Overview

• The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled to release audio from the 2019 custody hearing where Adam Montgomery was granted custody of his daughter Harmony despite his violent criminal history.
• The decision marks a rare move toward transparency in juvenile court proceedings, with the recordings provided to documentarian Bill Lichtenstein under specific restrictions.
• Harmony Montgomery was killed by her father in 2019, shortly after he gained custody, and her body has never been found. He was convicted of second-degree murder in 2024 and sentenced to 56 years in prison.
• A 2022 independent review criticized Massachusetts child welfare systems for prioritizing parental rights over child safety and failing to enforce interstate child placement protocols.
• The released recordings aim to inform the public and drive reforms in child protection policies to prevent similar tragedies in the future.