A New Hampshire court has overturned the murder conviction of Adam Montgomery in the death of his 5-year-old daughter Harmony Montgomery. The New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled that the assault charge should have been severed from the murder charge and dealt with in separate trials.

Background of the Case

Adam Montgomery was found guilty in 2024 of second-degree murder in the death of Harmony, who was reported missing in 2021. He was also found guilty on charges of second-degree assault for a July 2019 incident and charges of witness tampering, falsifying physical evidence, and abuse of a corpse.

The evidence of the assault was strong and relied on multiple witnesses. However, the evidence of the murder was substantially weaker, primarily based on the testimony of his wife Kayla Montgomery, who had previously pleaded guilty to perjury.

The court therefore overturned the murder conviction but affirmed the other charges. The court remanded the case back to a trial court for a retrial.

Reaction to the Ruling

The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office said it was disappointed in the ruling and plans to retry Adam Montgomery on the murder charge. The office also noted Adam Montgomery remains behind bars on a 43.5-year sentence related to other felonies and firearms offenses.

Pamela Phelan, the attorney who argued Adam Montgomery’s case before the appeals court, praised the decision. The Court’s decision addresses important aspects of a fair trial, she said.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.