The stepmother of long-missing New Hampshire girl Harmony Montgomery, who is considered dead, didn't appear in court on Thursday, leading authorities to issue a warrant for her arrest.
Kayla Montgomery was due in Hillsborough Superior Court at 10 a.m. for a hearing about charges she'd received stolen property, according to the court's docket, but an official with the state Justice Department confirmed that she did not appear. Prosecutors requested an arrest warrant for Kayla Montgomery and a judge approved it.
She'd also previously been arrested for lying to investigators looking into Harmony's disappearance.
NBC10 Boston has reached out to Kayla Montgomery's attorney.
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Harmony went missing some time between Nov. 28 and Dec. 10, 2019, when she was 5, investigators believe. But her disappearance only came to light in December 2021. Since then, the case has captured the attention of many across New England.
Last month, investigators announced they believe Harmony was killed and are treating her death as a homicide.
The update came after months of investigation, which "led us to conclude that Harmony Montgomery was murdered in Manchester in early December of 2019," New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said at a news conference. They didn't specify any suspects and said their investigation into the girl's death was continuing.
Adam Montgomery, Harmony’s father, has been indicted on an assault charge alleging that he struck Harmony in the face in July 2019. He’s also accused of unrelated firearms theft charges and has pleaded not guilty.
Anyone with information about where Harmony's body is or how she was killed is asked to call or text 603-203-6060, the state and local police 24-hour tip line.
This breaking news story will be updated.
