LaborDayRN
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This case brings back so many bad memories of Gabriel Fernandez for me. I'm afraid it will be very difficult for me to follow.
Deceased/Not Found NH - Harmony Montgomery, 7, Manchester, Oct 2019 *reported missing Dec 2021* *REWARD* *Arrest*
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Bodhi
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I share the outrage over this missing child! I'm bothered by accusatory comments about Harmony's mother. Thankfully, WS is victim-friendly forum. Only Adam and Kayla have been charged with crimes related to Harmony.
I have compassion for Harmony's mother. The reporter who adopted her son alluded to Crystal having a difficult upbringing (link below). I've read her social media pages but I won't elaborate because she is not a suspect.
Crystal's children had difficult early years because of her addiction, and that has lifelong ramifications. But she's been upfront that she lost custody because she's a drug addict. When she relapsed, DCF placed Harmony in foster care. Her son's adoptive father confirmed both kids cycled between a series of foster homes and Crystal's custody.
My opinion is Crystal realized she could not give her children what all children need--a stable home with a loving parent who could prioritize their needs. Because she loved them, she did what was best for them: releasing them for adoption.
Crystal's son was then free for adoption (because his biological father gave up his rights or they were terminated). He was adopted through an open adoption, Crystal met the adoptive parents before it was finalized. She's maintained a connection with him.
When worlds collide: D.C. couple who adopted Harmony Montgomery’s sibling choose to walk in the light on this dark road | Manchester Ink Link
Harmony was not free for adoption; her father's parental rights were not terminated. So she was reunited with her biological parent. Crystal had no parental rights to Harmony, no right to visitation, contact, photos or updates. She initially had contact but soon after Adam and Kayla blocked her.
Crystal tried to check on Harmony's welfare over the past 2 years. After October 2019, when Harmony was last seen by an uncle and police, Adam moved around. He was homeless at times and sometimes in a program. She reached out to his relatives but he'd cut off contact with them too. She drove by addresses associated with Adam and schools. She made inquiries to DCYF, but remember she had no legal relationship to Harmony. And she did not have specific allegations that'd prompt DCYF to track down a biological parent/child.
My fury is focused on Adam Montgomery. Whatever happened to this child, he is responsible. "In your custody is in your care." Adam didn't ask relatives to take her in. He didn't contact DCYF to put her in foster care. He abused and tortured his daughter. She lived in squalor and turmoil. And when she became too inconvenient, he discarded her somehow.
I'll also channel my outrage over Harmony into demanding answers from child protective services in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire. She should never have been placed in the home of a violent drug addict. Biology shouldn't trump a child's welfare.
I have compassion for Harmony's mother. The reporter who adopted her son alluded to Crystal having a difficult upbringing (link below). I've read her social media pages but I won't elaborate because she is not a suspect.
Crystal's children had difficult early years because of her addiction, and that has lifelong ramifications. But she's been upfront that she lost custody because she's a drug addict. When she relapsed, DCF placed Harmony in foster care. Her son's adoptive father confirmed both kids cycled between a series of foster homes and Crystal's custody.
My opinion is Crystal realized she could not give her children what all children need--a stable home with a loving parent who could prioritize their needs. Because she loved them, she did what was best for them: releasing them for adoption.
Crystal's son was then free for adoption (because his biological father gave up his rights or they were terminated). He was adopted through an open adoption, Crystal met the adoptive parents before it was finalized. She's maintained a connection with him.
When worlds collide: D.C. couple who adopted Harmony Montgomery’s sibling choose to walk in the light on this dark road | Manchester Ink Link
Harmony was not free for adoption; her father's parental rights were not terminated. So she was reunited with her biological parent. Crystal had no parental rights to Harmony, no right to visitation, contact, photos or updates. She initially had contact but soon after Adam and Kayla blocked her.
Crystal tried to check on Harmony's welfare over the past 2 years. After October 2019, when Harmony was last seen by an uncle and police, Adam moved around. He was homeless at times and sometimes in a program. She reached out to his relatives but he'd cut off contact with them too. She drove by addresses associated with Adam and schools. She made inquiries to DCYF, but remember she had no legal relationship to Harmony. And she did not have specific allegations that'd prompt DCYF to track down a biological parent/child.
My fury is focused on Adam Montgomery. Whatever happened to this child, he is responsible. "In your custody is in your care." Adam didn't ask relatives to take her in. He didn't contact DCYF to put her in foster care. He abused and tortured his daughter. She lived in squalor and turmoil. And when she became too inconvenient, he discarded her somehow.
I'll also channel my outrage over Harmony into demanding answers from child protective services in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire. She should never have been placed in the home of a violent drug addict. Biology shouldn't trump a child's welfare.
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Bodhi
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<modsnip - quoted post removed>
Some neighbors have been speaking to the media, and I wondered the same thing.
A man identifying himself as Harmony's maternal grandfather has spoken to a reporter. Adam's brother has been quoted in the media, as has Harmony's maternal cousin. Adam's brother's interview with investigators is included in the arrest documents.
Links (all cited previously by others in this thread--thank you to those WSers):
Harmony Montgomery’s grandfather: ‘I have a lot of hope. I pray.’
Uncle of Missing Girl Says Family Feuded the Last Time He Saw Her Alive
Harmony Montgomery: Who Are the Missing Child’s Parents? | Heavy.com
Some neighbors have been speaking to the media, and I wondered the same thing.
A man identifying himself as Harmony's maternal grandfather has spoken to a reporter. Adam's brother has been quoted in the media, as has Harmony's maternal cousin. Adam's brother's interview with investigators is included in the arrest documents.
Links (all cited previously by others in this thread--thank you to those WSers):
Harmony Montgomery’s grandfather: ‘I have a lot of hope. I pray.’
Uncle of Missing Girl Says Family Feuded the Last Time He Saw Her Alive
Harmony Montgomery: Who Are the Missing Child’s Parents? | Heavy.com
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lilithblue
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I think the issue was that Harmony didn’t have an allocated worker
You raise a lot of good points and questions. I'm going to break up your quote (hopefully) and try to address the points I'm familiar with in the US. Policies change within different states and even within different counties, so I'm going off my experience within the county I live in. It may not be the same in other areas.
This is definitely true here. The ultimate goal is to have children back with their birth parents. Usually children will stay in foster situations or guardianships until all other efforts have been exhausted and their rights are terminated permanently, they relinquish their rights, or they get their act together.
Unless there has been a criminal act against the child, it's all through the civil court, and depending on the state/county, the judges may be the same whether it's custody through divorce or DHS type custody issues. In my county, they usually handle one or the other. I don't believe this was at all a custody fight between mom and dad. I think mom had physical custody of her two children taken away by DHS/court. I think she relinquished her rights to both children. I'm assuming the son had a different father who was either not named or not in the picture, which was why he was able to be adopted. Harmony had a father, and evidently he said he wanted her. I would assume it was for the the benefits, but sometimes people just think that's what they're supposed to do because it would look bad if they didn't. I don't think he was in the system the way the mom was, because I kind of think he wasn't really in her life much prior to this.
When dad stepped and said he wanted her, he would have been checked out to make sure she had a suitable home (clean stable home and the ability to provide). He may have had all that at the time. You can't take away their rights simply because they have a record, because people do rehabilitate. I believe where they failed was that the state seemed to have dropped their involvement as soon as she went to live with dad.
Here, efforts are made to have all parties represented, typically by a court appointed attorney (mom, dad, child, state). We have children in the system here, where the child has gone to a guardianship in another state. and they continue to have the same attorney (that should be checking in on them) as well as continued DHS involvement until the case is closed. They continue to have regular hearings throughout the year where they determine the status. I don't have access to the records there, so I don't know if her case was ever closed. I'm guessing not, since there seems to be a lot of blame being passed around.
Again, this is all based on the system where I live. I don't know anything personally about these people or their case, or the way it works in NH or MA. But it seems to make sense to me that mom had already relinquished her rights, and probably why there wasn't much she could do as far as forcing the issue of where her child was.
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Just joining the conversation.
What a terrible situation.
Foster care is not ideal.
They are a system developed to replace orphanges.
Orphanages are definitely bad as no one can seem to run them without a a terrible level of corruption.
It's is such a problem.
I liked that some one said that once parents have have custody taken due to hurting their child that in order to get their kids back, the parents need a weekly BLOOD test for drugs, and the weekly check is done until the last child is 18, along with long term tracking and survellience set up as if they have a communicable disease like TB.
What a terrible situation.
Foster care is not ideal.
They are a system developed to replace orphanges.
Orphanages are definitely bad as no one can seem to run them without a a terrible level of corruption.
It's is such a problem.
I liked that some one said that once parents have have custody taken due to hurting their child that in order to get their kids back, the parents need a weekly BLOOD test for drugs, and the weekly check is done until the last child is 18, along with long term tracking and survellience set up as if they have a communicable disease like TB.
Bodhi
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I know that NH law prohibits shutting off power in winter or in certain conditions. With very young children, they may have qualified for such continuation; but the onus would be on the resident to initiate a request. I wonder even if there is such a program whether the adults cared enough to pursue it. Temperatures were warm in the summer and there are more hours of daylight.
Perhaps an owner of the house closed the account with the power company if/when she vacated or when foreclosure started. Adam and Kayla didn't own the property. We don't know if they rented the house or were just living there. Maybe they couldn't connect to the grid because the weren't supposed to be there?
I wonder if the neighbor's comment that there was no power all summer is off a bit on the timing. HUD owned the property by August 31. If Adam and his family were squatters, that'd explain the lack of utilities.
This house is on city water and sewer, so the house should have had running water and flush toilets even without power. In this region, most homes outside of a downtown are on well water. When you lose power, you don't have running water and you can't flush the toilet.
The information accompanying the real estate video (see post #696) indicates there may be a problem with the water pressure. So they may not have had running water consistently. With 2 infants, the lack of running water would be a huge hardship.
The HUD listing also lists the furnace or heating system needing repairs. Maybe turning on the power wouldn't have enabled them to heat the house, so they didn't prioritize it. I don't recall the type of stove. Maybe it was gas and could be lit with a match.
Sachi
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MOO, MOO, speculation, assumptions and effort to understand.
SO true yet she wasn't in AM"s "care" to be abused until MA courts awarded Adam custody, she was in the MA foster care system, the MA social services department and court system bears the responsibility of releasing her to him also responsibility to have/have not "put in place" that ICPC which may have provided for a way to check on her welfare in NH.
"What’s unclear is whether Massachusetts DCF requested an ICPC and whether New Hampshire declined to do one. Under Massachusetts regulations, when a child is going to the custody of a biological parent an ICPC is not required. ICPC’s are usually invoked when children are placed for adoption or foster care across state lines."
So, is the MA DCF responsible for putting her in the care of her biological father?
Do they bear responsibility for doing that ? because Adam did not look good on paper- he is spare parts and always has been.
My thought is , he had a wife and 3 kids and Kayla vouched for him.. the court 0r people who decided he seemed responsible, saw them parading as family ( playing house) and actually believed them- Adam and Kayla checked off all the "family" boxes needed to transfer guardianship back to him. Harmony was inadvertently, thrown to wolves parading as parents.
And what happened with the many reports of abuse received by DCFS?
MOO
I think the issue was that Harmony didn’t have an allocated worker
I’m not in the US, but I’m in Social Work in the UK and I am certainly sick to my stomach and my heart about how Harmony has been failed at every turn. I think the issues with social work are pretty similar the world over, children’s rights are ultimately being superseded by parental rights. There is a also a real focus on maintaining a child in their birth family or rehabilitating them back to birth family following intervention. Research does indicate this generally has better outcomes for children, but every case must be considered individually because the risks are just too great for some. Laws and policies need to change, frontline staff have to navigate far too much red tape before we can act on concerns and establish grounds for statutory involvement. It’s depressing and demoralising and utterly dangerous at times, as Harmony’s case illustrates.
It’s everyone’s job to make sure a child is alright and in the current circumstances of a global pandemic, universal health and education services aren’t having the same level of contact with children they would have pre-Covid, families are becoming more isolated and vulnerable children are going under the radar. I actually think governments should be running media campaigns around child protection and safeguarding. We need to educate the general public on signs of child abuse and neglect and inform communities how they can report concerns.
Same here (UK). It has been business as usual, we’ve actually been busier because community and health services have been drastically reduced. Domestic abuse has rocketed and mental health has deteriorated. Covid has, however, been a convenient excuse for many non-compliant or difficult to engage families to withdraw even further. We’ve had several children die at the hands of parents in horrendous circumstances since the pandemic began though, it’s heartbreaking.
IMO the last allocated worker in MA, and their immediate supervisor, would have been responsible for liaising with NH to transfer the case. I’m interested to know whether any attempts were made to do so. Over here, it is notoriously difficult to get a neighbouring authority to take on a new case, whether it be due to professional/political power struggles over budgets or judgement, who knows.
Even if there had been a telephone call between the states, that would have been logged so Harmony’s name would have been flagged in the system back in 2019 when Police attended surely? Although that would be dependent on an officer making checks in the first place. They certainly didn’t act on the child assault allegations by Harmony’s paternal uncle.
Forgive my ignorance, but would a judge who deals with custody issues in the US also deal with care orders for child and family social work? I’m interested as our civil courts deal with custody issues and we have a separate system for children requiring care and protection. Social work doesn’t tend to have any influence in civil cases, although we can provide welfare and background reports if requested. If Harmony’s situation were to have happened here, Dad would have had to apply for custody personally and argued for Mum’s rights be terminated. I wonder what his motivation was, as he was in prison for much of her early life. Did it benefit him financially to have custody?
Social Works continued involvement in Harmony’s life would have then had to be legally quantified in a separate Children’s Hearing. Dad’s criminal and violent history alongside his homeless status would certainly have met the threshold IMO. But as with any process, it can only be actioned by a diligent worker. I can’t fathom how any professional worth their salt would have happily sent Harmony on her way with that man without at least linking in with the new authority area and sharing pertinent information.
I 100% agree that Harmony was failed by professionals. It’s inexcusable and they should be investigated and disciplined accordingly; However, Social Workers don’t mistreat, neglect or kill children. Crappy, evil parents do that.
MOO, MOO, speculation, assumptions and effort to understand.
SO true yet she wasn't in AM"s "care" to be abused until MA courts awarded Adam custody, she was in the MA foster care system, the MA social services department and court system bears the responsibility of releasing her to him also responsibility to have/have not "put in place" that ICPC which may have provided for a way to check on her welfare in NH.
"What’s unclear is whether Massachusetts DCF requested an ICPC and whether New Hampshire declined to do one. Under Massachusetts regulations, when a child is going to the custody of a biological parent an ICPC is not required. ICPC’s are usually invoked when children are placed for adoption or foster care across state lines."
So, is the MA DCF responsible for putting her in the care of her biological father?
Do they bear responsibility for doing that ? because Adam did not look good on paper- he is spare parts and always has been.
My thought is , he had a wife and 3 kids and Kayla vouched for him.. the court 0r people who decided he seemed responsible, saw them parading as family ( playing house) and actually believed them- Adam and Kayla checked off all the "family" boxes needed to transfer guardianship back to him. Harmony was inadvertently, thrown to wolves parading as parents.
And what happened with the many reports of abuse received by DCFS?
MOO
Turkeytrot
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We had this happen when I was a child. However.. that may be different in 2020-now with Covid but I'm not sure..
Cubby
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Addicted2Crime
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I live in MA on the MA/NH border (closer to Nashua) and the digital billboard has this up on the RT3 Highway.
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Ontario Mom
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A "like" was just not enough. Thank you for taking the time to express your thoughts on this. I agree 100%.
mainemom376
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Any locals know if they are back at the house today?
Allabouttrial
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Josh Benson
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Quote Tweet
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Police have been outside all evening guarding the scene of the home where Harmony Montgomery once lived in 2019.
A massive blue tarp is laid out alongside the entire backyard. At several points the shift commander drove by and stopped, talking to patrol vehicle posted outside.
Video at link: https://twitter.com/WFLAJosh/status/1480193863948111874
@WFLAJosh
Quote Tweet
@Nerdy_Addict
Police have been outside all evening guarding the scene of the home where Harmony Montgomery once lived in 2019.
A massive blue tarp is laid out alongside the entire backyard. At several points the shift commander drove by and stopped, talking to patrol vehicle posted outside.
Video at link: https://twitter.com/WFLAJosh/status/1480193863948111874
MoeInVA
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If you click through to the local who posted the pic shared by the reporter, he has a more updated pic that shows the tarp removed and snow is gone. Green grass covered with black cables.
Allabouttrial
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If you read the links and timeline that have been kindly provided in the threads, then you'll see Harmony's mum didn't wait 3 years, as you've stated, to start looking and enquiring about Harmony.
SA55
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Are you able to link us?
Spartygirl
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BBM
Hi there-- do you have a link for Adam's brother talking about the case ??
I see above the articles pertaining to his Uncle and neighbors and Maternal grandpa but haven't see anything from a sibling of Adam yet.
TIA
Allabouttrial
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The linked article is behind a paywall but I believe there's been a lot of confusion with regard to Kevin being addressed as Harmony's "uncle". When in fact he's Adam's uncle.
I believe he quoted himself as Harmony's uncle in an original tweet, but this has since been corrected. Obviously, this media outlet didn't get the memo!
ETA: Apologies, there is a brother, Michael mentioned in the Affidavit.
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