Adam Montgomery trial day 9 recap: Prosecution rests

After a ninth day of testimony in the trial of Adam Montgomery, the New Hampshire father accused of murdering his 5-year-old daughter Harmony Montgomery, the prosecution rested its case.

One of the final prosecution witnesses included Rebecca Maines.

Saying she considered Adam Montgomery her best friend, Maines recalled what he said regarding the whereabouts of his 5-year-old daughter Harmony more than a year after her death.

“He told me that he dropped her in 2019 at a rest area," she testified Tuesday.

"He said her mother would not allow him to see her,” Maines said when asked what Montgomery told her about how often he was seeing his daughter back in 2021.

Maines also told the jury that Montgomery once told her that he "hated" Harmony because she reminded him of her mother, Crystal Sorey.

Jurors also heard a recording of Montgomery on the phone, saying that the search for his daughter was a waste of time and taxpayer resources. She’s never been found, but prosecutors produced a record that they say shows the U-Haul her father used to dispose of her body going over the Tobin Bridge.

Massachusetts State Trooper Bryan Hernandez testified about searches in Revere and Saugus that turned up nothing in the search for the missing youngster.

The defense tried unsuccessfully to get three charges dismissed, including second-degree murder. They say the state’s key witness Kayla Montgomery is not credible.

”Kayla Montgomery is a convicted perjurer. She also acknowledged two other incidents of perjury,” said, defense attorney Caroline Smith.

The 34-year-old defendant has been a no-show at his trial. The judge told his attorneys what to expect if he doesn’t come tomorrow.

”The court would deem that a waiver of his right, both to be present and a waiver of his right to testify,” said the Hon. Amy Messer.

So far, there have been nine days of testimony. But it’s not clear if the defense will present its case tomorrow or move directly to closing arguments.