Manchester police Detective Ray Lamy, center, holds a piece of ceiling tile with help from evidence Technician Dave Dydo in Hillsborough County Superior Court Wednesday, as Judge Amy Messer seen in the background.
Former Manchester police detective Scott Riley describes for the jury in the Adam Montgomery murder trial a foul-smelling ceiling tiles he found at the Families in Transition Shelter where Montgomery and his estranged wife had stayed. The detective said it smelled like “decomposition.”
Martin Orlowicz, a criminologist with the State Police Forensic Lab, testifies that Adam Montgomery’s fingerprints were found on the vent of a unit at the Families in Transition shelter from which a foul odor was emanating.
The trial of Adam Montgomery (not pictured) charged with murdering his five year old daughter Harmony continued today inside Courtroom 1 at the Hillsborough County Superior Court. Pictured as he testifies in front of a photo of Unit 1 at the Families in Transition Shelter is Scott Riley, who investigated the scene as a member of the Manchester Police Department.
Manchester police Detective Ray Lamy, center, holds a piece of ceiling tile with help from evidence Technician Dave Dydo in Hillsborough County Superior Court Wednesday, as Judge Amy Messer seen in the background.
A former Manchester police detective who worked on the investigation into the killing of 5-year-old Harmony Montgomery testified Wednesday about what he saw and smelled while checking a ceiling vent at the Families in Transition family shelter.
“As soon as I removed the cover, I could smell what I know is decomposition,” said Scott Riley, who is now self-employed and works as a part-time officer. “I could smell a dead body.”
The trial of Adam Montgomery (not pictured) charged with murdering his five year old daughter Harmony continued today inside Courtroom 1 at the Hillsborough County Superior Court. Pictured as he testifies in front of a photo of Unit 1 at the Families in Transition Shelter is Scott Riley, who investigated the scene as a member of the Manchester Police Department.
Jim Davis for The Boston Globe
On June 4, 2022, a team of investigators meticulously removed drywall from the ceiling during a search of Unit 1 at the shelter, Riley said.
Adam Montgomery, 34, is accused of beating Harmony to death in December 2019. He is also charged with second-degree assault for allegedly causing her bodily injury, including a black eye, between July 1 and July 22, 2019.
Montgomery has not been in court since the first day of jury selection, waiving his right to appear for the sixth day in a row. Some of the jury — which consists of 14 women and three men — have not seen Montgomery in person. Prosecutors have used a photo for identification.
On Wednesday, seven witnesses took the stand. The prosecution has called 26 of its more than 50 witnesses in the trial, which is expected to last the rest of the month.
Former Manchester police detective Scott Riley describes for the jury in the Adam Montgomery murder trial a foul-smelling ceiling tiles he found at the Families in Transition Shelter where Montgomery and his estranged wife had stayed. The detective said it smelled like “decomposition.”
Jim Davis for The Boston Globe/pool
Riley’s testimony is key because Harmony’s body has never been recovered. The prosecution must prove to the jury that Harmony is dead without members hearing testimony from a medical examiner.
Adam Montgomery allegedly struck Harmony repeatedly in a Chrysler Sebring they were living in after the little girl had a bathroom accident. He discovered Harmony had died when the car broke down at the intersection of Webster and Elm streets in Manchester, Adam Montgomery’s estranged wife, Kayla, testified.
On Wednesday, a cart full of evidence sat in the courtroom and a large cardboard box leaned against the wall.
Rachel Radwich, evidence supervisor for Manchester police, testified about how approximately 900 pieces of evidence have been preserved by the department during the course of the multiyear murder investigation.
She also testified she smelled decomposition as she worked to process the drywall and metal frames.
Kayla Montgomery testified the body of Harmony was moved to several locations, including the ceiling of the room at the FIT shelter before neighbors complained of strange odors.
Prosecutor Christopher Knowles projected an image of a work order from the day after the Montgomerys moved out of Unit 1 at the shelter. “General — Other — weird smell coming from vents in the unit come check it out,” it read.
Foul-smelling evidence
Riley testified about driving the portions of ceiling drywall to DNA Labs International in Florida after it was tested at the state police lab. The items were driven directly to the Deerfield Beach facility and were kept secure at all times, he said.
Another Manchester detective, Raymond Lamy, testified about trying to find traces of evidence on the drywall.
“I noticed things on the item that made me suspicious that there were additional areas we should be testing,” Lamy said.
The observations were not only visual.
“As soon as that piece came up from the sheetrock there was a noticeable foul smell,” Lamy said.
Along with an evidence technician, Lamy unwrapped multiple pieces of evidence, which were shown to the jury, including the ceiling drywall.
Many of the jurors stood to watch as the evidence was handled and removed from its packages. The two men wore gloves.
Martin Orlowicz, a criminologist with the State Police Forensic Laboratory, testified about pulling impressions of Adam Montgomery’s fingerprints on the vent from the apartment, sections of the drywall and metal framing. The matches included his left middle, ring and little fingers.
Martin Orlowicz, a criminologist with the State Police Forensic Lab, testifies that Adam Montgomery’s fingerprints were found on the vent of a unit at the Families in Transition shelter from which a foul odor was emanating.
Jim Davis for The Boston Globe/pool
Palm print
He also positively identified Adam Montgomery’s left palm print.
On cross-examination, public defender Caroline Smith asked about a red cooler seized from the apartment of Christina Lubin, who is Kayla Montgomery’s mother.
“The exterior of the cooler is textured, which is not the best type of substrate or surface to retrain fingerprint detail,” Orlowicz said.
He also said highly touched surfaces such as the handle would be tough to test.
Smith asked criminologist Kevin McMahon questions about black carpet and clothing items pulled from the Sebring, which all tested negative for blood.
In its opening statement, the defense mentioned how no blood was detected in the car where Harmony was allegedly brutally beaten to death.
Riley, the former Manchester detective, also testified that he tried to talk with Kayla Montgomery on or around Dec. 30, 2021.
“She said that she didn’t want to talk anymore and she wanted to get an attorney,” Riley said.
The prosecution’s case continues Thursday morning.
