NH missing girl’s disappearance narrowed to 13-day window; stepmother appears in court

CONCORD, N.H. (WCAX) - The stepmom of a missing New Hampshire appeared before a judge on Monday as the search for the little girl continues.

Now, investigators have narrowed the window of the disappearance of Harmony Montgomery to a 13-day period. They now say Harmony, who was just 5 at the time, went missing sometime between Nov. 29-Dec. 10, 2019. She was only recently reported missing.

The stepmom of a missing New Hampshire appeared before a judge on Monday as the search for the little girl continues.

Prosecutors say the child’s stepmother, Kayla Montgomery, continued to accept food stamp benefits for Harmony for over a year after the little girl was last seen. Kayla Montgomery is charged with several counts, including fraud, but she has not been charged directly in connection with the disappearance.

In court Monday, prosecutors argued she should be held on bail.

“We think that she poses a flight risk which is why we made the bail request that we did. The Manchester Police Department is pursuing all avenues in this investigation, talking to everybody that they possibly can,” New Hampshire Assistant Attorney General Jesse O’Neill said.

The judge released Kayla Montgomery on personal recognizance bail upon completion of a drug treatment program.

Harmony’s father, Adam Montgomery, has been charged with assaulting the little girl but he has not been charged directly with her disappearance. He remains behind bars.

Prosecutors say the family was homeless at the time of Harmony’s disappearance. They were living out of a car in the Manchester area.

Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to reach out to the police. A reward for information leading police to Harmony Montgomery has reached nearly $150,000.