The mother of a 5-year-old girl who was beaten to death by her father in 2022 is slamming authorities who allegedly ignored multiple attempts by the now-grieving mother to get help for her daughter. Crystal Sorey is now reportedly suing New Hampshire authorities.
According to the new lawsuit, Sorey has accused the Division of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) of failing to respond to reports of abuse made months before the murder. The lawsuit was initially filed in September of this year.
However, her attorney filed a revised version earlier this month that included additional information about the alleged failure of duty by New Hampshire authorities. The lawsuit featured 17 different reports made to the DCYF before Harmony Montgomery was reported missing by police on New Year’s Eve 2021.
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One report indicates that the young girl — who was killed by her father Adam — was allegedly being molested by people staying at the Montgomery family’s home, where drugs were also being used. Child protection social worker Demetrios Tsaros was singled out in the suit which claimed Tsaros failed to respond appropriately to another report about Harmony’s black eye.
According to Sorey, this was not the first time that Montgomery had been “failed” by authorities. Reports state that the child was born in June 2014 while her father was in prison and was placed in foster care at two months old. Five years later, Adam Montgomery was awarded full custody of his daughter by a judge.
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Reports indicated that, at the time of the awarded custody, Adam was living with his wife Kayla and their two sons. Reports state that Hannah was repeatedly beaten and abused by her father to the point that several relatives picked up on the alleged abuse.
During a visit from Florida, Hannah’s uncle, Kevin Montgomery noticed that the girl had a black eye. According to Kevin, Adam had said that he had “bashed her” around, prompting Kevin to contact child protective agencies.
Court records show that Adam was cold and defiant when answering questions about his daughter’s abuse. In late 2019, Montgomery was evicted from the home, and the family began living in a homeless shelter. According to records, Hannah — who was struggling with potty training — continued to be beaten by her father.
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According to Sorey, the last time she saw her daughter alive she looked “frightened” during a FaceTime call. Police stated that they never recovered Harmony’s body. In June 2022, police stated that they tore up the floorboards and ripped apart closets as they searched the apartment where Harmony was living before her disappearance.
In October 2022, Adam was arrested for murder. A year later, Adam was found guilty of firearms charges in a case unrelated to Harmony’s disappearance and murder. Adam vehemently denied ever killing his daughter in court in a last-ditch emotional plea to the judge during his August 2023 trial, talking about his addiction and saying he “could’ve had a meaningful life.”
Earlier this year, it was uncovered that he told a friend he “hated” his daughter “right to his core” shortly before he murdered her. To this date, he has never revealed where he disposed of her body.
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