MANCHESTER, N.H. — On New Year's Eve, police in New Hampshire made a startling announcement on social media. A 7-year-old girl was missing. She had not been seen since late 2019, when she would have been 5.
The Manchester Police Department said Harmony Montgomery was reported missing in the final week of 2021. No explanation was given as to where she might have been for the last two years or to why relatives had not reported she was gone.
"The circumstances surrounding this prolonged absence are very concerning and are being thoroughly investigated," the agency wrote in a statement.
Days later, the story has become no less bizarre.
According to our sister-station, officers revealed the last time they saw the young girl was during a call for service at a home in the city. That call was back in October 2019.
If other people have seen her since, police don't yet know about it. Now, authorities are desperately trying to find her.
Police Chief Allen Aldenberg held a news conference Monday, saying his detectives were working around-the-clock in the hopes of finding Montgomery alive. A dedicated tip line was set up and will be monitored 24/7. The phone number is 603-203-6060.
While Manchester CrimeLine typically only offers rewards for confirmed crimes and not missing person cases, the organization has made an exception for this disappearance. It is offering a $2,500 reward for tips leading to the child being found. A pair of New Hampshire businessmen is also chipping in and offering an additional $10,000 for tips that lead to Montgomery being located.
"I cannot emphasize enough how important any and all tips are. Even if you believe you saw this little girl a year ago or two years ago, please call in. Knowing where she was can help us narrow down where she is now," Aldenberg told reporters Monday.
The police chief said detectives have been speaking to her family members and would continue to do so. It is not immediately clear exactly who reported her missing.
The tip, however, may have come through nontraditional channels. The Washington Post reports Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig's office was recently emailed with concerns about Montgomery's wellbeing. The mayor's office reportedly sent that information to law enforcement, perhaps prompting the new investigation.
"I'm appealing to everyone," Aldenberg said while holding back tears during Monday's news conference. "Help us find this little girl. Someone knows something. Do what is right and call in."
In response to a media question, police confirmed at least one home on the city's west side had been searched in connection with the case. But, Aldenberg made clear that the current homeowner had no involvement in Montgomery's disappearance and declined to reveal how the search might help – only indicating that the woman who lived there had been "extremely cooperative" in the effort to find her.
Montgomery is described as white and blonde with blue eyes. She is blind in her right eye and wears glasses. She is estimated to now be about 4-feet tall and 50 pounds.
She was once enrolled in school in Massachusetts. According to the Washington Post, she spent some of her life in foster care there.
Anyone with information about her disappearance is urged to call the Manchester Police Department at 603-668-8711 or call the aforementioned dedicated tip line at 603-203-6060.
An AMBER Alert has not been issued. As our sister station points out, that's because there is no specific information yet known about who Montgomery might be with or whether she might be traveling in a car with somebody.
The FBI has been made aware of the case but is not currently investigating, according to the Washington Post. The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services declined to answer the newspaper's questions about the situation.
