Second-degree murder conviction overturned

Key Points:

• The New Hampshire Supreme Court has overturned Adam Montgomery’s 2024 second-degree murder conviction in the death of his daughter, Harmony Montgomery, citing improper joinder of the murder and assault charges in the same trial.
• The court found a real risk that jurors were influenced by the strong evidence supporting the assault charge, which may have improperly bolstered their view of the murder charge, where the key evidence was uncorroborated testimony from Kayla Montgomery.
• While the murder conviction was reversed, Montgomery’s other convictions—including falsifying physical evidence, witness tampering, and abuse of a corpse—were upheld, and he remains in prison on those charges.
• The state may file a motion to reconsider the ruling or decide whether to retry Montgomery on the second-degree murder charge, with experts anticipating the possibility of a new trial given the case’s public scrutiny and seriousness.
• Former Assistant Attorney General Jessie O’Neill emphasized that the ruling does not declare Montgomery innocent but highlights the need for a fair trial process, and advised the public to be mindful of the emotional impact when following the case.