BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. – A Bedford County judge has sentenced Trenton Frye to life in prison for the 2022 murder of 28-year-old Katlyn Lyon Montgomery.
Frye was convicted of first-degree murder in April after a jury deliberated for just about an hour. Prosecutors said he strangled Montgomery in her Lynchburg apartment, describing the crime as deliberate and premeditated. During the trial, they pointed to what they called a pattern of stalking, deception, and lies to law enforcement.
At sentencing Tuesday, the judge called the murder “as cold-blooded and premeditated” as he had ever seen. Frye addressed the court and offered an apology to Montgomery’s family.
“I probably have not felt it on the level that you all have, but I have felt it, for her loss. And I truly am sorry for the loss that you have experienced,” Frye said.
Montgomery’s mother, Crystal Sale, said the life sentence brings some relief but cannot undo the family’s pain.
“We are pleased with the verdict. It makes me feel good that we got life, what we wanted. And that Trenton will never be able to harm or kill another woman,” Sale said. “It doesn’t bring Katlyn back, unfortunately, and I wish it did. But we’re pleased with the verdict.”
She remembered her daughter as a vibrant, loving person who was quick to help others.
“She was full of life. If anybody loved life, it was that girl. She loved anybody and took anybody by the hand and helped them. She was wonderful,” Sale said.
Frye will now be transferred to the Virginia Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence.
Montgomery’s family says they plan to honor her memory by raising awareness about domestic violence and supporting others facing similar dangers.