Woman charged with killings of two men known to hit and argue with herself

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - A woman who is charged with the killings of two men in Anchorage over the July Fourth weekend may have had mental issues, according to one woman who knew her.

In an interview with the sister-in-law of Matthew Raymond, a man who was friends with both victims, she wished to remain anonymous but told Alaska’s News Source that 24-year-old Brianna Star Wassillie often argued with herself and hit herself repeatedly, saying, “she was kind of out of it.”

Wassillie is now charged with two counts of first-degree murder and misconduct involving a corpse. According to reports, she admitted to sodomizing one of the men after killing them.

The charging document states she first killed Gregory Pitka because, “she got mad at him because he wouldn’t steal liquor, from the store, for her.”

The charging document goes on to state, “she got behind him and choked him, using strings from his own hoodie ... She said she choked him until he died.”

Authorities say later that day Wassillie was drinking in the woods and she gave a beer to Travis Sheldon. She then took the beer away from him and “remembers choking and hitting Travis with a rock. She had picked up the rock about ten times and was throwing it at his head. She admits to killing Travis Sheldon.”

The report doesn’t indicate Wassillie’s motive for why she killed Sheldon.

According to the report, police were tipped off when Raymond called 911 on July 3 to report finding Sheldon in the woods near West 88th Avenue and Molonary Drive in Anchorage. Sheldon died of his injuries the next day.

While authorities were investigating the scene, they found an ATM card belonging to Gregory Pitka. On July 5, his body was found behind a dumpster at the Alaska Club at 3481 W. Dimond Boulevard, approximately two blocks from where Sheldon’s body was discovered.

On July 13, a caller notified police about a suspicious plastic container found behind Walmart at 8900 Old Seward Highway. It contained Pitka’s ID and a number of handwritten letters, one of which contained Wassillie’s social security number. Wassillie later admitted to writing them.

They read in part: “my worst sin I feel(sic) is taking a persons free will to live ... I did not listen in the moments of this mans murder but now his bodily actions scream please don’t kill me.”

In the notes, Wassillie also admits to committing sodomy with a corpse.

Wassillie is an Alaska Native who lived in Fayeteville, North Carolina, before moving back home about two years ago. Her criminal record shows she has never been arrested for any serious charges and has no convictions.

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