Zarrius Hildabrand was convicted of second-degree murder and evidence tampering in the 2023 death of 21-year-old Saria Hildabrand.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A former U.S. Army soldier has been sentenced to 59 years in prison for killing his 21-year-old wife in their Anchorage apartment and concealing her body in a storm drain while joining efforts to search for her.
Superior Court Judge Peter Ramgren sentenced Zarrius Hildabrand, 24, on Oct. 23 following his June conviction for second-degree murder and two counts of tampering with physical evidence in the death of Saria Hildabrand. An Anchorage jury acquitted him of first-degree murder after a two-week trial. The Alaska Department of Law said Hildabrand received 55 years to serve for murder and consecutive two-year terms for each evidence-tampering conviction, bringing his active prison time to 59 years.
Saria Hildabrand was killed in the early morning hours of Aug. 6, 2023, after she and her husband had gone out with friends to celebrate his 21st birthday, according to prosecutors. Both were serving in the military at the time. Saria was an Alaska Army National Guard combat medic, while Zarrius Hildabrand was serving in the U.S. Army. Prosecutors said evidence from the couple’s phones indicated that Saria discovered messages suggesting her husband had been unfaithful and confronted him after they returned home.
Prosecutors said Hildabrand then shot his wife once in the head with a 9 mm handgun. At trial, the defense disputed the state’s account and argued that Saria’s gunshot wound was self-inflicted. The jury rejected that defense by finding Hildabrand guilty of second-degree murder but did not convict him of the more serious first-degree murder charge. Ramgren said at sentencing that he respected the jury’s decision while finding, for sentencing purposes, that the killing had been intentional.
After Saria’s death, prosecutors said Hildabrand attempted to clean the couple’s apartment and purchased cleaning supplies and a 96-gallon rolling trash container. Evidence presented at trial showed that he used the container to move her body to a nearby park and placed it in a storm drain. Her remains were recovered Aug. 10, four days after her death. Authorities described the disposal and cleanup as central evidence supporting the tampering convictions.
Investigators said Hildabrand reported Saria missing and took part in the search for her before her body was found. According to court records described in news reports, he initially told police that his wife had left their home to walk to work. Investigators later found evidence that conflicted with that account, including signs of blood inside the apartment and purchases made after the killing. Prosecutors said he also helped Saria’s relatives, military personnel and police look for her while her body remained concealed nearby.
The Anchorage Police Department Homicide Unit investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division. Prosecutors Brittany Dunlop and Kaila Hurley handled the case for the Anchorage District Attorney’s Office. The June verdict came nearly three years after Saria’s death and followed testimony and evidence concerning the killing, the cleanup and Hildabrand’s actions during the missing-person investigation.
Members of Saria’s family addressed the court during sentencing and described the effect her death had on their family, according to the Alaska Department of Law. Ramgren also discussed Hildabrand’s conduct after the killing and what the judge described as an apparent lack of remorse during police interviews, the search for Saria and Hildabrand’s trial testimony. Hildabrand did not give a statement on his own behalf during the sentencing hearing, the department said.
The state said Hildabrand must serve at least two-thirds of the 59 years of active prison time before he can become eligible for parole. The sentencing brings the trial-court phase of the prosecution to a close following his murder and evidence-tampering convictions, though defendants may have appellate rights after conviction and sentencing.
Author note: Last updated November 4, 2026.