On the night of his 21st birthday, U.S. Army soldier Zarius Hildabrand came home drunk from the bars in Anchorage, Alaska. His wife Saria, also a soldier and also 21, spent the next hour going through his phone and finding proof he had been cheating. A neighbor heard a single gunshot at 2:46 AM.By the next morning, Zarius was texting her coworkers from her phone, telling her friends she had walked out, and joining the search party that formed to find her. He knew exactly where she was the entire time.

Saria Hildabrand was a National Guard combat medic who had moved to Alaska to build a life and a career. She called her mom every single day. On June 25, 2026, a jury found Zarius guilty of second-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence. He faces up to 99 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for October 2026.

Thank you to this week's sponsors!

Sleep cooler this summer with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollandBranch.com/moms with code moms. Exclusions apply. 

Right now IQ Bars is offering our special podcast listeners including the Ultimate sampler pack, plus FREE shipping. That’s MOMS to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details.

New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday!

Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries

Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries

Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com

Sources 

• Saria May Barney Obituary - Rasmussen Mortuary

• Man found guilty of killing Utah wife in Alaska jury trial | KSL.com

• 21-year-old Zarrius Hildabrand Arrested for Murder — Anchorage Police Department

• Details emerge in arrest of husband related to Anchorage woman’s death

• Military Marriage Murder Trial — AK v. Zarrius Hildabrand — Full Opening Statements

• Bombshell 911 Calls Played for Jury in Soldier Wife Murder Trial

• Court documents indicate Utah woman's husband attempted to cover up her murder in Alaska

• Family, APD searching for Anchorage woman missing since Sunday

• Mom weeps in court as she describes final messages with daughter, 21, whose body was found in drainpipe - as victim's US soldier husband stands trial for murder 

• Detective Says Evidence Points to Murder of Military Wife

• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/saria-hildabrand-alaska-zarrius-hildabrand-army-soldier-arrest/

• Army soldier told friend ‘I did what I did’ after arrest for wife’s death | Court TV

• FULL TESTIMONY: Zarrius Hildabrand takes the stand in his murder trial

• Emotional Mom Defends Son Accused of Killing Wife

• Accused Wife Killer Never Said He Missed Her, Mom Testifies

• US Army soldier accused of killing his wife, a National Guard combat medic, faces court hearing | Stars and Stripes

• Saria May Barney Obituary - Rasmussen Mortuary

• Mother of Slain Soldier Recalls Heartbreaking Final Memories Before Daughter’s Murder

• Army Soldier Charged with Murdering New Wife, a Combat Medic Found Dead in a Storm Drain | Oxygen

• Army soldier accused of killing newlywed wife, whose body was found in storm drain, called police to report her missing

• Zarrius Hildabrand shows no emotion as jury convicts him of murder | Court TV
  

  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices