On Friday, Zarrius Hildabrand he was handed a 59-year prison sentence for killing his wife, with an additional suspended sentence of 25 years

Hildabrand, 24, murdered his wife, Saria Hildabrand, on August 6, 2023, and stuffed her body down a storm drain near their apt. in Anchorage, Alaska

The former US Army soldier spent the night celebrating his 21st birthday, then came home and shot his wife dead after she accused him of cheating

Saria Hildebrand, 21, a combat medic for the Alaska National Guard had moved from Utah to be with her new husband just six months earlier

In June, 2026, An Anchorage jury convicted Hildabrand of second-degree murder and two counts of tampering with physical evidence

Although he was acquitted on the more serious charge of first-degree murder, Hildebrand will serve nearly 39 years before he is eligible for parole least

Zarrius Hildabrand, [photo], 24, on Friday was handed a 59-year prison sentence for the murder of his wife, Saria Hildabrand, a combat medic whose remains were discovered near their Anchorage apartment three years ago. He will be 64 by the time he qualifies for parole

A former US Army serviceman who spent the night celebrating his 21st birthday, then came home and shot his wife dead after she accused him of cheating, will turn 64 behind bars before he can be released to another quarter century of supervised living.
Zarrius Hildabrand, 24, murdered his 21-yearold combat medic wife, Saria Hildabrand, on August 6, 2023.
He then disposed of her remains by stuffing her body down a storm drain near their Anchorage, Alaska, apartment.
The killing fatal shooting when the newlyweds got into a row just hours after they had been out drinking with friends to commemorate the husband’s birthday.
When the couple got home, Saria discovered messages in his phone that revealed he had been unfaithful to her, the court heard.
According to the prosecution case, Hildabrand then shot his spouse once in the head with a 9mm handgun, killing the Alaska national Guards woman inside their home.
Instead of alerting authorities after the incident, Hildabrand embarked on an elaborate cover-up, buying cleaning supplies, concealing his wife’s body in a giant wheeled trash can and dumping her in an underground drainage system, prosecutors told the court.
He then reported her missing and joined her distraught relatives, fellow soldiers and law enforcement in a desperate search for a woman he’d killed and hidden the body.
An Anchorage jury convicted Hildabrand in June of second-degree murder and two counts of tampering with physical evidence, although he was acquitted of the more serious charge of first-degree murder.
On Friday, he was handed a 59-year prison sentence for the murder, with an additional suspended sentence of 25 years.

Saria Hildebrand, [photo],was a combat medic for the Alaska National Guard. She’d moved from Utah to Alaska to be with her new husband just six months before she was found dead. Her husband has been convicted and sentenced for her murder

At Friday’s sentencing, Judge Peter Ramgren condemned the killer’s conduct, highlighting his apparent lack of remorse throughout the investigation and subsequent trial.
The judge said that despite the jury’s acquittal on the first-degree murder charge, he believed Hildabrand had intentionally 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 days-long attempt to cover up his conduct and to avoid its consequences, with no thought for anyone but himself.’ 
Judge Ramgren asked Hildabrand if he wanted to address the court during the hearing, but the ex-soldier declined, saying only: ‘No, your honor.’ 
The judge, seemingly disappointed, said he hoped Hildabrand ‘would have something to say’ and ‘at least extend some sort of apology to the family.’
‘His failure to take responsibility reflects poorly on his prospects for rehabilitation,’ Judge Ramgren added. 
Hildabrand will not be eligible for parole until he has served at least two-thirds of his active sentence.

Missing person poster that was circulated while the search for Saria was on in 2023. Hildabrand was part of the search party, despite knowing he was behind her disappearance

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 and was shot dead.
Investigators discovered that Hildabrand 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.
However, detectives uncovered a crucial inconsistency.
Questioned by police Hildabrand said he “vegetated” at home while he believed his wife was at work, though he later backtracked and said he ran a few errands. He claimed he did not realize his wife was missing until he went to pick her up from work at 7 p.m. and learned she never arrived.
By contrast in a separate interview, one of the couple’s friends told police that Saria mentioned she did not plan to work Aug. 6,

Zarrius Hildabrand, [left], fatally shot his wife, Saria Barney, [right], on August 6, 2023 and hid her body in a storm drain near their apt. He covered up, lying to authorities that she left early work that day and never returned. He even joined in the search

Accused of killing his wife on the night of his 21st birthday, Hildebrand testified in court that he would drink to the point where he couldn’t remember what happened once or twice a year

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 back in Utah became increasingly desperate. Her mother, Meredith Barney, flew to Alaska with Saria’s aunt to join the search for her daughter.
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 uncovering 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. 

Hildabrand’s defense team argued Saria’s death was a suicide. Alternatively, defense attorney, Lacey Jane Brewster argued, if her client did kill his wife, it was ‘more likely’ that her death was the result ‘of a drunken mishandling of a firearm’

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.
Investigators eventually located the discarded trash can and used a drone to search a nearby drainage system.
They discovered Saria’s remains beneath a pillow in a storm drain, .
During his trial while claiming he could not remember whether he had actually killed his wife, Hildabrand did admit disposing of his wife’s body.
‘The plan’ he testified, ‘was to hide the body of my wife and then clean up the blood off the mattress and the surrounding area.’
Asked how he knew he had not pulled the trigger, The defendant responded, ‘I don’t.’
The defense suggested Saria’s death could have been accidental or self-inflicted, arguing that prosecutors had failed to establish precisely what happened.
offering an alternative theory, defense attorney, Lacey Jane Brewster argued that if her client did kill his wife, it was ‘more likely’ that her death was the result ‘of a drunken mishandling of a firearm.’

‘This man showed no remorse or even emotion about what he did to her. He played a game with me and my family,’ said Saria’s mother, Meredith Barney, [photo] 

Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop rejected that explanation, telling jurors that Hildabrand’s subsequent actions demonstrated a deliberate effort to conceal a murder.
‘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.’
Agreeing with the prosecution argument, the jury found Hildabrand guilty on two counts of second-degree murder.
Reading their victims impact statement in court before sentencing on Friday, the court heard from Saria’s devastated relatives about the extraordinary loss suffered by their family.
‘This man showed no remorse or even emotion about what he did to her. He played a game with me and my family,’ her mother, Meredith Barney, said. 
‘Every human makes mistakes, even big ones that hurt people. However, not everyone defiles a corpse and throws it down the storm drain. He did that. He did that to my little girl.’