Zarrius Hildabrand was 24 years old when he was sentenced to 59 years in prison in Anchorage, Alaska.
On the night of August 5, 2023, he was celebrating his 21st birthday with his wife, Saria Barney Hildabrand, when she discovered messages on his phone that pointed to an affair. According to the prosecution, hours later he shot her once in the head with a 9 mm pistol. She was a combat medic in the Alaska National Guard and had been married for just seven months.
The soldier did not call for help. He bought a 96-gallon trash can, hydrogen peroxide, and new sheets, cleaned the apartment, and dumped her body in a storm drain. Then he texted Saria’s coworkers from her phone to let them know she would not be coming in. He reported her missing and joined the search alongside her family, the police, and other military personnel. His mother-in-law, Meredith Barney, recalled it this way: he walked with her for hours searching for her daughter, knowing she was dead.
The body was found on August 10. At trial, the defense argued that Saria had taken her own life, but the jury found him guilty of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence. According to Judge Peter Ramgren, he never seemed to care about anyone but himself.
