Inset: Katlyn Montgomery (Heritage Funeral Service & Crematory). Background: Trenton Frye in court on Monday, March 31, 2025, in Bedford County, Va. (WSET/YouTube).
A North Carolina man is on trial this week in Virginia for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, with prosecutors detailing in court Monday how he allegedly strangled the single mom with charging cords after becoming obsessed with her following their breakup.
“I’m tearing myself apart,” Trenton Frye, 31, allegedly told victim Katlyn Montgomery in a text message before her October 2022 death, which came after the two of them ended their relationship in September 2022, according to Bedford County Commonwealth Attorney Wes Nance and The News & Advance newspaper in Lynchburg.
Frye’s trial began Monday and Nance provided opening statements outlining the accused killer’s alleged stalking and dangerous behavior in the weeks before Montgomery’s murder. Texts sent by Frye after Montgomery began ignoring him following their breakup allegedly show how he obsessed over getting back together with the 28-year-old — a mom to a 4-year-old girl — and was quick to act nasty and aggressive toward her, per Nance. The messages were shared in court Monday.
“Lowlife, piece of s—,” Frye texted Montgomery after she denied his advances, according to prosecutors.
“Karma is a b—-,” he allegedly told her, accusing Montgomery of doing “shady s—” and “toxic bs,” according to the texts.
“Worse than the others,” Frye allegedly said.
The Greensboro, North Carolina, native was arrested by the FBI and Bedford County Sheriff’s Office in late October 2022 after Montgomery was found unconscious in her apartment in the small Virginia community where she lived. Frye’s arrest affidavit and other court documents reveal that she was on the floor, breathing irregularly.
After she was rushed to the hospital, doctors “noted linear markings consistent with being strangled on her neck and throat,” as well as other signs of physical trauma, the affidavit says. Hospital staff notified the sheriff’s office of these findings, and when investigators subsequently executed a search warrant at the residence where Montgomery was found, they “located phone charging cords wrapped up in a blanket on the bed,” the affidavit says. Law enforcement determined that the cords “appeared to be the same size as the linear markings found on the victim’s neck.”
Nance detailed Monday in his opening statements how Frye allegedly stalked and obsessed over Montgomery — even searching for floor plans of the apartment where she lived with her daughter and a roommate, the News & Advance reports. A Virginia State Police special agent who works with the department’s cellphone forensics evidence team testified about the texts that Frye allegedly sent.
“My mental issues are getting out of control,” Frye told Montgomery in one message, according to the special agent. “Hurting like I never have before,” he also allegedly told her.
He allegedly made online inquiries like “can you search someone’s Snapchat by email” and “how to find out if someone is on a dating app,” the agent said.
Searches conducted on Frye’s Ford Explorer show that he was in possession of a purple hair brush when he was arrested. Montgomery’s obituary noted how “her favorite color was purple” and asked supporters to show up to her funeral “wearing purple.”
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According to prosecutors, Frye’s story has changed several times about what he claims happened to Montgomery.
“I must have blacked out,” he allegedly told investigators after being shown the evidence against him. His lawyer, Joseph Sanzone, said in court Monday that Frye is innocent and wasn’t there the night Montgomery died.
“Did something happen to Katlyn? Absolutely,” Sanzone said, according to the News & Advance. “There’s no evidence that shows Trenton was ever in the apartment.”
Sanzone added, “He’s telling you today he did not do this.”
Frye’s trial is expected to last through Thursday.
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Colin Kalmbacher contributed to this report.
