Harmony Montgomery's Stepmom Pleads Not Guilty To Perjury Charges

Harmony Montgomery’s stepmom has pleaded not guilty to the latest criminal charges lodged against her.

Kayla Montgomery was arraigned Monday on two felony counts of perjury, after prosecutors alleged that she lied to a grand jury about the circumstances surrounding her employment around the time that her stepdaughter was last seen.

Prosecutors have accused Kayla Montgomery — who is now estranged from Harmony’s dad Adam Montgomery — of lying to the grand jury for the Hillsborough County Northern District on May 20 during testimony about a prior work location and prior work shift, according to complaints in the case obtained by Oxygen.com.

Her attorney Paul Garrity told local station WCVB that authorities believe she lied to the grand jury about details of her work situation in November or December of 2019.

The time period coincides with the timeframe that investigators believe Harmony, who was then five years old, disappeared. (Harmony's mother and other family held a birthday party in absentia for Harmony's eighth birthday this week, New Hampshire ABC affiliate WMUR reported.)

"We'll have to see whether or not the evidence bears out those allegations. Right now, she's entered a plea of not guilty and she stands by that plea," Garrity said. "I know what the allegations are. We'll have to see whether or not she, in fact, lied and whether or not that alleged lie is material."

Michael Garrity, the New Hampshire Department of Justice’s Director of Communications, declined to provide further details about the allegations, referring Oxygen.com to the court documents in the case.

Harmony has not been seen since November or December of 2019 — but her disappearance wasn’t reported until late last year, after her non-custodial mother, Crystal Sorey, reached out to police.

When confronted by investigators, Adam Montgomery — who had been awarded full custody of his daughter in February of 2019 — allegedly told authorities that he had not seen his daughter since around Thanksgiving that year when he claimed that Sorey had come from Massachusetts to pick her up. Sorey has vehemently denied that assertion, according to previous court documents obtained by Oxygen.com.

Harmony Montgomery Photo: NCMEC

Kayla Montgomery allegedly told investigators that she had last seen Harmony in November of December of 2019 as she was leaving for work. She said that Adam Montgomery told her he was driving his daughter “back to Crystal,” the documents allege.

The perjury charges are not the only criminal charges to be lodged against Kayla Montgomery this year.

She was also charged earlier this year with theft by deception after authorities said she'd continued to collect $1,500 in benefits on Harmony’s behalf even though the young girl was no longer living with the family.

Prosecutors offered her a plea deal in that case in April and her attorneys presented a counter offer, but the case is still playing out in court. She was released on bail last month but was taken back into custody Friday in the lobby of the Manchester Police Department.

She was required to check in daily at the police department as part of her bail requirements in an earlier case, WMUR reports.

Kayla Montgomery is also facing two charges of receiving stolen property after authorities accused her of receiving a shotgun and rifle sometime between September and October of 2019 that investigators believe she likely knew were stolen.

After appearing Monday in court on the latest allegations of perjury, Kayla was once again granted bond, according to court documents obtained by Oxygen.com.

She walked out of jail Monday afternoon wearing a white long-sleeve t-shirt and face mask after posting the $5,000 bond, according to WMUR.

As part of the conditions of her bail, a judge has ordered Kayla Montgomery not to have any contact with Adam Montgomery.