MANCHESTER. N.H. — Adam Montgomery, the 33-year-old New Hampshire father charged in the death of his daughter Harmony Montgomery, was sentenced Monday to up to 65 years in prison in connection with theft and sale of firearms after he proclaimed his innocence in Harmony’s death.
A judge handed Adam two consecutive sentences that call for a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 32.5 years in prison for charges of armed career criminal (shotgun) and armed career criminal (rifle). He was given suspended sentences on charges of receiving stolen property (shotgun), receiving stolen property (rifle), theft by unauthorized taking (shotgun), and theft by unauthorized taking (rifle), but additional prison time could be handed down pending violations.
NH judge gives Adam Montgomery two 15-30 yr sentences to be served one after the other for his conviction of being armed career criminal. @boston25 #Truecrime #HarmonyMontgomery @NEunsolved
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 7, 2023
“These guns were stolen, there was a child in the house. There was trading, selling, buying back of guns,” the judge said before handing down the sentence. “The brazen nature of your conduct, the bragging, I’ve listened to these witnesses, you bragged about the guns.”
In June, Adam was found guilty of the charges. He had been standing trial for stealing and trying to sell two guns in the fall of 2019.
During Monday’s hearing, Adam’s defense team asked for the minimum sentencing on the charges.
Adam Montgomery, man charged in death of his daughter Harmony, is being sentenced in his firearms trialWATCH LIVE: Adam Montgomery, man charged in death of his daughter Harmony, is being sentenced in his firearms trial.
Posted by Boston 25 News on Monday, August 7, 2023
Given the fact that one of the guns Adam sold ended up in the hands of a federally convicted drug trafficker, his prior history of violent convictions, and his decision to never seek rehabilitation, prosecutors argued that the defendant is deserving of the full 30-year sentence for the armed career criminal charges and the full 15-year sentence for the theft by unauthorized taking charges.
“This is not a situation where you have a stolen wallet,” a prosecutor told the judge. “Maybe in that situation, a minimum sentence is appropriate.”
The judge, who referenced a slew of prior violent convictions on Adam’s record, added, “I don’t believe the minimum mandatory sentences are appropriate here.”
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Adam’s attorney argued that her client is an addict, calling the firearms crimes an “opportunity fueled by addiction.”
In an unexpected twist, Adam spoke in court, stating that he didn’t “wake up and choose to be an addict.” He also proclaimed his innocence in Harmony’s death.
“I didn’t kill my daughter, Harmony, and I look forward to my upcoming trial to refute those offensive claims. You probably won’t believe me when I tell you that I didn’t wake up one morning and chose to become an addict. I don’t want to be an addict, and I will spend my time in prison realizing it to the best of my ability to change things about myself,” Adam said. “I love my daughter unconditionally and I didn’t kill her. Please don’t consider anything that relates to charges. Only consider the facts of this case.”
Harmony’s stepmother, Kayla Montgomery, testified during the trial, telling the court that her estranged husband stole, possessed, retained, and tried to sell a shotgun and an AR-15.
Prosecutors said Adam stole the guns from a friend who was out of town and then sold them.
Adam’s defense argued the man’s wife gave the guns to her drug dealer and he only helped sell them to keep his family from being evicted from their home.
Separately, Adam is charged with second-degree murder in the death of his 5-year-old daughter, Harmony, who was last seen in December 2019.
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In an affidavit, investigators allege Adam beat Harmony to death in a fit of rage after she had a “bathroom accident” in the car the family was living in before moving her lifeless body from one hiding place to the next in an effort to conceal the stench of her decaying remains.
Harmony’s body has never been found.
The murder trial could begin later this year.
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