On New Year’s Eve, the Manchester police launched an investigation to find a seven-year-old missing child who was last seen two years ago.
Harmony Montgomery, described as a four-feet-tall girl with blonde hair, blue eyes and glasses in the missing person report, was living with her father Adam Montgomery in the state of New Hampshire before she disappeared. She is also legally blind in her right eye.
She was last seen by police on 1 October 2019 when they were on a home visit in Manchester city, police chief Allen Aldenberg said on Friday. But the police department got the missing person report only last week, he said, adding that it was “very concerning”.
An aerial video showed that on Sunday, investigators had erected a tent and spread out tarps and tables in the backyard of the house where the girl lived on Gilford Street in Manchester.
Harmony’s mysterious disappearance was first notified by the New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth and Families, said Heather Hamel, a Manchester police spokesperson, according to the Insider.
She added that the police will not release details on how the girl was first noticed to be missing or why she had not been seen by anyone in the last two years. “We know where she was supposed to be, and when we showed up she was not there,” Ms Hamel said.
Harmony’s biological mother Crystal Sorey recently shared a series of photos of the child on her Facebook, and alleged that her previous reports of abuse and neglect while her daughter was with her father were ignored.
She alleged that she called the police and even wrote a letter to the mayor of Manchester. She wrote: “Myself & her family have filed dozens of reports of abuse & neglect & nothing was done until I called police & wrote a letter to the NH mayor!!!!”
“This is all I will say until I am allowed to say more cuz (sic) I will not hinder my daughters (sic) investigation,” Ms Sorey added.
She also lashed out at people trolling her on social media for failing to report that her child was missing for two years. “My daughter is missing & this is what ppl are focusing on?! Throwing my past on front street & trying to make it look like i dont care!” she said in a now-deleted post.
Harmony spent much of her early life in foster care in Massachusetts, where she lived with her younger brother Jamison and reportedly took care of him. Jamison, who is now 5, was adopted by Blair Miller, a DC-based reporter, in 2019 after Harmony was reunited with her father.
Jamison had a close relationship with his sister and often spoke of her, Mr Miller told the Washington Post, adding that he recently mistook a girl in a park for Harmony.
He said that they tried to contact Ms Sorey in an effort to reunite the siblings but she told them that she could not reach her or her father.
“We even still get Christmas gifts for her and stuff,” Mr Miller said. “We’re holding on to the ones that we have right now because it’s that important for us to have that relationship.”
Although it has been two years since Harmony was last seen, the police said they were operating under the assumption that she is alive. “I’m in rescue mode right now. This is not a recovery,” Mr Aldenberg said at a press conference on Monday. “All efforts are focused on that Harmony is alive, and we are going to do everything that we can to find her in that condition.”
The officer added that the police have spoken to the girl’s family members, but did not take any names.
He said: “Manchester police became aware of this last week, and I know people are going to say ‘Well here it is 2021, almost 2022, and nobody has seen this young girl since late October 2019. So what has happened in the last few years?’ Fair question.”
“That’s why I’m here today. Because we need assistance. We need help. And we do not have many answers to many questions that we have,” Mr Aldenberg added. “I don’t care if you saw this young girl a year ago and you think it’s irrelevant — call us.”
Meanwhile, Harmony’s great uncle Kevin Montgomery said he saw her in February 2019 and she “looked like a scared puppy,” according to The Daily Beast.
Mr Montgomery said that the child looked terrified and even had a black eye when he went to meet her and her father in their home. He added that he tried to push through the door that day as he was not allowed in. This prompted Harmony’s father, Adam, to sever all ties with all family members, including blocking them on social media, Mr Montgomery added.
On 4 January, Adam Montgomery was arrested on charges of felony second-degree assault against Harmony in 2019.
Other charges on the warrant were a misdemeanour charge of interference with custody, and two further misdemeanour charges of endangering the welfare of a child.
Mr Montgomery is scheduled to be arraigned at 11am on Wednesday in Hillsborough County Superior Court North.
Despite the arrest, the search for Harmony continues and authorities have increased the reward to $33,000 for anyone who provides information about her wheareabouts.
The Manchester police have also set up a 24-hour tip line, and anyone with “legitimate information” have been asked to call or text 603-203-6060.
