MANCHESTER, N.H. — In Hillsboro Superior Court North in Manchester, New Hampshire, 100 potential jurors get their first look at the man who has dominated headlines and news coverage for months.
Adam Montgomery is now on trial for charges related to two-gun thefts, a rifle, and a shotgun, in September and October 2019.
But Montgomery is widely known as the father of his missing daughter, Harmony Montgomery, last seen in December 2019.
Adam Montgomery is charged with Harmony’s murder, but that case won’t go to trial until later this year.
As potential jurors gathered in Courtroom 1, Judge Amy Messer made clear the current gun case is not related to Harmony’s disappearance.
“That matter is not in front of you. Like the charge before you, Mr. Montgomery is presumed innocent of any allegations involving Harmony Montgomery,” Judge Messer said.
[ “He’s an evil person”: Harmony Montgomery’s grandfather reacts to Adam’s arrest ]
In New Hampshire, the fate of Harmony Montgomery case is closely watched.
Stories of searches and Adam’s possible role in Harmony’s disappearance have been reported almost nonstop.
At jury selection in this trial, Judge Messer warned potential jurors that any feelings about Adam Montgomery need to be set aside.
“If you feel you have been affected by the coverage of Harmony Montgomery, or that you have developed an opinion regarding that investigation, or you have thoughts or feelings about Mr. Montgomery based on what you have heard about the investigation, I need to know,” Messer told potential jurors.
It took the court three hours to choose fifteen jurors who will hear this case and decide Adam Montgomery’s fate.
If he is convicted, Montgomery faces the possibility of decades in prison.
Opening statements begin at 9 a.m. Thursday.
Potential witnesses expected to be called to testify against Adam Montgomery include his estranged wife, Kayla Montgomery, who was also Harmony’s stepmother.
[ 25 Investigates: The pivotal decision that sent Harmony Montgomery to live with her father ]
Jurors may also hear from Danielle Dauphinais, she is awaiting trial for the murder of her five-year-old son, Elijah Lewis. Dauphinais was held at the same jail as Kayla Montgomery.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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