Latest news with #HarmonyMontgomery
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Yahoo
Former Mass. judge files petition to FBI to investigate Harmony Montgomery case
A former Massachusetts judge filed a petition with the FBI requesting that they investigate the death of Harmony Montgomery, a New Hampshire girl killed by her father, Adam Montgomery, in 2019. On Tuesday, former Judge Carol Erksine submitted the complaint to the FBI's office in Bedford, New Hampshire, requesting a civil rights investigation into the state's Division of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) 'and those involved in Harmony's case,' according to a press release Erksine shared on LinkedIn. 'The complaint alleges that DCYF, through deliberate failures and possible falsification of records, willfully deprived Harmony Montgomery, a child with a disability, of her constitutional rights, contributing to the abuse, neglect and homicide she suffered in 2019,' Erksine's statement read. Erksine, who authored the book 'A Cruel Injustice' about how Massachusetts officials placed Harmony Montgomery in her father's custody, is requesting that the FBI look at the facts and determine if federal civil rights laws were violated. "The truth as we now know it, is that Harmony was indeed in extreme danger," Erksine wrote in a blog post on her website, The Justice Files, explaining why she filed the petition. 'She would soon become a murder victim by the very person the caller told DCYF was physically abusing her." In her LinkedIn post sharing the statement about the petition's filing, Erksine wrote about the state of New Hampshire agreeing to pay Harmony Montgomery's mother, Crystal Sorey, $2,250,000 in a settlement in May after she filed a wrongful death lawsuit. Erksine called it 'a waiver of all liability and wrongdoing, to ensure Harmony DISAPPEARED FOREVER,' in the post. "The horrifying truth is that she was left without protection from DCYF," Erksine wrote in the blog post. 'Without protection from the state. Without the mandated protection of law enforcement. Without the protection of the Fourteenth Amendment. Harmony was left by DCYF with her abuser who we now know brutally assaulted her. And frankly, she paid with her life just a few short weeks after the state closed the case.' DCYF took custody of Harmony Montgomery in August 2014, a few months after she was born, due to her mother's substance abuse issues, MassLive previously reported. Harmony Montgomery was moved from her mother's home to her foster parents' home several times in Massachusetts. Months before she died, Adam Montgomery received custody and lived with him and his wife, Kayla Montgomery, in New Hampshire. At the time of her birth, Adam Montgomery was incarcerated. On Dec. 7, 2019, while Adam Montgomery and his family were living in their Chrysler Sebring, he hit Harmony in the head, killing her, after she had several bathroom accidents in the car, according to prosecutors. The girl was not reported missing until two years later, in December 2021. Investigators are still searching for Harmony Montgomery's body, and prosecutors have previously said they believe Adam Montgomery may have dumped a bag with her remains in the Revere/Saugus area. In May 2024, Adam Montgomery was sentenced to 45 years to life in prison after being convicted of killing Harmony Montgomery. Last August, he was transferred outside of the New Hampshire Department of Corrections system. A spokesperson for the state's Department of Corrections previously told MassLive that Montgomery was 'in secure custody within a correctional facility outside of the NHDOC system.' 'We are unable to provide any additional information on his location or the reasons for his transfer,' the spokesperson wrote. WMUR reported that Montgomery was being transferred to a facility in Virginia. N.H. pays Harmony Montgomery's mother over $2M to settle wrongful death lawsuit Mass. SJC allows journalist access to Harmony Montgomery audio records Search for Harmony Montgomery presses on a year after father's conviction Mass. SJC hears arguments on release of Harmony Montgomery records Read the original article on MassLive.
CBS News
02-07-2025
- CBS News
Judge says federal investigators should probe Harmony Montgomery's death
A former judge is requesting that federal authorities start an investigation into the death of Harmony Montgomery. On Tuesday, retired Judge Carol Erskine handed over pages from her own investigation to the U.S. Attorney and FBI in New Hampshire. Former judge wants deeper investigation Erskine wants investigators to look at New Hampshire's Division of Children, Youth and Families and whether the department's workers falsified records. A New Hampshire jury found Harmony's father, Adam Montgomery, guilty of murder and other charges in connection with Harmony's death. Investigators also found Harmony was placed in her father's care even though there was evidence she would not be safe there. Erskine said she feels New Hampshire's legal settlement with Harmony's motherwas an attempt to make the case go away. Harmony's mother, Crystal Sorey, filed a negligence lawsuit in 2024. She accused social workers of ignoring signs that Harmony's father physically abused her. Earlier this year, New Hampshire agreed to pay Sorey $2.25 million to settle the lawsuit. Massachusetts and New Hampshire fail Harmony "There were 17 other reports of abuse that, for the most part, weren't investigated, and family members and neighbors and people were calling, and DCF - DCYF - wasn't investigating. So that was an issue for me," Erskine said. Erskine wrote a book about Harmony's case, which specifically details failures within Massachusetts, while her new probe looks at failures in New Hampshire. Harmony was moved between the homes of her mother and her foster parents multiple times in Massachusetts before Adam Montgomery received custody in 2019 and Harmony moved to New Hampshire. The director of the Office of the Child Advocate in Massachusetts previously said Massachusetts DCF employees had requested what's known as an ICPC check, which would require New Hampshire to guarantee that Montgomery was sober, had a safe place to live, was employed, and was ready to parent Harmony, who had special needs and serious medical issues, including total blindness in one eye. That check never happened, and the Massachusetts judge in the case granted Montgomery custody without even a guarantee that he had a place to live. Once in New Hampshire, investigators believe, Harmony was killed in December 2019. Police did not learn she was missing until 2021. "I still firmly believe that some people in some other agencies need to be held accountable," Manchester Police Chief Adam Aldenberg said in 2024. "I'm asking for that. This little 5-year-old girl, she deserves somebody to be held accountable that failed along the way. We wouldn't be standing here today if other people had done their job." The couple who adopted Harmony's brother have asked the Massachusetts to overhaul the DCF system and better protect foster children. Both Massachusetts and New Hampshire have made several policy changes as a direct result of Harmony Montgomery's death. Search for Harmony Montgomery Adam Montgomery is serving a minimum of 56 years in prison after being convicted of murdering Harmony and moving her corpse around for months before disposing of it. Her body has not been found. Prosecutors said an analysis of a U-Haul truck used by Montgomery suggests Harmony's remains are somewhere along a 26-mile stretch between Manchester, New Hampshire, and the Revere/Chelsea area outside Boston. Investigators have searched wetlands along Route 107 in Revere.
BreakingNews.ie
24-05-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
US state to pay £1.6m to mother of five-year-old girl killed by father
The US state of New Hampshire has agreed to pay 2.25 million dollars (£1.66 million) to the mother of Harmony Montgomery, a five-year-old girl whose father was convicted of murdering her. Crystal Sorey filed a negligence lawsuit against the state last May, accusing social workers of ignoring signs that her daughter was being physically abused by her ex-husband after he was awarded custody in early 2019. Advertisement Adam Montgomery is serving a minimum of 56 years in prison after being convicted of murdering Harmony and moving her corpse around for months before disposing of it. Police believe he killed Harmony nearly two years before she was reported missing in 2021. Her body has not been found. The state does not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement agreement reached last month. New Hampshire attorney general John Formella said: 'The state agreed to these settlements to avoid prolonged litigation and support closure for the families. We recognise their profound loss and hope this brings some measure of peace.' Advertisement In July, the state agreed to pay 5.75 million dollars (£4.26 million) to the mother of a Laconia boy the state placed with a grandmother who is now charged with his 2019 death. In December, it settled with the father of five-year-old boy Merrimack, who was killed by his mother in 2021. In 2018, the state created an Office of the Child Advocate to serve as an independent watchdog agency, but legislators are considering eliminating it in the next state budget.
CBS News
24-05-2025
- CBS News
New Hampshire to pay mother of Harmony Montgomery $2.25M after 5-year-old killed by father
New Hampshire has agreed to pay $2.25 million to the mother of Harmony Montgomery, a 5-year-old girl whose father was convicted of murdering her. Crystal Sorey filed a negligence lawsuit against the state last May accusing social workers of ignoring signs that her daughter was being physically abused by her ex-husband after he was awarded custody in early 2019. Adam Montgomery is serving a minimum of 56 years in prison after being convicted of murdering Harmony and moving her corpse around for months before disposing of it. Police believe he killed Harmony nearly two years before she was reported missing in 2021. Her body has not been found. Harmony Montgomery. (Photo Credit: Manchester NH Police) The state does not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement agreement reached last month. "The state agreed to these settlements to avoid prolonged litigation and support closure for the families. We recognize their profound loss and hope this brings some measure of peace," Attorney General John Formella said. In July, the state agreed to pay $5.75 million to the mother of a Laconia boy the state placed with a grandmother who is now charged with his 2019 death. In December, it settled with the father of a 5-year-old Merrimack boy killed by his mother in 2021. In 2018, the state created an Office of the Child Advocate to serve as an independent watchdog agency, but lawmakers are considering eliminating it in the next state budget. Search for Harmony Montgomery Adam Montgomery has refused to say where Harmony's remains are. Prosecutors said an analysis of a U-Haul truck used by Montgomery suggests Harmony's remains are somewhere along a 26-mile stretch between Manchester, New Hampshire and the Revere/Chelsea area outside Boston. Investigators have searched wetlands along Route 107 in Revere. Last year, Sorey organized a group of volunteers to search the area again.
Washington Post
23-05-2025
- Washington Post
New Hampshire to pay $2.25M to mother of 5-year-old killed by father
CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire has agreed to pay $2.25 million to the mother of Harmony Montgomery, a 5-year-old girl whose father was convicted of murdering her. Crystal Sorey filed a negligence lawsuit against the state last May accusing social workers of ignoring signs that her daughter was being physically abused by her ex-husband after he was awarded custody in early 2019. Adam Montgomery is serving a minimum of 56 years in prison after being convicted of murdering Harmony and moving her corpse around for months before disposing of it. Police believe Harmony was killed by him nearly two years before she was reported missing in 2021. Her body has not been found. The state does not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement agreement reached last month. The attorney general's office declined to comment on the settlement Friday or on other similar settlements reached in the last year. In July, the state agreed to pay $5.75 million to the mother of a Laconia boy the state placed with a grandmother who is now charged with his 2019 death. In December, it settled with the father of 5-year-old boy Merrimack killed by his mother in 2021. In 2018, the state created an Office of the Child Advocate to serve as an independent watchdog agency, but lawmakers are considering eliminating it in the next state budget.
