A 21-year-old Army soldier has been charged with the murder of his newlywed wife.
Zarrius Hildabrand, 21, is alleged to have shot his spouse, Saria Hildabrand, hidden her body in a storm drain near their apartment, and then began a public search, urging the community to help locate her.
Zarrius, assigned to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, reported his wife, an Alaska National Guard combat medic, missing on August 7, generating significant attention on social media. However, Saria’s body was discovered on Thursday, August 10, with a gunshot wound to her temple. Notably, Hildabrand had shared a “missing” poster of his wife less than 48 hours before his arrest.
In an interview, the victim’s mother, Meredith Barney, said, “He walked around for hours with me searching for my daughter, knowing that she was dead.” Barney expressed her disbelief over the actions of the man who portrayed himself as a concerned husband.
Conflicting accounts arose as Zarrius claimed his wife left for work on the morning of August 6, while a friend of the couple countered, revealing that Saria had no work that day. A text message sent from Saria’s phone to her co-workers, informing them she wouldn’t be coming in, is also under investigation.
Evidence against Hildabrand includes a mattress with blood in the couple’s apartment and items suggesting cleanup efforts. Police discovered two pistols in the apartment, one of which was missing a bullet.
The couple, who met during basic training, had been married for less than a year, with Saria relocating from Utah to be with Zarrius in Alaska.
Hildabrand, now in custody with a $500,000 bond, made his first court appearance on Friday, August 11.
A GoFundMe initially set up for search efforts is redirecting funds to cover funeral expenses, nearing its $20,000 goal.
