Anchorage, Alaska — A former U.S. Army soldier has been convicted in the killing of his wife after a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder and evidence tampering following a two-week trial that detailed an extensive effort to conceal her death.
Zarrius Hildabrand, 23, was found guilty in connection with the August 2023 death of his wife, Saria Barney Hildabrand, 21, an Alaska National Guard combat medic.
While jurors acquitted him of first-degree murder, they concluded prosecutors had proven he intentionally caused his wife’s death and later attempted to cover it up.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 23 and could face up to 99 years in prison.
Jury Rejects Defense’s Explanation
Throughout the trial, defense attorneys argued that Saria may have died by suicide or as the result of an accidental shooting.
Hildabrand also testified in his own defense, telling jurors he wanted to finally reveal what he described as “the truth” after living with years of deception.
“Regardless of the outcome of the trial, I needed to tell the truth, I needed to get the weight off of three years of a lie,” he testified.
Hildabrand claimed he had consumed significant amounts of alcohol the night before and said he had little memory of what happened.
According to his testimony, he discovered his wife with a fatal gunshot wound after pulling back the covers on their bed.
He told jurors he immediately feared the worst because he could not remember the events of the previous night.
Prosecutors Alleged Motive Was Marital Conflict
Prosecutors presented a different version of events.
According to the state, Saria had discovered sexually explicit messages that suggested her husband had been unfaithful during their marriage.
Investigators said she had taken screenshots of those conversations as evidence.
The prosecution argued that the confrontation escalated into violence and that Hildabrand intentionally shot his wife.
During testimony, Hildabrand acknowledged that he had cheated on Saria.
Prosecutors argued that his actions after her death demonstrated consciousness of guilt rather than confusion.
Defendant Admitted to Disposing of Body
One of the trial’s most significant moments came when Hildabrand admitted to taking steps to conceal what had happened.
He testified that he purchased cleaning supplies, including hydrogen peroxide, along with a large garbage container that was later used to move his wife’s body.
“The plan was to hide the body of my wife and then clean up the blood off the mattress and the surrounding area,” he told jurors.
He also acknowledged purchasing a 96-gallon garbage can, saying it was used to transport her body.
Investigators said Saria’s body was ultimately placed inside a storm drain, where emergency crews later recovered her.
Hildabrand also admitted he delayed reporting his wife missing for approximately 30 hours.
According to prosecutors, he sent text messages from her phone to coworkers claiming she was suffering from food poisoning and would miss work.
He later participated in public searches for his wife despite knowing she had already died.
Prosecutors Pointed to Pattern of Deception
During closing arguments, prosecutors said Hildabrand attempted to mislead investigators from the beginning.
They also alleged he deleted screenshots from Saria’s phone because they documented evidence of his infidelity.
Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop argued that the defendant deliberately created a false missing-person narrative after disposing of his wife’s body.
“He shot her in the head and then callously disposed of her body down a storm drain.”
She rejected the defense’s claims that memory loss explained his actions.
“Selective amnesia is a coward’s way out of a hard truth.”
The jury ultimately convicted Hildabrand of second-degree murder and evidence tampering, bringing the criminal trial to a close.
He remains in custody while awaiting sentencing later this year.
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