After Zarrius Hildabrand shot and killed his wife, Saria Barney Hildabrand, in August 2023, he filed a missing person report and helped her family search for her

NEED TO KNOW

• Former U.S. Army soldier Zarrius Hildabrand has been sentenced to 59 years in prison following the August 2023 murder of his wife, Saria Barney Hildabrand
• Zarrius, now 24, fatally shot his 21-year-old wife after she confronted him with evidence that he’d been unfaithful, hours after they’d been out with his friends to celebrate his birthday
• He was convicted in June 2026 of second-degree murder and two counts of tampering with evidence

A former U.S. Army soldier convicted of murdering his wife and stuffing her body in a storm drain has been sentenced to nearly 60 years in prison.

Zarrius Hildabrand, 24, was sentenced on Sunday, Oct. 25 for second-degree murder and two counts of tampering with evidence for the 2023 killing of Saria Barney Hildabrand, 21, the State of Alaska Department of Law said in a statement.

Zarrius, who was found guilty in June, shot Saria — a combat medic in the Alaska Army National Guard — in the head in August 2023, after she confronted him with evidence that he had been unfaithful. Earlier, they had been out drinking with friends to celebrate his 21st birthday.

Over the next few days, Zarrius bought cleaning products and disposed of his wife’s body in a storm drain nearby, before pouring gasoline over her in an attempt to cover up his actions, per the statement.

He then reported her missing to police, claiming she walked to work without her phone and wasn’t there when he came to pick her up, but her coworkers reportedly told authorities she never turned up that morning, per KTUU.

Zarrius also posted a missing person flyer on his Facebook page with information about his wife, and helped her family and members of the military and police with the search.

Judge Peter Ramgren said during sentencing that, despite the jury not finding Zarrius guilty of first-degree murder, he believed he had acted intentionally when killing Saria, per the State of Alaska Department of Law statement.

Ramgren also noted a lack of remorse from Zarrius during police interviews, the search for Saria and his testimony at trial, saying he didn’t seem to show concern for anyone other than himself at any point during the process.

Zarrius was sentenced to 59 years in prison with an additional suspended sentence of 25 years. He will not be eligible for parole until he serves at least two-thirds of his time.

During the sentencing hearing, Saria’s relatives paid tribute to her “loving, caring and beautiful” character, the State of Alaska Department of Law wrote.

Around the time of Saria’s death, her loved ones wrote in a statement: “Saria is a beloved daughter and step-daughter. She is a cherished sister. She is a shining light to her grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles.”

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“Saria is a genuine, caring woman that is independent, courageous, and brave,” they continued. “She was a good student in training to become a combat medic and preparing for her future.”

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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