A Mother Strangled as Child Slept Nearby: Digital Trail Leads to Ex-Boyfriend's Conviction in Virginia Murder

A Mother Strangled as Child Slept Nearby: Digital Trail Leads to Ex-Boyfriend's Conviction

FOREST, Va. — For Crystal Sale, the memory of arriving at the hospital on Oct. 7, 2022, is seared in trauma. Her daughter, 28-year-old Katlyn Lyon Montgomery, lay unconscious, the victim of a violent assault in her own apartment as her four-year-old daughter, Milani, slept nearby. What followed was a harrowing 29-hour vigil ending in Katlyn's declaration of brain death, and a complex investigation that would hinge on the digital breadcrumbs left by a scorned ex-lover.

Authorities say Katlyn was strangled in her sleep with a charging cord. The case initially centered on her new roommate, Jacob Piercy, who discovered her and performed CPR. But the investigation took a pivotal turn towards Trenton Frye, a North Carolina man Katlyn had met online and broken up with just ten days prior, after he presented himself as a successful entrepreneur.

"The relationship quickly showed red flags," said Hannah McDowell, Katlyn's friend and former roommate. "He was controlling, tracked her location, and she became isolated. She was supporting him financially." The final straw came when Frye's fabricated life collapsed, revealing he had no job or means to support the move to North Carolina he had promised. Katlyn ended the relationship and blocked him.

Unwilling to accept the rejection, Frye embarked on a campaign of stalking, prosecutors argued. Cellphone data placed him in Virginia days before the murder. A neighbor's photo captured him sitting at a picnic table with a direct sightline to Katlyn's apartment. Hours before the attack, surveillance footage showed him at a nearby gas station, now dressed in all black.

The critical break in the case was a Bluetooth connection. Prosecutors demonstrated that Frye's cellphone automatically connected to Katlyn's iPad at 4:15 a.m., placing him inside her apartment during the narrow window of the attack. Combined with evidence of a broken balcony door lock and Google searches for the apartment's layout, the digital trail painted a damning picture.

At trial, Frye's defense claimed the death was an accident possibly involving the roommate and argued the Bluetooth connection could have occurred from outside. Frye took the stand, reversing his earlier claim of amnesia to admit he was spying on Katlyn but denying he entered the apartment. "I would have to be a ninja," he testified.

Prosecutor Wes Nance countered, "A ninja is known for being in stealth mode. And I think changing his outfit to black is him going into stealth mode." The jury deliberated for just over an hour before convicting Trenton Frye of first-degree murder in March 2025. He was later sentenced to life in prison.

"Having Trenton Frye be accountable for his actions does bring our family a little bit of peace," said Katlyn's aunt, Tina Hopkins, after the verdict. The family has since embraced Jacob Piercy, who they call a hero for his efforts to save Katlyn. Katlyn's mother, Crystal Sale, now cares for Milani, while Katlyn's aunt Sherry Cox has become the child's guardian.

Crystal has turned to social media to advocate for victims of domestic violence, sharing Katlyn's story. "I have to be my daughter's voice," she said, reading from one of Katlyn's journal entries: "'I am loved. I deserve to be loved. I am worthy of love.'"

Community Reaction

David Chen, Local Advocate: "This case tragically underscores the lethal escalation risk when stalking and coercive control are present after a breakup. The perpetrator's use of technology to stalk, and the investigators' use of that same digital evidence to secure justice, is the defining narrative of modern domestic violence cases."

Rebecca Miller, Bedford County Resident: "It's just horrifying to think something like this happened here. That a little girl lost her mother in such a violent way. It makes you hug your own family tighter. The family's strength in pushing for justice and now helping others is incredible."

Marcus Thorne, True Crime Commentator: "Frye's performance—the lies, the 'amnesia,' the pathetic courtroom apology that accepted no responsibility—is the textbook playbook of a narcissist who believed he could outsmart the system. The jury saw right through it. The only thing more pervasive than his deceit was his overwhelming sense of entitlement to Katlyn's life."

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.