US police investigating as child last seen two years ago only reported missing last week

Police are "concerned" by the delay.

Police in the States have launched an investigation into the whereabouts of seven-year-old Harmony Montgomery, who was last seen in late 2019. Harmony, who was only reported missing last week, has not been seen in her local Manchester, New Hampshire, since October 2019. Investigators were made aware of the girl's missing status last week after police were called to a home in the area following a call to the Division of Children Youth and Families in New Hampshire. It is believed that several people filed reports concerning Harmony's whereabouts. Speaking at a press conference on December 31, police chief Allen Aldenberg said although Harmony had not been seen for two years, the authorities had only become aware of her disappearance in the past week. "For us to have a two year delay, that is extremely concerning," Aldenberg said. "That's not something that happens to us on a regular basis. It doesn't happen every day." Aldenberg added that multiple members of Harmony's family have been spoken to as part of the investigation. He did not confirm whether the girl's parents had met with police yet. Local news source WBZ News Radio reports that Harmony is blind in her right eye, has blonde hair, blue eyes, and wears glasses. She is four feet tall and weighs approximately 50 pounds. Investigators have yet to issue an Amber Alert (a message distributed when a child has been abducted) as they do not have sufficient evidence regarding the case. Chief Aldenberg said the case remains an "open investigation" and urged anyone with information to contact authorities. He said last week: "It is 2021, almost 2022, and nobody has seen this young girl since late October 2019. So what has happened in the last few years? "Fair question. That's why I'm here today. Because we need assistance. We need help. And we do not have many answers to many questions that we have [...] I don't care if you saw this young girl a year ago and you think it's irrelevant – call us."