Curtis Trent Jr., 36, was arrested Wednesday and charged with murder after his mother, 63-year-old Kathleen Harrison Trent, was found dead in a wooded stretch of Manorville earlier this month. The case began when relatives reported the Riverhead woman missing in late January, and it quickly shifted from a search effort to a homicide probe led by Suffolk County Homicide Squad detectives.
Arrest and charges
According to Patch, Trent Jr., of 61 Forge Road in Riverhead, was taken into custody on Wednesday and charged with second-degree murder. He is expected to be arraigned in Riverhead Town Justice Court, Patch reported.
How the search unfolded
Per a Suffolk County Police press release, the investigation began after Trent Jr. reported his mother missing on Jan. 29. During a February search, officers from the Seventh Precinct discovered a body "in a wooded area on Connecticut Avenue, south of River Road." Detectives said preliminary findings led them to treat the death as criminal in nature. The Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner is responsible for determining the official cause of death.
Community remembers her
Friends and coworkers described Kathleen Trent as a familiar and steady presence at Riverhead Raceway, which later posted condolences on social media after her death was confirmed. Relatives told ABC7 she "didn't have a bad bone in her body," and neighbors said the news has rattled the close-knit community.
What investigators want
Detectives are asking anyone with information to call the Suffolk County Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS, according to the county press release. The investigation remains active, and authorities said additional details could surface when the defendant appears in court.
Legal status
Trent Jr.'s second-degree murder charge is an allegation, and he is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in a court of law. The arraignment in Riverhead Town Court was reported by Patch.
