A former U.S. Army soldier returned home after celebrating his 21st birthday and fatally shot his wife when she confronted him over allegations of infidelity, a court was told.
Zarrius Hildabrand, now 24, killed Saria Hildabrand on August 6, 2023, before hiding her body in a storm drain close to the couple’s apartment in Anchorage, Alaska.
Prosecutors said the murder took place only hours after the newlyweds had spent the evening drinking with friends to mark Hildabrand’s milestone birthday.
After they returned home, Saria, who served as a combat medic, reportedly found messages on her husband’s phone indicating that he had been unfaithful.
Hildabrand then used a 9mm handgun to shoot his wife once in the head, prosecutors said, leaving her dead inside their home.
Instead of contacting police, he began a calculated cover-up. He purchased cleaning supplies, placed Saria’s body inside a large wheeled garbage bin and eventually dumped her in an underground drainage system.
He later claimed that she was missing, taking part in the search alongside her grieving family, fellow service members and law enforcement officers despite knowing she had already died.
An Anchorage jury found Hildabrand guilty in June of second-degree murder and two counts of tampering with physical evidence. He was acquitted of the more serious first-degree murder charge.
At sentencing on Friday, Hildabrand received 59 years in prison for the killing, along with an additional 25-year suspended sentence.
Zarrius Hildabrand, 24, received a 59-year prison sentence for killing his wife, Saria Hildabrand, a combat medic whose remains were found near the couple’s Anchorage apartment
Saria served as a combat medic with the Alaska National Guard and had relocated from Utah to Alaska to join her husband just six months before her death
During Friday’s hearing, Judge Peter Ramgren sharply criticized Hildabrand’s behavior, pointing to what he described as an apparent lack of remorse during both the investigation and the trial.
Although jurors rejected the first-degree murder count, the judge said he believed Hildabrand had deliberately killed his wife.
‘This was an inexplicable killing, completely unwarranted and without provocation,’ the judge said at the hearing.
‘He killed his wife and then methodically engaged in a dayslong attempt to cover up his conduct and to avoid its consequences, with no thought for anyone but himself.’
Judge Ramgren gave Hildabrand an opportunity to speak before the sentence was imposed, but the former soldier declined, replying only: ‘No, your honor.’
The judge appeared disappointed, saying he had hoped Hildabrand would have something to say and would at least offer an apology to Saria’s family.
‘His failure to take responsibility reflects poorly on his prospects for rehabilitation,’ Judge Ramgren added.
Hildabrand must serve at least two-thirds of his active prison term before he can become eligible for parole.
A missing-person poster was circulated while Hildabrand acted as though he was searching for his wife, despite knowing that he had hidden her remains in a storm drain
The case began on August 5, 2023, when the young couple enjoyed a night out with friends to celebrate Hildabrand’s birthday.
They visited Dave & Buster’s before heading to a downtown Anchorage bar and returning to their apartment in the early hours.
It was that same night Saria apparently discovered evidence of her husband’s infidelity on his cellphone.
Prosecutors said Hildabrand shot his wife once in the head with a 9mm handgun, leaving her dead inside their home.
Investigators discovered that he had purchased a 96-gallon rolling garbage can from Lowe’s, which he used to transport her body to a nearby storm drain.
He also bought hydrogen peroxide, replacement bedsheets, a mattress cover and other cleaning supplies in an apparent attempt to eliminate evidence.
The deception continued when Hildabrand told police that his wife had left for work the following morning, despite being hungover from their night out.
He claimed she had forgotten her cellphone but taken her purse and wallet before walking to Bread and Brew, a restaurant about a mile away.
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Zarrius Hildabrand, fatally shot his wife, Saria Barney, 21, on August 6, 2023 and hid her body in a storm drain near their property before lying to authorities about what had happened
However, detectives uncovered a crucial inconsistency.
Saria’s colleagues had received a text message from her phone at 10.45am saying she would not be coming to work – despite Hildabrand claiming the device had remained at their apartment.
He denied sending the message and could not explain how it had been transmitted.
Meanwhile, Saria’s family became increasingly desperate.
Her mother, Meredith Barney, recalled receiving a photograph of the couple smiling together during their birthday celebrations – the last communication she would ever receive from her daughter.
Meredith subsequently flew from Utah to Alaska with Saria’s aunt to join the search.
She described her son-in-law as ‘very paranoid and very rigid’ during the ordeal.
But while as many as 70 volunteers searched for the missing soldier, investigators were uncovered disturbing evidence inside her apartment.
Detectives noticed that the couple’s bed appeared to be missing its usual sheets, while unopened replacements sat on the kitchen table.
When officers asked to look beneath the mattress, Hildabrand refused, claiming there were embarrassing sexual items underneath.
But a subsequent search found that blood had soaked through the mattress and onto the carpet and into the wood frame.
Traces of blood were also discovered throughout the bathtub and on parts of the floor, suggesting extensive cleaning attempts.
Saria’s mother, Meredith, testified in court how her daughter sent her one last text message on their night out
The former soldier testified in court that he would drink to the point where he couldn’t remember what happened once or twice a year
Investigators eventually located the discarded trash can and used a drone to search a nearby drainage system.
There, beneath a pillow in a storm drain, they discovered Saria’s remains.
During his trial, Hildabrand admitted disposing of his wife’s body while claiming he could not remember whether he had actually killed her.
‘The plan was to hide the body of my wife and then clean up the blood off the mattress and the surrounding area,’ he testified.
When asked how he knew he had not pulled the trigger, he simply replied, ‘I don’t.’
His defense attorneys suggested Saria’s death could have been accidental or self-inflicted, arguing that prosecutors had failed to establish precisely what happened.
Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop rejected that explanation, telling jurors that Hildabrand’s subsequent actions demonstrated a deliberate effort to conceal a murder.
Hildabrand’s defense team even tried to argue it was possible that Saria took her own life
‘Selective amnesia is a coward’s way out of a hard truth,’ she argued. ‘You don’t cover up an accident, you cover up a crime.’
The jury ultimately agreed that Hildabrand was guilty of murder.
At sentencing, the court heard from Saria’s devastated relatives about the extraordinary loss suffered by their family.
Judge Ramgren imposed 55 years for second-degree murder and two consecutive two-year terms for evidence tampering, bringing the total prison sentence to 59 years.
Hildabrand also received additional suspended prison time and must serve at least two-thirds of his active sentence before becoming eligible for parole.