MANCHESTER, N.H. — More than two years after Harmony Montgomery disappeared, the little girl’s step mother was in Hillsborough County Superior Court for a brief hearing Friday, where Kayla Montgomery’s lawyer told me a plea deal is still on the table.
Kayla Montgomery is charged with welfare fraud and a stolen gun possession charge, but she is not charged with Harmony’s disappearance.
Investigators believe Kayla Montgomery knows more about Harmony’s whereabouts, but has refused to say more.
Recently, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office offered Kayla Montgomery a plea deal.
Outside court Friday, I asked Montgomery’s defense attorney Paul Garrity about the deal.
In response, Garrity said, “there was one offered by the state. I cannot tell you anything beyond that.”
When asked where that stands, he said, “the offer is still on the table, it has not been accepted at this point.”
Police believe Harmony Montgomery disappeared sometime between mid November and early December 2019. At the time, Harmony was in the custody of Adam Montgomery, and was living, off and on, at a house in Manchester with Adam, Kayla, and Kayla’s children.
According to police, both Adam and Kayla have claimed they last saw Harmony when Adam returned her to her mother in Massachusetts for a visit.
Authorities say there is no evidence to back up that claim.
I asked Paul Garrity if Kayla might be thinking about cooperating with police.
“I can’t disclose what she has told me,” Garrity said. “All I can tell you is, she maintains a not guilty plea, the charge that is pending against her relate to welfare fraud and now these gun charges.”
When asked if she is still maintaining that Adam gave Harmony back to Crystal (Harmony’s mom), Garrity said he can’t discuss what Kayla has told him.
Kayla Montgomery is held at $5,000 bail in the welfare fraud case, and has been sitting in the Valley Street Jail in Manchester since January.
“Being in jail is never good, but she seems to be in good spirits,” Garrity said.
Kayla Montgomery will return to court on May 5th.
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