Press Release

TRAYVON MORRISSETTE CONVICTED OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER

May 29, 2018

(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) On May 29, 2018, 34 year old Trayvon Morrissette was convicted of first degree murder following a nine day jury trial. The jury also convicted him of second degree murder and first degree burglary.

According to the evidence presented in court, Morrissette attended a barbeque on July 4th, 2016 with several others at an Anchorage residence. During the barbeque Morrissette went into a bathroom, drew a 9mm handgun and fired nine shots into Jorge Rea Villa Jr. Morrissette left the residence, got in his car and drove away. Other residents heard the gun shots and called 911, reporting that the victim was dead and that Morrissette had shot him for no reason. Morrissette was seen minutes later driving into a secure parking garage beneath a nearby apartment complex. After hiding in one of the apartments, Morrissette fled from the building on foot. Multiple people called Anchorage Police to report contacts with a man matching Morrissette’s description as he fled around the area of Campbell Creek. These reports assisted a police canine unit in finding Morrissette shortly thereafter hiding under a stairway near another apartment building. Superior Court Judge Catherine Easter, who presided over the case, scheduled Morrissette’s sentencing for October 5. He will be held without bail pending sentencing. Morrissette faces a sentence of 20 to 99 years on the first degree murder charge.

CONTACT: Assistant District Attorney James Klugman at (907) 269-6300 or james.klugman@alaska.gov

More information about the Anchorage District Attorney’s Office is available at http://www.law.alaska.gov/department/criminal/adao.html.

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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.