Closing arguments have concluded in the Harmony Montgomery murder trial and the jury is now set to begin its deliberations.
The defense tried unsuccessfully on Tuesday to get three of the charges against Adam Montgomery dismissedThe prosecution rested its case Tuesday following nine days of testimony. Defense attorneys chose not to present their own case Wednesday, instead moving directly to closing arguments.Public defender Caroline Smith began her closing argument by recounting Kayla's description of Harmony's death, detailing how Adam beat the young girl to death in their car after the child wet herself.
"There are reasons women stand by their men. But not for that. No one would stand for that," Smith said."Why did Kayla stand by Adam? Because that never happened. Adam was not a threat to her because of Harmony's death. Adam was her protector." Smith said the jury's verdict"could be easy, it could be quick" if they rely on anger and emotion."But if you take the time, you take a breath and you go through the evidence, piece by piece, evaluate, talk to each other... If you do that, you will find that Adam Montgomery is not guilty."
He said the defense's argument that Kayla would have reacted instinctively to protect Harmony if she had witnessed Adam beating her to death doesn't hold up because Kayla was conditioned by Adam not to do anything. Prosecutors concluded their closing argument shortly before 1 p.m. Wednesday, and Judge Amy Messer gave final instructions to the jury before sending them off to deliberate around 1:15 p.m.
Authorities believe Montgomery killed the girl on Dec. 7, 2019, but she wasn’t reported missing until nearly two years later. Harmony’s body has not been found. During cross-examination, Maines was asked about her criminal record from 2014 to 2019, which includes theft and fraud convictions. She is scheduled for a parole hearing in April, but also faces several pending charges.
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