Kenai man convicted of 2023 murder he blamed on demonic presence

Published 9:30 am Monday, July 20, 2026

A Kenai man has been convicted for the 2023 strangulation death of a Sterling woman.

Nicolas Bushnell, 33, was found guilty of first-degree murder by a Kenai jury on July 16 for the murder of Breann Lang at the Main Street Hotel on Feb. 12, 2023. Bushnell turned himself in to police and confessed to the killing a few hours after committing the crime.

Over the course of the trial, the jury heard that how Bushnell became convinced that Lang was influenced by a demonic presence — a belief that was fueled by the use of illicit controlled substances, according to the Department of Law.

“Bushnell decided to kill Ms. Lang so that he could eliminate this perceived demonic presence,” the department stated. “Forensic examination of Ms. Lang and the crime scene showed that Bushnell strangled Ms. Lang to death.”

Officers had found various drugs in the room, including marijuana and nitrous oxide, also known as “whippets,” as well as evidence of LSD having been present.

The original report stated that Bushnell had told police that he and Lang were friends and had planned to meet at the hotel to do psychedelic drugs together. He also said that they had sex, did whippets, and took hits of LSD.

The case was investigated by the Kenai Police Department with support from members of the State of Alaska Crime Lab and the State of Alaska Medical Examiner’s Office, and was prosecuted by District Attorney Scot Leaders and District Attorney Daniel Strigle

Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 2, 2026.