed Adam once told her that he “hated” Harmony because she reminded him of her mother, Crystal Sorey. Harmony’s parents, Adam and Crystal, were not in a relationship when she was born in 2014. The child alternated between living with foster families and her mother. Crystal Sorey lost custody of Harmony in 2018, and Adam Montgomery was granted custody in February 2019.
Adam Montgomery’s lawyers asked the court to dismiss some of the charges against him, including second-degree murder, assault, and witness tampering, but Judge Amy Messer denied them.
They can present evidence on Wednesday if they want. Following that, both sides will give their closing statements and the case will proceed.