The New Hampshire dad accused of killing his 5-year-old daughter and concealing the crime for over two years smiled in court as jury selection began for his trial.
Adam Montgomery, in 2022, pleaded not guilty to the charges that he murdered his daughter Harmony Montgomery. He spent months moving Harmony Montgomery’s body before disposing of it.
According to New Hampshire Attorney-General John Formella, he allegedly hit the girl with a closed hand on Dec. 7, 2019. “He recklessly caused the death of Harmony Montgomery a child under the age of 13 in circumstances that showed an extreme disregard for the value of life.”
The jury selection process for Adam Montgomery’s murder trial started on Tuesday in a Manchester courtroom, in New Hampshire.
In photos of the proceedings, Montgomery was smiling and sticking his tongue out as he entered the courtroom.
Montgomery was asked by Judge Amy Messer before the jury selection procedure began if he would like to forgo his right to wear leg braces and be instead shackled.
Montgomery was reportedly told by Messer, “I’m surprised that you didn’t want to wear the brace and wanted to wear leg shackles.”
The defendant replied, “That is correct.”
Messer stated that “the shackles might be obvious to the jury.” Do you understand what I’m saying?
Montgomery replied, “I do.”
According to the station, the judge and attorneys on both sides spent several hours going through 120 potential jury members to reduce the number to 27. This number should be reduced to 12 plus 5 alternates before Wednesday’s opening statements.
Montgomery is fighting evidence, which prosecutors claim shows him purchasing 80 pounds of lime and a diamond-edged knife at two Home Depots about a week before his being accused of renting a U-Haul and dumping Harmony’s remains outside Boston.
In court documents, the defense claimed that there was no proof that Montgomery uniquely purchased lime.
Investigators claim that the Montgomery family, who were homeless and living in their car, had kept the remains of Harmony in a duffel bag and a cooler after the murder. The remains were then moved between temporary housing sites and finally disposed of.
In court documents, the prosecutors claim that Harmony’s mother, Kayla Montgomery (now estranged), told police that her husband thought lime would decompose Harmony’s corpse without it being noticed.
Formella was indicted by a grand jury on charges of second-degree murder.
According to the criminal complaint Montgomery is suspected of murdering the girl by repeatedly punching her in the head.
Kayla Montgomery faces charges as well about the disappearance of the girl, including lying to a Grand Jury and collecting welfare payments for the missing girl months after her death.
Harmony’s remains have not been found.
