An Army soldier is set to appear in court on Thursday after being accused of killing his wife in Alaska. Zarrius Ray Hildabrand, who recently celebrated his 21st birthday, is facing charges of murder and evidence tampering in the death of his wife, Saria Hildabrand. The body of Saria, who was a member of the Alaska Army National Guard, was discovered in a storm drain in Anchorage. Police had initially responded to a disturbance complaint on the morning of August 6, but did not find anything suspicious.

According to court documents, Hildabrand reported his wife missing on August 7, stating that they had been out celebrating his birthday the previous night. He claimed that they got home in the early hours of August 6 and that Saria walked to work that morning. However, coworkers of Saria reported receiving text messages from her phone number on August 6, stating that she would not be coming to work. A friend of Saria also told investigators that she had mentioned not planning to go to work on that day.

Further inconsistencies arose during the investigation. Hildabrand made multiple trips to a store on August 6, purchasing items such as bed sheets, a mattress cover, hydrogen peroxide, and a spray bottle. He also bought a trash can from another store. When police initially searched the couple's home, Hildabrand allowed them to look around but refused to let them search under the bed, claiming there were “embarrassing” items stored there. However, a subsequent search with a warrant revealed a mattress “saturated” in human blood and two handguns.

On August 10, police found what appeared to be a pillow inside a storm drain, beneath which they discovered the remains of Saria Hildabrand. The complaint states that she had suffered a gunshot wound to her head.

Saria Hildabrand had joined the Alaska Army National Guard in April and had previously served in the Utah Army National Guard. Her mother described her as kind, intelligent, and funny, and said she had joined the Guard to help pay for her education in the medical field. A funeral is planned for her in Utah, with the military performing a color guard ceremony when her body is flown in.

Zarrius Ray Hildabrand, originally from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, joined the U.S. Army in September 2021 and was assigned to Alaska in March 2022. He is currently being held on a $500,000 bail.