Stepmother of missing 5-year-old Harmony Montgomery granted parole
Zenebou Sylla, CNN
(CNN) — The stepmother of 5-year-old Harmony Montgomery, the missing girl who authorities said was killed in New Hampshire in 2019, was granted parole Thursday morning, video from her parole hearing shows.
Kayla Montgomery, whose estranged husband Adam Montgomery was found guilty last month of second-degree murder in Harmony’s death, pleaded guilty in 2022 to lying to a grand jury about when and where she was at the time her stepdaughter was last seen, according to the parole hearing and court records.
The father was also found guilty of second-degree assault, witness tampering, falsifying physical evidence and abuse of a corpse, according to court proceedings.
Harmony was reported missing in November 2021 by her mother, Crystal Sorey, who said she last saw the girl during a FaceTime call in the spring of 2019. Police said Harmony was last seen in October 2019.
Authorities concluded in August 2022 the girl had been slain in Manchester, New Hampshire, in December 2019. Her remains have not been found.
Montgomery was indicted in January 2023 by a New Hampshire grand jury, accusing him of “repeatedly striking Harmony Montgomery on the head with a closed fist,” causing her death.
Montgomery destroyed, concealed or hid Harmony’s body between December 7, 2019, and March 4, 2020, preventing authorities from conducting a proper investigation, state Attorney General John Formella said in 2022.
Formella said Montgomery purposely attempted to “induce or otherwise cause” Kayla Montgomery to falsely testify in the investigation into Harmony’s disappearance between December 7, 2019, and January 4, 2022.
During her Thursday court hearing, Kayla Montgomery was in tears as she acknowledged she lied, emphasizing being honest about what happened “takes a lot of weight off you.
“It’s better to tell the truth and be honest so that everything else can come to light,” she said.
The stepmother said detectives could have “done their jobs sooner” in finding Harmony and finding answers about what happened to the child if she were honest all along.
The state’s parole board approved Kayla Montgomery’s parole at the morning hearing, telling her to complete all required programs and establish a home plan before she is released in May.
The board also imposed 90 days of supervision and ordered her to take part in addiction recovery and mental health treatments.
CNN’s Nicki Brown and Nic F. Anderson contributed to this report.
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