Curtis Trent Jr., 36, of Calverton, was indicted today for Murder in the Second Degree for the stabbing death of his mother, Kathleen Harrison Trent, 63, of Calverton, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced.
According to the investigation, on Jan. 29, a relative went to the Forge Road home where Kathleen Trent lived with her son, the defendant. After seeing what appeared to be blood in and around the vicinity of the home, and unable to locate Kathleen Trent, the relative called the police, Tierney said in a press release.
Officers from the Riverhead Town Police Department responded that evening but were unable to locate the victim, her car, or the defendant. The investigation into her whereabouts revealed that the victim had been missing since Jan. 27, according to the press release.
Despite the victim’s car being gone, when police made entry into the home, her phone, wallet, and vital medication were left behind. They also observed what appeared to be blood staining on the sole of a pair of male sneakers. The sneakers were among several items later recovered for forensic analysis.
Efforts were made to locate both the victim and the defendant that evening but were unsuccessful, Tierney said.
During the early morning hours of Jan. 30, the defendant returned to his home on Forge Road, driving his mother’s 2017 Chevrolet Colorado pickup. He was met by police officers, and, when asked, could not provide officers with his mother’s whereabouts. The truck was impounded and later found to contain blood on the tailgate, Tierney said in the press release.
On Feb. 6, various items of clothing belonging to the defendant were located on Mill Road in Manorville, according to the press release. The clothing appeared to have blood on them. That clothing, the bloody shoes from the home, as well as swabs of blood taken from the victim’s truck were ultimately sent to the Suffolk County Crime Laboratory for analysis.
On Feb. 11, the body of the victim was discovered wrapped in a blanket on Connecticut Avenue in Manorville, approximately 25 feet off the road, the district attorney said. An autopsy confirmed that her death was caused by stab wounds to her torso, face, and neck.
On March 6, Curtis Trent Jr. was arraigned on the indictment before Acting Supreme Court Justice Richard I. Horowitz on one count of Murder in the Second Degree, a Class A felony, one count of Concealment of a Human Corpse, a Class E felony, and one count of Tampering with Physical Evidence, a Class E felony.
Justice Horowitz ordered Trent held without bail during the pendency of the case. Trent is due back in court on April 22, and faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted on the top count, Tierney said.
“Today’s indictment reflects our commitment to seeking justice in the face of a deeply disturbing act of domestic violence,” Tierney said.
“The defendant is charged, not only with taking his mother’s life, but with attempting to conceal the crime and hide her body. Tragically, it was another family member who discovered that the victim was missing and found blood inside the home; an unimaginable and heartbreaking experience.
Domestic violence, in any form, is devastating, and it is essential that those responsible are held fully accountable under the law.”
Editor’s note: A criminal charge is an accusation. A person charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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