Adam Montgomery has remained absent from his own murder trial over the murder of his five-year-old daughter Harmony in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Mr Montgomery’s trial is under way more than four years after Harmony was last seen alive in 2019.
Authorities failed to search for the missing child – who was known to protective services – for more than two years after she went missing.
In 2022, Mr Montgomery was charged with second-degree murder, abuse of a corpse and falsifying physical evidence.
Kayla Montgomery told police that her husband struck the little girl several times after she had a bathroom accident.
The little girl’s remains were first stored inside a duffel bag and then transferred inside a trash bag. Montgomery then snuck the remains into his workplace freezer, before disposing of them in March 2020.
Montgomery, who conceded on two lesser charges and is being tried on murder, only attended the first day of jury selection. Judge Amy Messer said that Montgomery had a right to appear at his trial, but he also had a right not to.
“You are not to speculate on why he is not here,” she said.
Harmony’s remains have never been found.