Woman Found Dead in Manorville Woods; Suffolk Homicide Detectives Investigating

Suffolk County Police Seventh Precinct patrol units discovered the body of an adult female in a wooded area of Manorville at about 3:21 p.m., and homicide detectives say the case is being treated as a criminal investigation. "Following a preliminary investigation, detectives believe the death to be 'criminal in nature,'" police said.

Officers located the remains on Connecticut Avenue, south of River Road, in a section of woods near train tracks and just a few hundred yards from the former Grumman property in Calverton. The Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad is leading the probe while the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office prepares to conduct an autopsy to determine cause of death and identify the woman. The police have not publicly released her name.

Officials have not disclosed how units were alerted to search the area. "The police did not say how they were alerted to perform the search." Investigators processed the scene and are continuing follow-up interviews and evidence collection as they pursue leads.

Some reports say the discovery occurred amid a search for 63-year-old Kathleen Trent, who was reported missing Jan. 29 after family members said they had last heard from her the evening of Jan. 27 and last saw her near her Riverhead home. Those accounts describe Trent as a white female, approximately 5 feet, 2 inches tall and weighing about 140 pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Police have not confirmed that the remains found in Manorville are Trent.

The case has reverberated across east-end communities where wooded parcels, former industrial tracts and rail corridors meet residential neighborhoods. Manorville residents and nearby Calverton families expressed concern about safety and the proximity of the discovery to familiar local landmarks. For people who walk or work near the River Road-Connecticut Avenue corridor, investigators say the scene may be of direct relevance to their daily routes and observations.

Detectives are asking anyone with information to contact the Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392. Anonymous tips may be submitted by calling 1-800-220-TIPS or through the P3 Tips mobile app. Police and the Medical Examiner’s Office caution that identification and cause of death await autopsy results.

This remains a developing investigation. For Manorville and greater Suffolk County, the key next steps are confirmation of the woman’s identity, autopsy findings from the Medical Examiner’s Office, and any public information the Homicide Squad can release about suspects or evidence. Residents with relevant information are urged to contact investigators so the community can begin to answer the questions left by this tragic discovery.