A US Army soldier was sentenced to 59 years behind bars after he shot and killed his 21-year-old wife. What’s more shocking is that he helped her family search for her, all while knowing she was dead. The court was not pleased with his apparent indifference to anyone’s feelings except his own.
Zarrius Hildabrand, 24, received his sentence in Anchorage, Alaska, for the fatal shooting of Saria Barney Hildabrand, his wife of just seven months, while trying to hide the reality of her death.
The tragic incident occurred just hours after Hildabrand celebrated his 21st birthday in August 2023. The couple had an argument after Saria accused him of infidelity—a claim he eventually admitted to being true.
After the shooting, Hildabrand purchased cleaning supplies and then disposed of her body in a storm drain, as reported by the Alaska Department of Law.
He even filed a missing person report and took part in the search efforts, despite knowing she was deceased. During the trial, his lawyers made an unsuccessful attempt to suggest that Saria had taken her own life.
Assigned to the 11th Airborne Division at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Hildabrand was found guilty of second-degree murder and evidence tampering. Judge Peter Ramgren criticized his “abhorrent” behavior, highlighting his lack of remorse and self-centeredness after the crime.
The sentence includes 55 years for murder and two consecutive two-year terms for evidence tampering, along with an additional 25-year sentence. Hildabrand won’t be eligible for parole until he has served at least two-thirds of his term.
On the morning of August 6, 2023, Hildabrand shot Saria shortly after they returned home from a night out with friends. They had been at a Dave & Buster’s and planned to continue their evening at a nightclub, but a bouncer would not let Hildabrand in, leading to a split with their friends. This ultimately led to an argument and the deadly encounter.
In court, Hildabrand attempted to claim he discovered Saria dead in bed, expressing fears over possible memory loss regarding the events of the previous evening. “I was terrified I would never know how it happened,” he claimed.
According to Kenneth Gallagher from the Alaska State Medical Examiner’s office, Saria suffered a gunshot wound, and blood was found on their mattress. While on the stand, Hildabrand seemed to admit to tampering with evidence when he mentioned buying hydrogen peroxide to clean up the blood. He said, “I had to hide my wife’s body and clean the area in our bedroom.”
He even purchased a large garbage can, which he later confessed was intended to transport Saria’s body. Ultimately, her remains were discovered in a storm drain by emergency responders about five days after her death, submerged in water.
During the prosecution, Brittany Dunlop described Hildabrand’s actions as “callous” for both disposing of his wife’s body and misleading everyone about her whereabouts. His behavior included posting earnest pleas on social media and searching for Saria as if she were merely missing.
Using Saria’s phone, Hildabrand sent messages to her colleagues, claiming she wouldn’t be coming to work roughly eight hours after her death. Later that evening, he embarked on a drive, expressing concern for his wife before finally reporting her missing the next day, about 30 hours after the killing.
Hildabrand told law enforcement that he delayed reporting her disappearance, thinking that she would eventually return.
