CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The New Hampshire Supreme Court on Thursday reversed a murder conviction for a man accused of killing his 5-year-old daughter and moving her corpse around for months before disposing of it.
Though her body has never been found, police believe Harmony Montgomery was killed in 2019, nearly two years before she was reported missing. Her father, Adam Montgomery, was sentenced to a minimum of 56 years in prison in 2024 after being convicted of second-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, falsifying evidence, witness tampering and assault.
The Supreme Court, however, reversed the most serious charge, agreeing with Montgomery that the lesser assault charge should have been prosecuted separately. It sent the second-degree murder charge back to the lower court while letting the other convictions stand.
In their unanimous ruling, justices said combining the cases jeopardized Montgomery’s right to a fair trial because jurors may have used the stronger evidence about the assault to conclude, based on weaker evidence, that he killed her months later.
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“There was a significant risk that the jury would draw the impermissible inference that because the defendant assaulted the victim before by striking her in the head, he must be the one who fatally assaulted her in December by again striking her in the head,” the justices said.
The second-degree murder conviction accounts for 45 years of Montgomery’s 56-years-to-life sentence, which was imposed on top of an earlier 32 ½-year sentence he already was serving on unrelated gun charges.
The attorney general’s office said Thursday it will pursue a retrial on the second-degree murder charge.
“We remain confident in the facts of this case, the evidence presented, and the exceptional work of our prosecutors, investigators, and law enforcement partners,” said spokesperson Michael Garrity. “We will continue our efforts to seek justice for Harmony Montgomery and all those who knew and loved her.”
Montgomery’s attorneys did not respond to emails seeking comment.
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Last year, the state agreed to pay $2.25 million to Harmony Montgomery’s mother to settle a lawsuit accusing social workers of ignoring signs that the girl was being abused by her father after he was awarded custody in early 2019. Crystal Sorey went to police in 2021, and in 2022 authorities announced that they believed Harmony was dead.
Adam Montgomery did not attend his trial in February 2022, and his lawyers called no defense witnesses. His attorneys acknowledged he was guilty of falsifying evidence and abusing a corpse, but they said he did not kill Harmony and instead suggested the girl actually died while alone with her stepmother, Kayla Montgomery.
Kayla Montgomery, who served an 18-month prison sentence for lying to a grand jury about where she was when Harmony was last seen, was the star witness for the prosecution. She testified that her husband killed Harmony on Dec. 7, 2019, while the family lived in their car. Montgomery was driving to a fast-food restaurant when he turned around and repeatedly punched Harmony in the face and head because he was angry that she was having bathroom accidents in the car, she said. He then hid the body in the trunk of a car, in a ceiling vent of a homeless shelter and in the walk-in freezer at his workplace before disposing of it in March 2020, she said.
Kayla Montgomery said she tried to stop her husband from hitting the girl but was scared of him and that he beat her as well as he grew paranoid that she would go to police.
Registration for the New Hampshire Becoming an Outdoors Woman Fall Weekend Workshop will open June 16 at 8 a.m.
The workshop is scheduled for Sept. 11-13 at Camp Robindel on Lake Winnipesaukee in Moultonborough and is open to women ages 18 and older. The $395 registration fee includes lodging, meals, instruction and equipment use.
Participants may choose from more than 30 outdoor skills classes, including archery, fishing, fly fishing, kayaking, hiking, rifle and shotgun shooting, nature photography, outdoor survival, campfire cooking, map and compass navigation, and plant identification.
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Registration will be conducted online at nhbow.com and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Organizers said classes fill quickly. Registration closes July 27, and participants may receive a partial refund if they cancel by July 13.
The New Hampshire Becoming an Outdoors Woman program is co-sponsored by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department and the New Hampshire Wildlife Federation.
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Ryann Brooks is the Ledger-Transcript editor. She was the 2023 Kansas Press Association Journalist of the Year. You can contact her at rbrooks@ledgertranscript.com.
More by Ryann Brooks
CONCORD, NH — A man from Goffstown, with active warrants, was arrested by New Hampshire State Police last month after a chase in Bow.
Around 10 p.m. on May 31, troopers attempted to stop the driver of a pickup truck on Route 3A after receiving reports the vehicle’s headlights were not on. The license plate of the truck also came back stolen, according to a report.
A trooper attempted to stop the driver in Bow, but they were accused of fleeing to Concord.
Find out what’s happening in Concordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“During the pursuit,” state police said, “the vehicle struck multiple fixed objects and suffered significant damage. The pursuit ended in Concord after the vehicle became disabled.”
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Jason Williams, 34, of Goffstown, was arrested on habitual offender, reckless conduct, disobeying an officer, resisting arrest, conduct after an accident, operating after suspension, operating after suspension-subsequent, reckless operation, receiving stolen property, misuse of plates, unregistered motor vehicle, and other violations. He also had multiple active bench warrants. Williams was held on preventive detention at the county jail and was scheduled to be arraigned in Concord District Court on June 1.
Find out what’s happening in Concordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the New Hampshire State Police and does not indicate a conviction. This linkexplains how to request the removal of a name from New Hampshire Patch police reports.
Driver Dies After Ashland Crash
State police were sent to a crash on Interstate 93 on May 25 between an SUV and a box truck.
The crash was on the northbound side of the highway.
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According to an investigation, a 2011 Chevrolet Traverse was driving north when the driver, Terrence McSally, 64, of Ashland, drove over the rumble strip and overcorrected, striking the box truck. He then lost control of the SUV, drove into the median, and struck a rock, according to state police.
Several drivers, including an off-duty Concord firefighter, rendered aid. McSally was taken to Speare Memorial Hospital in Plymouth, where he was pronounced dead.
The left lane of the northbound side of the highway was closed for about two hours.
Troop A Blotter
05/17/2026 02:00, EXETER, LAPIERRE, ZACHARY E. (21); LEBANON, MAINE, 644:2 (DISORDERLY CONDUCT), 644:2 (DISORDERLY CONDUCT), 597:7-A (BREACH OF BAIL).
05/16/2026 22:54 HAMPTON, MCFARLAND, SHANELLE E. (42); SANFORD, ME, 265-A:2,I(A) (DUI-IMPAIRMENT), 265-A:44 (TRANSPORTING ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES OR MARIJUANA), 265-A:3,I(F) (DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED-DRIVING ON DIVIDED WAY), 265:23 (DRIVING AGAINST THE DESIGNATED DIRECTION).
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Troop B Blotter
05/10/2026 20:24 NASHUA, RAMIREZ VASQUEZ, CINDY K. (35); NASHUA, 263:1-A (IMPROPER PERSON OPERATING VEHICLE).
05/08/2026 17:16, MANCHESTER, COLLINS, MICHAEL J. (48); DERRY, 631:3 (RECKLESS CONDUCT-DEADLY WEAPON), 159:3,I (FELON IN POSSESSION OF DANGEROUS WEAPON), 631:3 (RECKLESS CONDUCT-DEADLY WEAPON), 264:25 (CONDUCT AFTER ACCIDENT), 265-A:2,I(A) (DUI-IMPAIRMENT), 644:2 (DISORDERLY CONDUCT), 641:6,I (FALSIFY PHYS EVIDENCE ALTER, DESTROY, HIDE), 318-B:2,I (CNTRL DRUG: SCHED 1 – 4; POSSESSION), 265-A:43 (TRANSPORT DRUGS IN MOTOR VEHICLE), 318:42 (DEAL/POSSESS PRESCRIPTION DRUGS), 159:3,I (FELON IN POSSESSION OF DANGEROUS WEAPON).
05/10/2026 18:19, MANCHESTER, TETLEY, GRIFFIN WAYNE (26); LACONIA, NH 594:7 (ARREST ON WARRANT).
05/10/2026 20:24, NASHUA, RAMIREZ VASQUEZ, BAIRON ISSAC (23); NASHUA, 263:1,III (LICENSE REQD; OP W/O VALID LICENSE), 265:60 (SPEEDING 25 MPH OVER LIMIT OF 55 OR LESS), 263:64,VII (DRIVE AFTER REV/SUSPENSION), 597:37 (BENCH WARRANTS).
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05/04/2026 01:38, MANCHESTER, ROBY, JACOB B. (28); MANCHESTER, 265-A:2,I(A) (DUI-IMPAIRMENT), 265:60 (SPEEDING 26+ MPH OVER LIMIT OF 55 OR LESS), 265:79,I (RECKLESS OPERATION).
05/04/2026 12:40, BEDFORD, NOVAS, JOEL HABEL (36); NEWPORT, 261:176 (MISUSE OF PLATES), 263:64,VI (DRIVE AFTER REV/SUS-SUBSQT).
05/04/2026 16:26, MANCHESTER, RUNGE, THOMAS EARL (41); MANCHESTER, 263:64,IV (DRIVE AFTER REVOCATION/SUSPENSION; DUI), 263:63 (DRIVING WITHOUT GIVING PROOF), 263:1,III (LICENSE REQD; OP W/O VALID LICENSE), 263:64,VII (DRIVE AFTER REV/SUSPENSION).
05/04/2026 23:41, BEDFORD, LEVY, CAILYB DANIEL (19); MANCHESTER, 263:1,III (LICENSE REQD; OP W/O VALID LICENSE), 265:109 (OPERATING WITHOUT LIGHTS).
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In a grassy field, just before one of the rolling hills that give Hilltop Farm in Mason its name, is an unusual sight for New Hampshire: a small herd of purebred Wagyu steers.
They lie or stand in the grass, mostly basking and using their all-black coats to absorb the sunlight.
“As you can tell, they’re pretty lazy,” said Nate Choquette, the Hilltop site coordinator and farm manager for New England Wagyu. “And they have good temperaments.”
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Indeed, as Choquette moves through the herd, they either amble out of his way or come closer for a head scratch.
Sam Rowse and Diana Templeton own the farm and herd. Choquette runs the Hilltop operation, where the cattle are raised for the first year and a half before moving to Templeton and Rowse’s other farm in Peterborough for another year and a half.
The Wagyu breed is native to Asia and bred most famously in Japan, where it was originally used as a draft animal because of its endurance, a trait that comes from the breed’s ability to store higher intramuscular fat. That fat also makes the meat a highly sought-after delicacy.
Wagyu has up to 300% more monounsaturated fat than standard beef, high levels of omega-3 and omega-6, and lower cholesterol than fish or chicken. It also has to be cooked differently from typical cuts of beef. The melting point of Wagyu fat is between 59 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit, compared with 104 to 122 degrees for typical American beef.
So how did a Japanese breed end up in Mason?
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Though an ancient breed, the animals only started to be sold outside of Asia in the mid-1970s. Since being introduced in America and Australia, many have been crossbred with Angus cattle because Wagyu is a slow-growing breed. The animals at Hilltop Farm are 100% Wagyu.
After once trying Japanese Wagyu, Rowse decided to raise the animals himself, starting with two purebred steers. After successfully raising and selling the meat, he decided to expand the operation. The herd now numbers about 20, Choquette said, though it has been as large as 83.
Part of the reason Rowse was interested in raising Wagyu is how the breed is traditionally raised in Japan, which includes time on feedlots to reduce movement and build up fat. Rowse wanted to see what the results might be with an animal raised more on pasture. Choquette said New England Wagyu is raised on pasture, grain and grass, and finished with a brewer’s mash.
Eventually, Rowse purchased a butcher shop to process the animals, so that from birth until slaughter, they remain in the hands of New England Wagyu.
“It’s a point of pride that we control everything from birth to processing,” Choquette said. “For their entire three years, they only know three farmers.”
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That level of care shows in the quality of the meat. In 2025, New England Wagyu ranked fourth overall in the national Triple Crown Steak Challenge in the 100% Wagyu category and ranked among the healthiest in the competition.
New England Wagyu can be purchased at local farmers’ markets, including the Peterborough Farmers’ Market; at the farm store at Hilltop Farm in Mason; or online at newagyu.com. Wagyu burgers from New England Wagyu are also sold at Market Basket.
For more information, or to order from New England Wagyu, visit newagyu.com or the farm store, open Monday through Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. at 42 Valley Road, Mason.
