A former US Army soldier has been convicted of murdering his wife and attempting to conceal her death. Zarrius Hildebrand, 23, was found guilty last Thursday in Anchorage Superior Court of second-degree murder and evidence tampering for the August 6, 2023, shooting death of his wife, Saria Barney, 21. He was acquitted of the more serious charge of first-degree murder.
Jurors heard that the couple, who met at basic training in 2022 and married in December of that year, had gone out with friends for Hildebrand's birthday before returning home. Barney, a combat medic in the Alaska National Guard, was last seen alive that night. The following day, Hildebrand informed Barney's mother that Saria had not returned home from work, though friends stated she had planned to take the day off.
Barney's body was later discovered hidden in a storm drain near the couple's property. Drone footage captured during the investigation revealed her body under a pillow. Hildebrand had reportedly joined the search for his missing wife.
Prosecutors argued that Hildebrand killed Barney after she discovered he was having an affair. The defense contended that her death could have been accidental or self-inflicted. The defense also suggested that Hildebrand's actions following her death may have been influenced by extreme intoxication, leading to memory loss.
During the trial, a friend of Hildebrand's testified that the former soldier had confessed, stating, "I did what I did," and reportedly cracked a smile afterward. Barney's mother also testified, sharing her last text message exchange with her daughter, which included a photo taken with her husband. She recounted Hildebrand's call the next day, reporting Saria missing and providing a narrative of her leaving for work with a hangover and her phone left behind. Barney's mother described Hildebrand as appearing paranoid and rigid during the family's search for Saria, and noted his unusual reaction to a missing persons poster that included her contact information and Saria's maiden name.
In a turn during the trial, Hildebrand took the stand and testified that he had no memory of the night of his wife's death and could not confirm if he had fired the fatal shot. He stated he was testifying to reveal the truth and relieve himself of the burden of years of lies. He admitted under cross-examination that he did not know if he was the one who pulled the trigger.
Hildebrand described his actions the following morning, including running errands, cleaning the home, and moving his wife's body in a trash can to a storm drain, where he covered it with blankets and pillows, intending to burn them later. He testified that he did not seek help because he believed no one could assist him. He also recounted instances of drinking to the point of memory loss, a routine that led him to check his phone for details of his actions. He stated that after waking up and seeing Snapchat messages between his phone and his wife's, he realized she was no longer alive, attributing his lack of CPR to not feeling a pulse. He expressed fear of disappointing his loved ones and facing jail time for something he had no recollection of.
Hildebrand's defense attorney argued for reasonable doubt, suggesting the possibility of accident or suicide and claiming investigators were biased. The prosecution countered that Hildebrand "acted impulsively and drunkenly, no doubt - but he did act intentionally," stating that covering up a crime, not an accident, involves hiding a body. The prosecutor also highlighted that Barney was shot at close range, making suicide unlikely, and that her injury was inconsistent with typical suicide cases. Hildebrand faces a potential sentence of up to 99 years and is scheduled for a sentencing hearing in October.