A heinous US Army soldier who fatally shot his 21-year-old wife before joining her anguished family in search efforts despite knowing she was dead has been sentenced to 59 years in prison – and the killer was scolded for not showing concern for “anyone other than himself.”
Zarrius Hildabrand, 24, was sentenced in Anchorage, Alaska, Friday for fatally shooting his wife of seven months Saria Barney Hildabrand, 21, and trying to cover up her death.
Hildabrand, who was convicted in June, shot his wife just hours on from his 21st birthday celebrations in August 2023 after she accused him of being unfaithful — something he later admitted was true.
He then bought cleaning products before stuffing her body in a storm drain, the Alaska Department of Law said.
Hildabrand filed a missing persons report and even helped in the search efforts – despite knowing she was dead – and during his murder trial, his lawyers tried to claim that Saria had taken her own life.
The soldier, who served at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson where he was assigned to the 11th Airborne Division, was convicted of second-degree murder and evidence tampering – and Judge Peter Ramgren said the killer acted “intentionally,” describing his behavior as “abhorrent.”
The judge noted Hildabrand showed an “apparent lack of remorse” in the aftermath of the killing and “never seemed to show concern for anyone other than himself.”
Hildabrand will serve 59 years in prison – 55 of those years are for the second-degree murder conviction.
He was given consecutive two year sentences for evidence tampering and an additional sentence of 25 years.
Hildabrand will not be eligible for parole until he’s served at least two thirds of his sentence.
The killer shot Saria dead in the early hours of Aug. 6 2023 after they returned home from a night out with pals.
The pair had spent time at a Dave & Buster’s venue and were planning on going to a nightclub – but Hildabrand wasn’t allowed to enter as the bouncer thought he was drunk.
The group then split up – with Hildabrand and his wife heading back to their Anchorage apartment before they argued, which then led up to the shooting.
During the trial, Hildabrand tried to present a narrative that he just saw his wife dead in bed with a gunshot wound.
“The first thing I was afraid of was having no recollection of the night before, and just not knowing what happened,” he said.
“I was afraid I was gonna lose my family; I was afraid that I was gonna go to jail for something that I had no recollection of. Just, there’s so many unknowns and I immediately assumed the worst.”
Saria Hildabrand died from a “penetrating, indeterminate range gunshot wound,” Kenneth Gallagher, of the Alaska State Medical Examiner Office, said in court, and law enforcement revealed that the mattress was bloodied.
But Hildabrand appeared to admit to evidence tampering while on the stand – revealing that he bought hydrogen peroxide which he said was used to clean up the “surrounding areas and mattress.”
“The plan was to hide the body of my wife and then clean up the blood off the mattress and the surrounding area,” he said.
“I just didn’t know what to feel… I just knew that the next day was going to be rough – because I had to hide my wife’s body and then clean up the surrounding area in our bedroom,” Hildabrand said, describing his emotions.
Hildabrand admitted to buying a 96-gallon garbage can from Lowes – which he admitted he bought to help move his wife’s body.
He dumped his wife’s body in a 15 to 20 foot storm drain – and she was found in water around two feet deep by emergency crews some five days after her death.
Brittany Dunlop, prosecuting, said Hildabrand “callously disposed” his wife’s body – and “perpetuated a lie about her being missing.”
The callous hubby posted desperate appeals on Facebook and “walked around for hours” searching for his wife, according to his victim’s mom Meredith Barney.
Hildabrand used his wife’s phone to message her work colleagues – around eight hours after the murder – to say she wouldn’t be turning in for work.
Then he went on a late night drive at around 10 p.m. on Aug. 5 as he started to “worry about his wife” before formally reporting her missing the following day – some 30 hours after she was killed.
Hildabrand told cops he waited to file a missing persons report because he thought she would appear.
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