Harmony Montgomery’s Mother Seeks to Declare Daughter Legally Dead

By Patrick Wilson

Less than three weeks after Adam Montgomery was convicted of murdering his daughter Harmony, the young girl’s biological mother Crystal Sorey appeared in court on Monday seeking to have Harmony declared legally dead.

The brief 15-20 minute probate hearing saw Sorey’s lawyer argue that with Adam’s conviction for causing Harmony’s death and disappearance in 2019, the 8-year-old should be officially declared deceased. Sorey also requested to be appointed head of Harmony’s estate, as both she and the convicted Adam Montgomery are currently listed as the child’s legal heirs.

While Judge Beth Kissinger requested additional paperwork before ruling, she instructed Sorey to obtain a surety bond, a common legal step in estate proceedings.

Since Adam Montgomery’s guilty verdict, Sorey has moved swiftly to distance herself and her daughter’s legacy from the father. She wore a “Harmony Renee” hoodie to court, telling reporters “she was not a Montgomery” and that she had disowned Adam.

The tragic case revealed Harmony was initially in her mother’s custody after birth in 2014 before entering foster care. By 2018, her father Adam gained custody and Harmony lived with him and his wife Kayla until her murder in late 2019.

Prosecutors stated Adam beat Harmony to death after bathroom accidents in their car. His sentencing is pending, while Kayla received a deal testifying against her husband and could be paroled within months.

As legal proceedings continue, Harmony’s mother now seeks the judicial system’s full recognition of her daughter’s death at the hands of her father.

** This piece was created with the help of ai.