Press Release

Michael Westlake Convicted for 2015 Campbell Creek Sexual Assault

July 11, 2017

(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) Yesterday, an Anchorage jury found 31 year old Michael Westlake guilty of sexually assaulting a woman near Campbell Creek in July 2015. Following a 10 day trial, the jury found Westlake guilty of sexual assault in the first degree, assault in the second degree, theft in the second degree, and assault in the fourth degree.

Assistant District Attorney Michael Ebell prosecuted the case for the State. The evidence presented at trial showed that Westlake approached a woman near the Alaska Native Medical Center and asked her to join him for a walk. They walked toward Campbell Creek where Westlake tried to kiss the woman, and when she told him to stop, he began punching her in the face. When she tried to scream, Westlake grabbed her neck so she could not breathe and then sexually assaulted her. Westlake then stole her purse and walked away. The victim found a passerby walking in the area and reported she had been sexually assaulted. The passerby called 911 and waited with the victim.

The Anchorage District Attorney’s Office recognizes the investigation of the Anchorage Police Department’s Special Victims Unit. The Anchorage District Attorney’s Office commends the efforts of S.T.A.R., Forensic Nursing Services of Providence, and the Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory’s forensic biology section in this prosecution.

Superior Court Judge Jack Smith, who presided over the trial, scheduled Westlake's sentencing for December 4, 2017. Westlake has 15 prior criminal convictions, including one prior felony conviction and one misdemeanor sexual offense conviction. The State intends to ask for an aggravated sentence for Westlake. The State believes the court could sentence Westlake to serve up to 99 years in prison for the offense.

CONTACT: Assistant District Attorney Michael Ebell at (907) 269-6300 or michael.ebell@alaska.gov. More information about the Anchorage District Attorney’s Office is available at http://www.law.alaska.gov/department/criminal/adao.html.

# # #

Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.