Shane Sarazen Ashley Sarazen
Executive summary
Ashley A. Sarazen, 38, was a Pittsburgh-area woman who died Aug. 4, 2023 after an attack in a Harrisburg Hilton hotel room; she is repeatedly described in obituaries and family statements as the wife and “best friend” of Shane A. Sarazen [1] [2] [3]. A Berks County man, Travis J. Collins, was accused of the beating, strangulation and sexual assault that led to her death and has faced homicide and related charges; Collins has at times contested the circumstances while not disputing that he killed her [4] [5] [6]. Family members have publicly mourned Ashley and directed anger toward the defendant, while public reporting frames Shane as a bereaved husband and central family figure in the aftermath [7] [1].
1. Who were Shane and Ashley Sarazen, and how do sources describe their relationship
Multiple public records and obituary notices identify Ashley A. Sarazen as the wife of Shane A. Sarazen and emphasize a close, personal bond—obituaries list Shane as her husband and “best friend,” and family statements reiterate the centrality of that relationship to the grieving family [1] [2] [3]. Local news coverage of the homicide likewise cites relatives who describe Ashley as devoted to her husband and family, and who characterize Shane as among those left “gutted” by her death [5] [3]. Public-directory listings associate Shane with the Sarazen family but do not add meaningful biographical detail beyond contact/address-type data [8].
2. What happened in Harrisburg and what charges followed
Ashley Sarazen was found dead in a guest room at the Hilton Harrisburg on Aug. 4, 2023; police say she suffered blunt-force injuries and strangulation, and a forensic exam later identified injuries consistent with sexual assault, prompting additional charges of forcible rape and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse against the accused, Travis Collins [4] [5]. Reporting states that Collins was ordered to stand trial on charges that he killed Sarazen, and court filings indicate he has contested certain circumstances of the crime while not denying responsibility for the killing itself [6].
3. How has the family responded in public statements
Family members have spoken to the press with visceral condemnation of the man accused of killing Ashley, using language that separates the person they loved from the attacker and framing the assault as uniquely cruel; her sister and mother provided emotional remembrances of Ashley’s personality and life, while husband Shane and other relatives are quoted as devastated and seeking accountability [7] [1]. Coverage in PennLive and other outlets reproduces those statements and records the family’s grief and outrage, establishing a consistent narrative of loss and condemnation centered on Ashley’s role as wife, sister and community advocate [7] [1].
4. What is known about legal status and the accused from reporting
Local outlets report that Collins was charged with murder and later with additional sexual-assault counts after autopsy and forensic reviews, and that he will face trial on the homicide charge; published reporting documents prosecutors’ positions and the court’s procedural rulings but does not include a final verdict in the materials provided here [5] [6]. Media accounts summarize evidence cited by investigators—injuries consistent with forced penetration and indications Sarazen fought back—but the available sources do not contain complete court transcripts or the full evidentiary record, so finer legal developments and outcomes beyond the charges are not covered in this set of reports [5] [6].
5. Gaps, alternate viewpoints and limits of the reporting
Reporting centers on the victim’s life and family reaction, the criminal charges, and law-enforcement findings; it includes the defendant’s partial contest to factual circumstances but does not present a detailed defense narrative or exhaustive court documentation, leaving open questions about motive, timeline nuances, and any future judicial findings [6] [5]. Public-directory snippets about Shane exist but are not journalistic profiles and add little reliable context about his life beyond being Ashley’s husband; where claims are not documented in the supplied sources—such as private family dynamics or legal outcomes beyond the charges—those matters must remain unasserted until verified by additional reporting [8].