Harmony Montgomery’s mother files wrongful death lawsuit against girl’s father

Adam Montgomery, a man from New Hampshire who was found guilty last year of beating their baby daughter to death, was sued on Monday by Harmony Montgomery’s mother.

Earlier this year, Harmony’s mother, Crystal Sorey, settled a wrongful death case against the state’s Division of Children, Youth, and Families for $2.25 million.

On behalf of Harmony’s estate, the new complaint was submitted to the northern district of Hillsborough County Superior Court. It makes the case that Harmony’s father was civilly responsible for the lifelong suffering she faced and the loss of a lifetime of income because of the horrifying abuse and neglect she underwent.

Although Adam Montgomery was found guilty of Harmony’s murder in December 2019, the case did not gain widespread attention until the end of 2021. Sorey called the police at that point to report that she hadn’t seen her daughter in years. In 2018, Sorey lost custody of Harmony due to her substance abuse problems. Adam was granted custody by a Massachusetts court in early 2019, and Sorey last spoke with her on a video call in April of the same year.

Since the family had been evicted, Harmony, Adam, his now-estranged wife Kayla Montgomery, and their two young sons were all living in a car at the time of Harmony’s passing. Adam became irate with the child for her lack of self-control and frequent restroom mishaps in the car. According to the prosecution, he punched Harmony when they were driving from a methadone clinic to a fast-food restaurant.

Later that day, Adam found his daughter dead when the car broke down. Prosecutors claim that after placing her body in a duffel bag, he concealed it for months in a walk-in freezer of a pizza place, a cooler, and the ceiling of a shelter.

According to the prosecution, Adam rented a vehicle in March 2020 so that he could get rid of the body. Although the van was recorded as heading to Boston, Harmony’s remains have not been found, and Adam has never disclosed where her body is.

The story revealed significant shortcomings in Massachusetts’ and New Hampshire’s child protection systems.

Last year, Adam was found guilty of mishandling a corpse, fabricating evidence, and second-degree murder. He received a minimum sentence of 56 years in jail. The complaint states that he is presently detained in Virginia.

Since 2022, Ross Cristantiello has been a general assignment news correspondent for Boston.com, covering a variety of topics such as local politics, crime, and the environment.