(NewsNation) — Adam Montgomery, who is charged in the murder of his 5-year-old daughter Harmony, had his trial delayed until next year at a court hearing Thursday in New Hampshire.
Now, the next pre-trial hearing in the case is set for 9 a.m. on Jan. 16, 2024, with the trial to begin on Feb. 6, 2024 upon jury selection.
The trial was initially supposed to start on Nov. 21. However, WMUR reports Montgomery’s attorneys asked the judge to postpone the trial because the defense team is in need of a new co-counsel who will require time to prepare.
A court filing the news outlet obtained which was written by Montgomery’s public defender Caroline L. Smith states that her previous co-counsel accepted a non-lawyer job within the state’s public defender system, preventing her from being able to continue on the case.
Smith said, according to WMUR, Montgomery agreed to delay the start of jury selection and to waive his right to a speedy trial.
The state did not object to the defense’s request at Thursday’s hearing.
Montgomery has previously pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, falsifying physical evidence and abuse of a corpse charges.
Harmony was reported missing in November 2021, nearly two years after police believe she was killed in Manchester, New Hampshire. Her body has not been found.
Authorities say Montgomery killed his daughter by striking her in the head with his fist multiple times.
Police said they suspect that in the months following her death, Harmony Montgomery was “dismembered or grossly distorted.”
In June, Montgomery was found guilty of six felony weapons charges in a separate case. During his sentencing hearing for those charges last month, he denied killing Harmony, according to the Associated Press.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.