Former Soldier Sentenced to 59 Years for Killing Wife and Hiding Her Body in Storm Drain

A former U.S. Army soldier has been sentenced to 59 years in prison for killing his wife and concealing her body in a storm drain in Anchorage, Alaska, before reporting her missing and participating in the search for her.

Zarrius Hildabrand, 24, received his sentence in October 2026 after a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder and two counts of tampering with evidence in the August 2023 death of his wife, Saria Barney Hildabrand, 21, who served as a combat medic in the Alaska Army National Guard. He was acquitted of first-degree murder.

Prosecutors said the couple had spent the evening of August 5, 2023, celebrating Zarrius’s 21st birthday with friends. After they returned home, Saria reportedly discovered messages on his phone suggesting he had been unfaithful. Investigators said he shot her in the head the following morning.

Authorities said Hildabrand then attempted to clean the apartment and dispose of evidence. Prosecutors presented evidence that he purchased cleaning supplies and a large wheeled garbage bin, used it to transport his wife’s body to a nearby park, and left her in a storm drain. Gasoline was also reportedly used in an attempt to conceal evidence.

In the days that followed, Hildabrand reported his wife missing and helped her relatives, military personnel and police search for her. Investigators eventually uncovered evidence linking him to the killing, and Saria’s body was found in a storm drain near the couple’s apartment. Evidence gathered during the investigation included blood found in the apartment and items prosecutors said were connected to efforts to conceal the crime.

During sentencing, Judge Peter Ramgren emphasized the seriousness of the killing and questioned Hildabrand’s apparent lack of remorse. In addition to the 59-year prison term, he received a suspended 25-year sentence and must serve at least two-thirds of his prison term before becoming eligible for parole.

Saria’s family remembered her as a loving, courageous young woman who had been preparing for her future in military medicine. Her death devastated relatives who had spent days searching for her, unaware that the person helping them look for her had been convicted of killing her.

Sources: PEOPLE