Saria Barney Hildabrand.Photo:GoFundMe
GoFundMe
A soldier who reported his wife missing in Alaska last week and then pleaded for help finding her on Facebook has now been charged with murder.The Anchorage Police Departmentsaidon Friday that Zarrius Hildabrand was taken into custody and was remanded at the Anchorage Jail on first-degree and second-degree murder charges, as well as a charge for tampering with evidence.
It’s not immediately clear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney.
Zarrius, 21, had posted a missing person flier on Facebook two days earlier with information about his wife, Saria Barney Hildabrand.“Updated information on my missing wife PLEASE SHARE AND REPOST!!!!!!” the Army cannon crewmember had written on Facebook.
Local station KTUU Newsreportedthat Zarrius first reported Saria, a combat medic in the Alaska Army National Guard, missing late Sunday night. The discovery of Saria’s body days later led to her husband Zarrius’ arrest, police said, according to the outlet.
“No one could have imagined that this would happen to her,” the familysaidin a statement on a Facebook set up to help find the 21-year-old.
Zarrius Hildabrand and Saria Barney Hildabrand.Facebook
KTUU reported that Zarrius and Saria were out the night of Saturday, August 5 to celebrate his 21st birthday and that the couple returned home at about 2 a.m. A neighbor reported hearing a gunshot about 45 minutes later but did not go outside to investigate the noise.
According to the outlet, which cites police, Zarrius allegedly gave conflicting statements to police about the following day, saying Saria walked to work in the morning because she was still hung over from the night before and that she didn’t bring her cell phone with her. However, multiple coworkers reportedly told investigators they received a text from Saria that morning saying she was calling out of work.
The husband didn’t report his wife missing until late Sunday night, telling police he believed she’d return and “find it was a misunderstanding," police said, according to the outlet.
However, Anchorage police discovered that Zarrius had allegedly gone to a local Fred Meyer store on Sunday and purchased a set of new bed sheets, hydrogen peroxide, and an empty spray bottle. He also stopped at Lower’s to buy a 96-gallon trash can, police claim, according to KTUU.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Saria, who joined the Alaska Army National Guard in April, was remembered in a statement Friday.
“Spc. Hildabrand took an oath to selflessly serve and defend not only the state of Alaska, but the entire nation, a commitment worthy of admiration and respect,” the Alaska Army National Guard statementread. “Her untimely passing impacts everyone on the Alaska National Guard team. She will be sorely missed.”
After Zarrius appeared in court Friday, KTUU reported that Saria’s mother Meredith Barney spoke with reporters, calling the victim “the most amazing, precious child ever.”
“She’s just always been looking for the future, happy, and really loved," the mother added. “She loved everybody. Everyone loved her.”
source: people.com
