Defence confronts Kayla Montgomery about lies to grand jury
19:42 , Andrea Blanco
“You talked to the jury with a straight face about what she was wearing,” Ms Smith asks Kayla Montgomery. “Even though the Star Wars hoodie was what you cut off her body in the shower at Union Square Avenue.”
“You said the last time you saw Harmony she was happy, and you had no problem with that lie.”
Kayla Montgomery under cross-examination by defence
19:07 , Andrea Blanco
With her head down, Kayla answered questions about the “betrayal” prison letter she wrote in which she demanded immunity and custody of her kids in exchange of testifying against Adam Montgomery.
”One of the things you wanted was one last time, maybe kiss him or make love?” Defence attorney Caroline Smith asked.
“Right,” Kayla answered.
“What you didn’t write was protection from Adam, what you didn’t write was that you were afraid of Adam,” Ms Smith continued. “You just wanted to be with him before you, as you put it, betray him, right?”
“Yes,” Kayla answered.
Court to resume shortly
17:38 , Andrea Blanco
Court is taking a lunch recess.
17:03 , Andrea Blanco
Kayla said that Montgomery began to accuse her of speaking to police in 2021
“He punched me in the head with his fist,” she said. “At some point, I said I was, even though I wasn’t.”
“He said he would contact his family members and have them kill me and cut me in pieces,” Montgomery said.
Kayla recounted an instance in which she tried to escape the home where Montgomery allegedly kept her isolated. She said she had her newborn daughter in her arms and ran to a neighbour’s house to call for help, but Montgomery caught up with her and put her in a chokehold.
“She was in my arms and I was already feeding her so I just ran out to get help so I could go back and get the kids,” Kayla said.
16:50 , Andrea Blanco
Harmony’s clothes were put in a trash bag
The remains were put back in the tote bag and inside the freezer.
“He said that he wanted to get rid of the body soon because he was scared of anything that could happen to him and the kids,” Kayla said.
Kayla Montgmery says he helped Montgomery because she was scared
16:40 , Andrea Blanco
At the Union Square apartment, Adam Montgomery began to reduce Harmony’s remains.
“I saw Harmony folded together the same way she was when we took her out of the car,” Kayla told jurors. “She looked like she had barely any skin, just skin and bones and was very bruised. He had the hot water running ... in the tub.”
She said she also saw a bag of lime in the bathroom. Montgomery was cutting the clothes off Harmony’s remains and “dethawing” her.
Kayla said that at one point, Montgomery asked her to help him.
Montgomery discussed using a NutriBullet to destroy Harmony’s body
16:34 , Andrea Blanco
Kayla testified Montgomery discussed using a handsaw, lime and even a NutriBullet to destroy Harmony’s rotting remains.
“He wanted to use a handsaw and a NutriBullet,” Kayla told jurors. “He said that’d be good to use to help get rid of her.”
Kayla Montgomery brought Harmony’s remains in stroller to Montgomery’s work
16:31 , Andrea Blanco
Kayla Montgomery said the “loud bang” came when Montgomery was trying to fit Harmony’s body inside the tote bag.
Montgomery reportedly asked Kayla to bring the bag to the restaurant he worked at. She told jurors that she walked from the shelter to the restaurant with her two sons and carrying Harmony’s remains in a stroller.
“Because I was scared,” Kayla said.
Montgomery then used ammonia to clean the bathroom of their room at the shelter.
Kayla Montgomery testifies about Montgomery’s abuse of Harmony’s corpse
15:44 , Andrea Blanco
The Montgomerys stayed in the shelter for a month and a half and other residents soon began complaining about an odor coming out of their room.
“You could smell a horrible smell that was coming through the vents,” Kayla said.
When maintenance workers came to the room, Montgomery removed the body from the ceiling vent and put it in the bathroom.
Montgomery then placed Harmony’s body inside a medium-sized tote bag after Kayla heard a “loud bang.”
Harmony’s body was stored in cooler left in building hallway for weeks
15:37 , Andrea Blanco
After the Montgomerys went to live with Kayla’s mother, Montgomery reportedly put the duffel bag with Harmony’s body inside a cooler.
The body was stored in the cooler, which was in a hallway and accessible to everyone on that floor, for a couple of weeks.
Montgomery realised Harmony was dead after doing drugs, Kayla testifies
15:30 , Andrea Blanco
The Montgomerys went to the Colonial Village Apartments.
“We did drugs and got high,” Kayla said. “Heroine and crack.”
They only realised that Harmony was dead after they were done doing drugs.
Kayla said Montgomery “folded [Harmony] in half” and put her inside a duffel bag.
“I had the two other kids and I was scared,” Kayla said as she broke down in tears. “Her face was all black and blue. Her face was puffy, and her eyes were puffy.”
Montgomery allegedly decided to leave the body buried in the snow in the Colonial Village parking lot “for the weekend” while he figured out what to do.
‘I think I really hurt her this time'
15:24 , Andrea Blanco
On the morning of Harmony’s murder, Kayla and Adam Montgomery went to a methadone clinic.
Kayla did first and Montgomery went later. When he returned to the car, he realised Harmony had another bathroom accident.
“She was crying and making a weird noise,” Kayla Montgomery said. “Adam was punching her repeatedly in the head ... He said ‘Shut the f*** up, stop crying.”
Kayla said she tried to intervene but Montgomery gave her “an evil look.” Kayla and Montgomery’s two infant kids, eight months and two years old at the time, “had no idea of what was going on.”
“He said, ‘I think I really hurt her this time,” Kayla said.
Kayla told jurors they stopped for food at Burger King and ate in the car. Montgomery placed Harmony under a comforter.
Kayla Montgomery recounts Harmony’s abuse
15:16 , Andrea Blanco
Kayla Montgomery said that Adam Montgomery would cover Harmony with a comforter that he had inside the card to hide her bruises from people.
Kayla said Harmony was potty trained when she came to live with her and Montgomery, but after they were evicted, she stopped telling them when she needed to go to the bathroom.
She also testified that Montgomery would “smack” Harmony in her legs, face, arms anytime she soiled herself.
Kayla recounts seeing Harmony’s black eye
14:49 , Andrea Blanco
“I came home from work and I saw her face and it was really red,” Kayla said. “Adam said that she and Shamus were playing and Shamus hit her with a lightsaber by accident.”
Kayla said that Adam Montgomery later acknowledged he had caused the black eye.
Kayla also said that Montgomery rushed out of the house with Harmony when he saw a DCFS employee approach the home after his uncle contacted the department.
Kayla Montgomery recounts decorating room for Harmony
14:27 , Andrea Blanco
Kayla recounted how she and Adam helped decorate Harmony’s room at the Gilford Street residence.
“She like Mickey Mouse,” Kayla said.
Kayla Montgomery breaks down in tears after being shown photo of her and Harmony
14:23 , Andrea Blanco
Kayla broke down in tears as prosecutors showed an image of her and Harmony.
“He was working to get custody of her. It took to years,” Kayla said. “[Harmony and I] took pictures and play. We always did silly pictures.”
You must be logged in to see or use the Shoutbox. Besides, if you haven't registered, you really should. It's quick and it will make your life a little better. Trust me. So just register and make yourself at home with like-minded individuals who share either your morbid curiousity or sense of gallows humor.
www.crimeonline.com
apnews.com
www.thestar.com
www.yahoo.com
www.wcvb.com
www.wmur.com
