\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThe father of Harmony Montgomery, the 5-year-old New Hampshire girl whose remains still have not been found, had his murder conviction reversed by the Supreme Court of New Hampshire. A ruling issued Thursday morning shows that the court reversed Adam Montgomery’s conviction for second-degree murder but affirmed his convictions on other charges, including second-degree assault, falsifying physical evidence, witness tampering and abuse of a corpse. He was found guilty in February 2024 and was sentenced that May to a total of 56 years to life. He was already serving a 33- to 67-year sentence from a 2023 firearms conviction. The sentences were to be served consecutively.According to the ruling, the justices of the NH Supreme Court agreed that the trial court should have separated the second-degree assault from the murder charge. Montgomery also argued the court improperly admitted certain evidence about how Harmony’s mother came to contact law enforcement, and the justices agreed that was not “intrinsic” to the murder charge. “We conclude that the misjoinder of offenses was not harmless as to the homicide charge. Accordingly, we reverse the defendant\u2019s conviction of second-degree murder,” justices wrote.Video below: Lawsuit over Harmony’s death settledHarmony was last seen in 2019 but was not reported missing until more than two years later. Prosecutors said Adam Montgomery violently beat the girl to death in a car in which they were living, then hid and stuffed her body into various bags and locations.Before the sentencing in 2024, the prosecutor asked Adam Montgomery to disclose where the girl’s body was in exchange for a minimum 35-year sentence for second-degree murder. To that question, Adam Montgomery showed no response \u2014 verbal or physical \u2014 and did not look up from the table in front of him.Video below: Montgomery’s sentencingAside from one day of jury selection, Adam Montgomery did not attend his murder trial. He also requested not to attend the sentencing hearing, but a judge ordered that he be present.Earlier this year, Montgomery was ordered to pay $15 million to Crystal Sorey, Harmony’s mother, after he failed to respond to a wrongful death lawsuit.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tCONCORD, N.H. \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The father of Harmony Montgomery, the 5-year-old New Hampshire girl whose remains still have not been found, had his murder conviction reversed by the Supreme Court of New Hampshire. <\/p>\n
A ruling <\/a>issued Thursday morning shows that the court reversed Adam Montgomery’s conviction for second-degree murder but affirmed his convictions on other charges, including second-degree assault, falsifying physical evidence, witness tampering and abuse of a corpse. <\/p>\n He was found guilty in February 2024<\/a> and was sentenced that May<\/a> to a total of 56 years to life. He was already serving a 33- to 67-year sentence from a 2023 firearms conviction. The sentences were to be served consecutively.<\/p>\n According to the ruling, the justices of the NH Supreme Court agreed that the trial court should have separated the second-degree assault from the murder charge. Montgomery also argued the court improperly admitted certain evidence about how Harmony’s mother came to contact law enforcement, and the justices agreed that was not “intrinsic” to the murder charge. <\/p>\n “We conclude that the misjoinder of offenses was not harmless as to the homicide charge. Accordingly, we reverse the defendant\u2019s conviction of second-degree murder,” justices wrote.<\/p>\n Video below: Lawsuit over Harmony’s death settled<\/p>\n Harmony was last seen in 2019 but was not reported missing until more than two years later. Prosecutors said Adam Montgomery violently beat the girl to death in a car in which they were living, then hid and stuffed her body into various bags and locations.<\/p>\n Before the sentencing in 2024, the prosecutor asked Adam Montgomery to disclose where the girl’s body was in exchange for a minimum 35-year sentence for second-degree murder. To that question, Adam Montgomery showed no response \u2014 verbal or physical \u2014 and did not look up from the table in front of him.<\/p>\n Video below: Montgomery’s sentencing<\/p>\n Aside from one day of jury selection, Adam Montgomery did not attend his murder trial. He also requested not to attend the sentencing hearing, but a judge ordered that he be present.<\/p>\n