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Who Is Trenton Frye & Where Is He Now? 2026 Update & Profile

Ryan Gill

Trenton Frye, a North Carolina native, was 31 years old at the time of his conviction in 2025. He became widely known after his arrest and subsequent trial for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, 28-year-old Katlyn Lyon Montgomery. Before the killing, Frye had no public criminal history of violent offenses, but his behavior in the months leading up to Katlyn’s death painted a portrait of a man unraveling emotionally.

Frye had previously been in a romantic relationship with Katlyn, but after the relationship ended, his actions turned obsessive and controlling. Communications between the two showed an increasingly toxic pattern, with Frye sending angry and threatening messages, expressing feelings of betrayal, bitterness, and entitlement. What began as emotional instability escalated into violent premeditation.

The Crime and the Evidence

On October 7, 2022, Katlyn was found unconscious in her apartment in Forest, Virginia, and died a day later from injuries consistent with strangulation. Frye was quickly identified as a suspect due to his recent relationship with the victim and his digital footprint. Though he initially claimed to be in North Carolina at the time of the incident, cell tower records contradicted his alibi, placing him near Katlyn’s home that night.

Physical evidence tied him even closer to the crime. Investigators found phone charging cords in Katlyn’s bed that matched the ligature marks on her neck. Additional items recovered from Frye’s car, including a purple hairbrush and black clothing, were used to further implicate him. Prosecutors highlighted these items, along with his lies and threatening text messages, to build a case of premeditated murder.

Trial, Conviction, and Sentencing

Frye’s trial began in March 2025. He took the stand in his own defense and argued that he could not have physically committed the crime without making noise or being seen. His legal team claimed there was no direct evidence placing him inside Katlyn’s apartment. However, the circumstantial and digital evidence proved overwhelming.

On April 4, 2025, a jury found Frye guilty of first-degree murder after less than an hour of deliberation. At his sentencing in August, Judge James Updike Jr. went beyond the standard sentencing guidelines and imposed a life sentence without the possibility of parole. The judge described the crime as “cold-blooded and calculated,” citing Frye’s stalking behavior and manipulative tactics before the murder.

Where He Is Now

Trenton Frye is currently serving a life sentence in the custody of the Virginia Department of Corrections. He is expected to remain incarcerated for the rest of his life with no possibility of parole. Following his conviction, he was transferred from the Blue Ridge Regional Jail, where he had been held during trial, to a permanent state facility under the DOC.

He is not eligible for early release and is serving his sentence as a convicted felon for first-degree murder. His case remains closed, and he has not publicly appealed the verdict or sentence. As of 2026, Frye’s name remains closely associated with one of the most high-profile domestic violence murders in Bedford County in recent years.

While Frye’s future will play out behind bars, the case continues to resonate as a cautionary tale about obsession, emotional abuse, and the hidden dangers that can exist in intimate relationships.

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