New Hampshire to Pay 225 Million Settlement to Mother of Harmony Montgomery in Negligence Lawsuit

New Hampshire has agreed to pay $2.25 million to the mother of Harmony Montgomery, a 5-year-old girl whose father was convicted of murdering her. Crystal Sorey filed a negligence lawsuit against the state last May accusing social workers of ignoring signs that her daughter was being physically abused by her ex-husband after he was awarded custody in early 2019. Adam Montgomery is serving a minimum of 56 years in prison after being convicted of murdering Harmony and moving her corpse around for months before disposing of it. Police believe he killed Harmony nearly two years before she was reported missing in 2021. Her body has not been found. In 2018, the state created an Office of the Child Advocate to serve as an independent watchdog agency, but lawmakers are considering eliminating it in the next state budget.