The estranged wife of Adam Montgomery, accused of murdering his 5-year-old daughter Harmony Montgomery, delivered chilling testimony on Friday, detailing the alleged events surrounding the child’s death and the subsequent attempts to conceal her body. Kayla Montgomery, currently serving an 18-month prison sentence for perjury related to the case, told the court that Adam Montgomery punched Harmony to death in December 2019, then hid the body in various locations, including a car trunk, a ceiling vent, and a restaurant freezer.
Adam Montgomery (left) and Harmony Montgomery (right). (Photos provided by Manchester Police Dept.)
Kayla Montgomery’s testimony painted a grim picture of the events leading up to Harmony’s death. She stated that the family was living in a car after being evicted, and Harmony, though potty-trained, had begun having accidents. Following two such incidents, Adam Montgomery allegedly punched the child in the head. Harmony cried, moaned, and eventually fell silent, covered by a blanket. Shortly after, their car broke down, and Adam Montgomery allegedly placed Harmony’s body in a duffel bag. “He, like, folded her in half and put her in the duffel bag,” she testified.
Adam Montgomery, 34, faces charges of second-degree murder, assault, and witness tampering. His defense team has admitted guilt to falsifying evidence and abusing a corpse but maintains his innocence in Harmony’s death. They have repeatedly pointed fingers at Kayla Montgomery, accusing her of lying to protect herself. “Only she knows the truth,” public defender James T. Brooks argued in his opening statement. “And only she has benefitted from all the lies she has told.”
The prosecution asked Kayla Montgomery to look at the jury as she denied killing Harmony. However, under cross-examination, she admitted to previously lying to a grand jury about her knowledge of Harmony’s disappearance. Defense attorney Caroline Smith pressed her on this point: “So, looking at jurors while you’re lying doesn’t change the lie, right?” Montgomery conceded, “Right.” The defense highlighted a dozen other instances of false statements from Kayla Montgomery, emphasizing her previous lack of credibility.
Harmony’s disappearance remained unknown to authorities until December 2021, almost two years after she was last seen alive.
Kayla Montgomery testifies during Adam Montgomery’s murder trial. (Court TV)
Kayla Montgomery claimed fear as the reason for her complicity, describing Adam Montgomery’s “evil, crazy eyes” when she tried to intervene during the alleged fatal assault. She also testified that her husband admitted to hitting Harmony after she noticed a black eye on the child in July 2019.
According to Kayla Montgomery, the duffel bag containing Harmony’s body was moved from the trunk of a friend’s car to a hallway cooler near her mother’s apartment, and then to a ceiling vent in a shelter where the family lived for six weeks. As the body began to decompose, Adam Montgomery allegedly transferred the remains to trash bags inside a large tote bag. Kayla Montgomery testified to transporting this tote in a stroller to the restaurant where her husband worked, where he placed it in the freezer, later moving it to the refrigerator of their Manchester apartment.
Kayla Montgomery further testified that Adam Montgomery discussed dismembering Harmony and purchased tools and lime for this purpose. She described him thawing the body in the bathtub and asking for her assistance in cutting off Harmony’s clothes, which she admitted to doing. Overcome by the situation, she left the room, stating, “I couldn’t be there anymore. I couldn’t handle it. I didn’t want to see anything.” The defense challenged her testimony, pointing out that while she accurately described Harmony’s clothing to the grand jury, she omitted her involvement in removing them.
Kayla Montgomery stated that Adam Montgomery drove off with Harmony’s remains in a rental truck in March 2020 without disclosing his destination. She alleged that he subsequently became suspicious of her and began physically abusing her, leading her to flee in March 2021.
Adam Montgomery was previously convicted on unrelated gun theft charges and sentenced to over 30 years in prison, maintaining his innocence in Harmony’s death during his sentencing. Kayla Montgomery’s testimony continues on Monday. The trial unfolds with lingering questions surrounding the location of Harmony’s remains and the full extent of the tragic circumstances surrounding her death.
