A New York man has been arrested in the fatal stabbing of his mother after she went missing in January and was later found dead in the woods on Long Island, according to police.
Curtis Trent Jr. was taken into custody on Wednesday, February 25, on a second-degree murder charge in connection with the death of his mother, Kathleen Harrison Trent, the Suffolk County Police Department announced in a news release issued that day.
Curtis, 36, had lived with his mother in Riverhead, according to police.
His arrest comes more than two weeks after Kathleen’s body was discovered in a “wooded area” in Manorville on February 11, police said in an earlier update.
Kathleen, who was 63 when she died, had been missing since January 29, when Riverhead police received a missing person’s report about her disappearance, according to authorities.
Her other son had reported her missing, News 12 Long Island reported.
Court documents obtained by the news outlet allege Curtis fatally stabbed her between January 27 and January 29. She had stab wounds on her face, chest and stomach, according to investigators.
It was not immediately clear whether Curtis had retained an attorney or entered a plea as of Friday, February 27.
A potential motive for the killing has not been specified by law enforcement.
Kathleen was described as “a loving, caring mother and an amazing friend” in a GoFundMe page created by her daughter-in-law, Adrieanna Bulak, who is married to Kathleen’s other son, Robby.
The page established to give Kathleen “a proper farewell” also said that she was a grandmother.
“Her grandchildren meant the world to her, she was the type of person that would give you the shirt off her back if you needed it or find you one,” Bulak wrote. “She cared about so many people, her death was tragic and unexpected we are asking for donations to help give her a proper farewell anything can help and would be greatly appreciated.”
Ahead of her death, Kathleen had worked at the Riverhead Raceway, a racing track that has been in operation since 1951, for 40 years, the Riverhead News-Review reported.
In a February 17 Facebook post shared after Kathleen’s body was found, Riverhead Raceway wrote that the track “has been blessed for many years to have Kathi Trent as one of those loyal people who’ll do anything for the betterment of the show.”
“Most of you recall Kathi, decked out in her yellow Event Staff shirts, keeping folks back from the fence, or ushering people to and from victory lane, but there was so much more,” the post continued. “Kathi was part of the fabric of our beloved track, for generations she knew families, from the parents to their children and yes even their grandchildren.”
The post also described Kathleen as “an integral part of Riverhead Raceway.”
“Rest easy Miss Kathi, we will forever miss you, but we shall never, ever forget you,” the post concluded.
Curtis was due in court for an arraignment at Riverhead Town Justice Court on February 25, according to police.
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