Deceased/Not Found NH - Harmony Montgomery, 7, Manchester, Oct 2019 *reported missing Dec 2021* *REWARD* *Arrest* #2

[imstilla.grandma]

 

[PommyMommy]

FEB 22, 2022
Police chief records PSA asking for tips in search for Harmony Montgomery (wmur.com)
[...]

Manchester police Chief Allen Aldenberg has recorded a radio public service announcement asking for information. Police said officials at the radio station saw a WMUR story with Aldenberg in January and felt compelled to help.

[...]

Aldenberg said he has never done a PSA in his career, but this case and this situation are extraordinary.

"A 7-year-old girl is out there. She needs our help," he said. "Not just the police department's help. She needs the community to rally and help us find this little girl."

[...]

There are still three dozen officers working the case for the Manchester Police Department.

"Every day we come in, we're 100% focused on finding Harmony and bringing some closure to this case," Aldenberg said.

[...]

 

[Kristin Esq.]

Blair Miller on Twitter
We’re desperate for answers to find #HarmonyMontgomery for our son, Jamison. We sent this letter to Adam Montgomery, hoping it leads to answers as to what happened to precious Harmony. We share the frustration that so many of you have w/ no answers or updates. #bringharmonyhome

11:07 PM · Feb 20, 2022·Twitter for iPhone

It's worth a try, but I don't think it's going to do anything. AM only thinks of himself. MOO.

 

[cvaldez1975]

It's worth a try, but I don't think it's going to do anything. AM only thinks of himself. MOO.

yup hes hiding it to save his skin

 

[Turkeytrot]

It's worth a try, but I don't think it's going to do anything. AM only thinks of himself. MOO.

Agreed.

He may even enjoy the pain he's causing

 

[tlcya]

or the control. Once he gives up the info there is very little, if anything, in his control. Holding onto her location is the last bit he has and he is not giving it up.

I hope and pray that one cracks but I think Kayla is much more likely. Particularly if she is offered some sweet deal on the welfare fraud charges to give up what she knows. My concern is that she may not know exactly WHERE Adam put Harmony. She may know generalities - but I don't know if she was involved in the disposal of her remains (because let's face it, it is most likely that this baby girl is no longer living) or knows where he did so. (again just MOO - my working theory is he killed his daughter)

 

[MissMalowe]

I wish I could be optimistic about Jamison reuniting with Harmony one day. He clearly not only remembers her but also misses her very much. The way the adoptive parents' letter describes him talking about her often; his love for her is almost palpable.

Every kid thread gets me. Some Moreso than others; and this is one of them. I feel like the only thing more tragic here than Harmony and her past is Jamison and his future.

I feel like this poor kid already survived an earthquake.... and now a tornado is probably coming his direction.

 

[PommyMommy]

FEB 23, 2022
Sudders ties new guardian outlay to Harmony Montgomery case – WHDH 7News
Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders linked a $50 million outlay in the supplemental budget the Baker administration filed last week to the case of missing child Harmony Montgomery and other children who become involved with the state court system.

The $2.4 billion spending bill (H 4479) that Gov. Charlie Baker filed on Friday includes $50 million to recruit, train and pay guardian ad litems within the Massachusetts court system and a policy proposal to mandate the appointment of a guardian ad litem in every alleged child abuse or neglect case that works through the Juvenile Court.

[...]

$50 million planned to better protect kids in state custody | WBUR News
"While all children in the custody of the Department of Children and Families are assigned an attorney by the court, the Harmony Montgomery case makes clear the imperative need to improve and build upon supports for children that come before the courts," Sudders said in a statement after Baker filed the bill. "With this funding, we take a step in the right direction to ensuring children have a voice in the courtroom that is advocating singularly for their best interests and well-being at all times throughout the court proceedings."

NH Public Radio on Twitter
A question is asked about updates regarding Harmony Montgomery. The governor says something will be released at the end of this week.
3:31 PM · Feb 23, 2022·Twitter Web App

 

[sds71]

@victoriapricetv

Tomorrow’s court hearing for #HarmonyMontgomery’s stepmother Kayla Montgomery has been postponed due to attorney scheduling conflicts. Prosecutors also say the investigation has not progressed to where they are ready to make a plea offer.
@7news

 

[GuyfromCanada]

CONCORD, NH — While the search for a missing New Hampshire girl is ongoing, state officials have released a seven-page report offering changes that should be made to ensure more children in distressed homes do not fall through the cracks.

More at In Wake Of Missing Child, NH Officials Suggest Policy Changes

 

[sds71]

And in maybe the most critical moment in 2019, when Harmony’s father told DCYF that Harmony now lived with her mother, a worker called Crystal Sorey to confirm – but she never called back, and there is no record that the worker ever tried to call again.


New Report On Harmony Montgomery's Disappearance Identifies Missed Opportunities


COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE ON THE ONGOING CASE INVOLVING HARMONY MONTGOMERY AND RECOMMENDED SYSTEMATIC IMPROVEMENTS:

https://www.governor.nh.gov/sites/g...88r38fyZ90Gy9W-dfoSSBM0EajtZeOZuXxfh6A6A7fiTw

 

[Ilex]

I really believe Harmony is alive. If she were dead, Adam would only have been too happy to tell everyone, since he would have had the added benefit of causing damage to her mother. I do believe whoever she's with doesn't need the benefits, that's why Adam and Kayla kept her on their benefits. It's just my opinion, but I do believe at some point Harmony will be found. If Adam were smart he'd say who has her, but right now he's enjoying the power. My hope is that Kayla is smarter than Adam.

 

[PommyMommy]

FEB 25, 2022
Internal review of New Hampshire’s handling on Harmony Montgomery’s case released – Boston 25 News
[...]

• DCYF first became aware of Harmony’s presence in the state in July 2019 after an anonymous call about a black eye on the little girl allegedly inflicted by her father.

• July 29, 2019 a social worker visits the Montgomery home to investigation the claim. The worker interacts with Harmony and her father briefly as the two are getting into a car
• During a second visit in August 2019 a social worker notices a red mark and some bruising in Harmony’s eye. During their conversation, Harmony and father said it happened “during horseplay with another sibling.”
• October 2019, DCYF determined physical abuse allegations related to the black eye to be “unfounded” and said the children in the household were “happy and healthy.”
• January of 2020, after a complaint regarding the family to DCYF, a social worker visited the home and noticed Harmony’s absence. Her father, Adam, told the worker that she was “residing with her mother, Crystal.”
• January and March of 2021, additional calls regarding the Montgomery family are received by DCYF and again workers notice Harmony is absent.
• September 2021, a call is received by DCYF claiming that Harmony’s mother hasn’t seen her daughter in over a year. DCYF makes several attempts to locate her, including checking with NH schools where she should have been registered.
• Believing Harmony and her family moved to an unknown location, DCYF enlists the help of Manchester PD in their effort to find them in November of 2021.
• The DCYF investigation changed to a missing child case on December 31, when Manchester PD announced her disappearance.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

Review: Claim Harmony Montgomery had a black eye unfounded – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News
Months before a 5-year-old New Hampshire girl disappeared in 2019, a child protective services worker visited her home and concluded that an allegation that the girl received a black eye was unfounded, according to a review released Friday through Gov. Chris Sununu’s office.

[...]

Following the case worker’s July 2019 visit, the family of Harmony Montgomery was “identified as high risk of repeat child welfare system involvement” and was given referrals for housing supports, Friday’s review said.

[...]

New report says N.H. child protection workers failed to locate Harmony Montgomery after a 2020 home visit | New Hampshire Public Radio (nhpr.org)
[,,,]

The report says a child protection worker visited the home where Harmony previously lived with her father and stepmother, Adam and Kayla Montgomery, for a call unrelated to Harmony in January 2020. Harmony was not present, as she had been during prior DCYF visits; the report says Adam Montgomery told the child protection worker that Harmony was living with her mother instead. However, the report suggests that DCYF failed to make sure that was true.

While DCYF attempted to call Harmony’s mother, Crystal Sorey, to confirm that Harmony was living with her, they struggled to make contact. According to the report, “Sorey never returned the call and there is no evidence in the record of any additional attempts to contact her.” State officials did not answer questions from NHPR about why DCYF did not make more of an effort to connect with Sorey to verify Harmony’s location.

DCYF received two more reports about the Montgomery household, not involving Harmony, in January and March 2021.

"When the [child protective service worker] inquired about Harmony Montgomery, Adam Montgomery stated again that she was still living with her mother, Crystal Sorey, and that he had not seen her in a year," the report said. It's unclear whether the state took any additional steps to reach out to Sorey at that time.

The new report also reveals that, while New Hampshire authorities first announced Harmony’s disappearance in December 2021, DCYF received notice that she wasn’t with her mother — as they had been previously told — three months earlier.

The report says that DCYF received a call from a close contact of Harmony’s mother in September 2021, stating that Harmony’s mother had not seen her for nearly two years. From there, the report says DCYF attempted to locate Harmony, her father and her stepmother. The Manchester Police Department got involved in the search in November 2021, and authorities didn’t announce that Harmony was missing until December 31, when they made contact with her father.

[...]

 

[MissMalowe]

I feel like I'm more confused about the situation after reading these reports.

Why didn't Harmony's mom call back when DCF called saying dad was claiming Harmony was with her?

Where's the record of all the calls mom made to DCF after that trying to track down Harmony? I'm very confused.

 

[Laughing]

Re: call history

In the early '90's, I worked at Social Services in my state.

Contact sequence in assigned caseload:
1) Phone call to last known number, voice mail left if no contact. Entry in case file.
2) if no return call, place another call the next week, voice mail if no contact. Entry in case file.
3) if no return call, place another call, place call to local LE to check local jail, place call to known family member/known associates, report to supervisor. Entry in case file.

Even then you weren't really finished.

About 5 years ago in May, a medical professional in my doctor's office told me that my record indicated that another person in the office had "tried to reach" me but "couldn't."

Well, I reminded her that I was scheduled for an MRI on April 5, but the MRI machine stopped working that day.

I suggested that since Imaging staff was able to reach my home, my cell, and my place of employment within 15 minutes on that day, perhaps the employee that "couldn't" reach me could be sent to the phone training provided to the Imaging staff.

The provider nodded & typed into the laptop with a very serious look on her face.

The worker placing one call deciding the path of Harmony's life -- just another ball dropped.


jmho ymmv lrr

 

[Laughing]

Re: call history

Again!

clipart-library.com


jmho ymmv lrr

 

[Ilex]

Re: call history

In the early '90's, I worked at Social Services in my state.

Contact sequence in assigned caseload:
1) Phone call to last known number, voice mail left if no contact. Entry in case file.
2) if no return call, place another call the next week, voice mail if no contact. Entry in case file.
3) if no return call, place another call, place call to local LE to check local jail, place call to known family member/known associates, report to supervisor. Entry in case file.

Even then you weren't really finished.

About 5 years ago in May, a medical professional in my doctor's office told me that my record indicated that another person in the office had "tried to reach" me but "couldn't."

Well, I reminded her that I was scheduled for an MRI on April 5, but the MRI machine stopped working that day.

I suggested that since Imaging staff was able to reach my home, my cell, and my place of employment within 15 minutes on that day, perhaps the employee that "couldn't" reach me could be sent to the phone training provided to the Imaging staff.

The provider nodded & typed into the laptop with a very serious look on her face.

The worker placing one call deciding the path of Harmony's life -- just another ball dropped.


jmho ymmv lrr

I'm not even blaming the entire situation on DHS, it's apparent there's either a lack of training or a lack of staff, or most likely a combo of the two. This child didn't fall through cracks, she fell through the grand canyon, and that can't ever be called "good enough". Now Adam is fully to blame for what happened to this child, but perhaps this could have had a different outcome if the safety net had been working.

 

[MimosaMornings]

Review: Claim Harmony Montgomery had a black eye unfounded – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News
Months before a 5-year-old New Hampshire girl disappeared in 2019, a child protective services worker visited her home and concluded that an allegation that the girl received a black eye was unfounded, according to a review released Friday through Gov. Chris Sununu’s office.

[...]

Following the case worker’s July 2019 visit, the family of Harmony Montgomery was “identified as high risk of repeat child welfare system involvement” and was given referrals for housing supports, Friday’s review said.

[...]

New report says N.H. child protection workers failed to locate Harmony Montgomery after a 2020 home visit | New Hampshire Public Radio (nhpr.org)
[,,,]

The report says a child protection worker visited the home where Harmony previously lived with her father and stepmother, Adam and Kayla Montgomery, for a call unrelated to Harmony in January 2020. Harmony was not present, as she had been during prior DCYF visits; the report says Adam Montgomery told the child protection worker that Harmony was living with her mother instead. However, the report suggests that DCYF failed to make sure that was true.

While DCYF attempted to call Harmony’s mother, Crystal Sorey, to confirm that Harmony was living with her, they struggled to make contact. According to the report, “Sorey never returned the call and there is no evidence in the record of any additional attempts to contact her.” State officials did not answer questions from NHPR about why DCYF did not make more of an effort to connect with Sorey to verify Harmony’s location.

DCYF received two more reports about the Montgomery household, not involving Harmony, in January and March 2021.

"When the [child protective service worker] inquired about Harmony Montgomery, Adam Montgomery stated again that she was still living with her mother, Crystal Sorey, and that he had not seen her in a year," the report said. It's unclear whether the state took any additional steps to reach out to Sorey at that time.

The new report also reveals that, while New Hampshire authorities first announced Harmony’s disappearance in December 2021, DCYF received notice that she wasn’t with her mother — as they had been previously told — three months earlier.

The report says that DCYF received a call from a close contact of Harmony’s mother in September 2021, stating that Harmony’s mother had not seen her for nearly two years. From there, the report says DCYF attempted to locate Harmony, her father and her stepmother. The Manchester Police Department got involved in the search in November 2021, and authorities didn’t announce that Harmony was missing until December 31, when they made contact with her father.

[...]

“While DCYF attempted to call Harmony’s mother, Crystal Sorey, to confirm that Harmony was living with her, they struggled to make contact. According to the report, “Sorey never returned the call and there is no evidence in the record of any additional attempts to contact her.” State officials did not answer questions from NHPR about why DCYF did not make more of an effort to connect with Sorey to verify Harmony’s location.”

Struggled to make contact? How many calls did they make to try and reach Harmony’s mother?

And they have records of a friend of the mother that called DCYF (once) but no documentation of the multiple times the mother called DCYF? What the heck?

 

[Kristin Esq.]

Confuses me too. Absent dad in the Serenity case is now going after DCF as well.

Sounds like it's a game of pass the blame because no one wants to take responsibility. Even if Crystal didn't call back, why didn't the worker call her again?

I'm not in the DCF business, but I've always called people back if I didn't hear from them within a certain time frame - in my professional and personal life.

 

[tlcya]

While DCYF attempted to call Harmony’s mother, Crystal Sorey, to confirm that Harmony was living with her, they struggled to make contact. According to the report, “Sorey never returned the call and there is no evidence in the record of any additional attempts to contact her.” State officials did not answer questions from NHPR about why DCYF did not make more of an effort to connect with Sorey to verify Harmony’s location.
New report says N.H. child protection workers failed to locate Harmony Montgomery after a 2020 home visit
BBM one phone call. Huh, yeah - the struggle was real alright - sigh GMADB
This is the kind of thing that infuriates me.