HARRISBURG, PA – A trial is underway for a Berks County man accused of sexually assaulting and killing a woman in a downtown Harrisburg hotel room after a night of heavy drinking, raising questions about intent, alcohol use, and conflicting accounts of what happened.
Travis Collins, 32, was arrested last August after making a 911 call from the Harrisburg Hilton Hotel, where police discovered the body of 38-year-old Ashley Sarazen. Investigators responding just after 3 a.m. found Sarazen unresponsive in her room, suffering from such severe injuries that officers described her as nearly unrecognizable.
According to police, Sarazen had traveled from the Pittsburgh area on business and ended up meeting Collins at a popular Harrisburg bar on Second Street. Authorities said the pair were seen together bar-hopping nearby before heading back to her hotel room at the Hilton, not far from where Collins was staying with a friend.
Court documents reveal that Collins contacted his friend for more than 15 minutes before finally dialing 911. During his subsequent conversation with emergency dispatchers, Collins expressed confusion and remorse, at one point stating, “I think I broke her neck” and claiming he could not recall what had happened. He told police that Sarazen had attacked him first, leading him to retaliate in self-defense.
Investigators, however, painted a starkly different picture. Prosecutors told jurors that Collins outweighed Sarazen by more than 150 pounds and repeatedly changed his account of the incident, alleging at times that he had been ambushed or provoked after accusing Sarazen of stealing from him. Police reported discovering physical evidence indicating sexual assault, including DNA belonging to Collins and a bite mark. An autopsy confirmed signs of strangulation and extensive trauma to Sarazen’s body.
Sarazen, who worked with juvenile offenders and frequently visited Harrisburg for her job, was found to have a blood-alcohol level nearly four times the legal limit. Collins’ own BAC was also measured well above the legal threshold, consistent with accounts that the two had been drinking for hours.
During his first interactions with police, Collins offered crude and disparaging remarks about Sarazen, according to investigative reports. He also gave conflicting explanations for minor injuries on his body, initially blaming Sarazen before admitting to making up parts of his story.
While in custody, Collins allegedly told officers he had paid Sarazen for sex and claimed she tried to rob him, insisting he acted only after being threatened. Defense attorney Jessica Bush acknowledged the overwhelming evidence and Collins’ own statements but argued he lacked the intent or malice required for a first-degree murder conviction. She told jurors that Collins’ judgment was significantly impaired by alcohol and that a fatal overreaction to a perceived theft was to blame for Sarazen’s death.
Prosecutors countered that the brutality of the attack, as well as the extent of Sarazen’s injuries, pointed to purposeful violence rather than an accidental or panicked response. They also referenced Collins’ past run-ins with the law, including previous incidents of violence and disorderly conduct involving women and strangers.
If convicted on first-degree murder charges, Collins faces a mandatory sentence of life without parole. The case is expected to continue throughout the week as the court examines forensic evidence, eyewitness accounts, and arguments from both the defense and prosecution.
Jurors will ultimately be tasked with weighing Collins’ shifting statements, the role of intoxication, and the physical evidence to determine whether the crime meets the threshold of premeditated murder.