Curtis Trent Jr. repeatedly stabbed his mother — even after she was dead — before dumping her body in Manorville woods, prosecutors say

A Calverton man stabbed his mother repeatedly — including after her death — before dumping her body in a wooded lot several miles from their home, prosecutors alleged at his arraignment in Suffolk County Criminal Court Friday.

Curtis Trent Jr., 36, pleaded not guilty to a grand jury indictment before acting State Supreme Court Justice Richard Horowitz in Riverhead Friday. He is charged with second-degree murder, concealment of a human corpse and tampering with physical evidence in connection with the brutal killing of 63-year-old Kathleen Harrison Trent, who prosecutors said was stabbed in her torso, face and neck and suffered at least 10 postmortem sharp-force wounds.

"The evidence indicates a clear intention to murder his mother and the postmortem injuries serve as evidence of the depraved nature of the defendant's state of mind," Assistant District Attorney Keri Wasson said in urging the court to remand Trent to the county jail. Trent faces the possibility of serving 25 years to life in prison if convicted of the murder charge, the prosecutor said.

Wasson said Harrison Trent was reported missing on Jan. 29 by a different son who hadn't spoken with her since Jan. 27. When her son and Riverhead Town Police arrived at the home she shared with the defendant, they found neither was home and her pickup truck was missing. Investigators found blood at the scene along with key personal items Harrison Trent was unlikely to leave without, including her cellphone, wallet and vital prescription medication, the prosecutor said.

Trent returned to the Forge Road home early the next morning and told police he had been searching for his mother and that he would "harm himself" if something bad had happened to her, Wasson said. He was transported to Stony Brook University Psychiatric Center for evaluation after attempting to flee the scene, the prosecutor said.

Police launched a homicide investigation after clothes belonging to the son were found stained with blood on Feb. 6 in the woods along Mill Road in Manorville, Wasson said. Harrison Trent's frozen body was located five days later along nearby River Road and Connecticut Avenue.

Wasson said the clothes were confirmed to have been worn by Trent and blood found on his mother's vehicle, their kitchen floor and on a pair of sneakers found inside the home all matched Harrison Trent. The prosecutor said the evidence shows Trent was responsible for the killings and attempted to avoid prosecution.

"He had the forethought to conceal his act of violence and to evade responsibility for his actions," Wasson said.

 Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, in a statement, called the killing a "deeply disturbing act of domestic violence." He describes the experience of another family member searching for her and finding blood inside the residence as "unimaginable and heartbreaking." Authorities offered no motive for the killing. 

Defense attorney Tara Laterza, of East Moriches, noted for the judge that her client had the support of his father and other family members in the courtroom. She requested he undergo a psychiatric exam, which the judge ordered.

Trent was charged in the killing Feb. 25 before a grand jury returned the indictment earlier this week. He will continue to be held at the county jail.

By Grant Parpan

grant.parpan@newsday.com@GrantParpan

Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.