The man is facing trial nearly four years after he killed Harmony.
A man in the US, who killed his five-year-old daughter, told his friend that he "hated" the girl "to his core" because she reminded him of his ex-wife, a court heard on Tuesday. Adam Montgomery's trial began more than four years after Harmony was seen alive in 2019, as per The Independent. Police searched for the girl for over two years after she went missing, but failed to find her alive. In 2022, Montgomery was charged with second-degree murder, abuse of a corpse and falsifying physical evidence.
His estranged wife Kayla Montgomery told the police that Adam struck Harmony several times after she had a bathroom incident.
After killing the little girl, Montgomery locked her remains in a ceiling vent at a shelter where the family stayed after death. He later moved the remains into his workplace freezer, and finally disposed of them in March 2020, according to The Independent.
Among the witnesses who deposed on Tuesday was Rebecca Maines, a friend of Adam and his former girlfriend Kelsey Small. She recalled what Adam told her about a time when he struck Harmony.
"He told me that he was in the bathroom... He had walked out to find Harmony with his hands over the baby's mouth and nose, and the baby was not breathing and turning blue. He said he saw red and just backhanded her," she was quoted as saying by NBC Boston.
Ms Maines also said Adam once told her that he "hated" Harmony because she reminded him of her mother, Crystal Sorey. Adam and Crystal, Harmony's mother, were not in a relationship when Harmony was born in 2014. The child lived on and off with foster families and her mother. Crystal Sorey lost custody of Harmony in 2018, and Adam Montgomery was awarded custody in February 2019.
Adam Montgomery's lawyers pleased before the court to dismiss some charges against him, including the second-degree murder charge, the second-degree assault charge and the witness tampering charge, but Judge Amy Messer denied them.
They have a chance to present evidence on Wednesday, if they choose. After that, both sides will give their closing statements and the case will go to the jury for deliberation.