A former US Army soldier who shot his 21-year-old wife in the head before stuffing her body down a storm drain and pretending to help search for her has been sentenced to nearly six decades behind bars.

Zarrius Hildabrand, 24, was handed a 59-year prison sentence for the murder of his wife, Saria Hildabrand, a combat medic whose remains were discovered near their Anchorage, Alaska, apartment in August 2023.

The killing came just hours after the newlyweds celebrated his 21st birthday, when prosecutors say Saria discovered messages revealing her husband had been unfaithful.

Rather than alerting authorities after her death, Hildabrand embarked on an elaborate cover-up, buying cleaning supplies, concealing his wife’s body in a giant wheeled trash can and dumping her in an underground drainage system.

He then reported her missing and joined her distraught relatives, fellow soldiers and police officers in a desperate search for a woman he already knew was dead.

An Anchorage jury convicted Hildabrand in June of second-degree murder and two counts of tampering with physical evidence, although he was acquitted of the more serious charge of first-degree murder.

At Friday’s sentencing, Judge Peter Ramgren condemned the killer’s conduct, highlighting his apparent lack of remorse throughout the investigation and subsequent trial.

The judge said that despite the jury’s acquittal on the first-degree murder charge, he believed Hildabrand had intentionally killed his wife.

Zarrius Hildabrand, 24, was handed a 59-year prison sentence for the murder of his wife, Saria Hildabrand, a combat medic whose remains were discovered near their Anchorage apartment 

Saria was a combat medic for the Alaska National Guard – and she moved from Utah to Alaska to be with her new husband just six months before she was found dead

The case began on August 5, 2023, when the young couple enjoyed a night out with friends to celebrate Hildabrand’s birthday.

They visited Dave & Buster’s before heading to a downtown Anchorage bar and returning to their apartment in the early hours.

It was that same night Saria apparently discovered evidence of her husband’s infidelity on his cellphone.

Prosecutors said Hildabrand shot his wife once in the head with a 9mm handgun, leaving her dead inside their home.

Investigators discovered that he had purchased a 96-gallon rolling garbage can from Lowe’s, which he used to transport her body to a nearby storm drain.

He also bought hydrogen peroxide, replacement bedsheets, a mattress cover and other cleaning supplies in an apparent attempt to eliminate evidence.

The deception continued when Hildabrand told police that his wife had left for work the following morning, despite being hungover from their night out.

He claimed she had forgotten her cellphone but taken her purse and wallet before walking to Bread and Brew, a restaurant about a mile away.

A missing poster was made while Hildabrand pretended to look for his wife, despite knowing he had stuffed her remains down a storm drain

Zarrius Hildabrand, fatally shot his wife, Saria Barney, 21, on August 6, 2023 and hid her body in a storm drain near their property before lying to authorities about what had happened

However, detectives uncovered a crucial inconsistency.

Saria’s colleagues had received a text message from her phone at 10.45am saying she would not be coming to work – despite Hildabrand claiming the device had remained at their apartment.

He denied sending the message and could not explain how it had been transmitted.

Meanwhile, Saria’s family became increasingly desperate.

Her mother, Meredith Barney, recalled receiving a photograph of the couple smiling together during their birthday celebrations – the last communication she would ever receive from her daughter.

Meredith subsequently flew from Utah to Alaska with Saria’s aunt to join the search.

She described her son-in-law as ‘very paranoid and very rigid’ during the ordeal.

But while as many as 70 volunteers searched for the missing soldier, investigators were uncovered disturbing evidence inside her apartment.

Detectives noticed that the couple’s bed appeared to be missing its usual sheets, while unopened replacements sat on the kitchen table.

When officers asked to look beneath the mattress, Hildabrand refused, claiming there were embarrassing sexual items underneath.

But a subsequent search found that blood had soaked through the mattress and onto the carpet and into the wood frame.

Traces of blood were also discovered throughout the bathtub and on parts of the floor, suggesting extensive cleaning attempts.

Saria’s mother, Meredith, testified in court how her daughter sent her one last text message on their night out 

The former soldier testified in court that he would drink to the point where he couldn’t remember what happened once or twice a year

Investigators eventually located the discarded trash can and used a drone to search a nearby drainage system.

There, beneath a pillow in a storm drain, they discovered Saria’s remains.

During his trial, Hildabrand admitted disposing of his wife’s body while claiming he could not remember whether he had actually killed her.

‘The plan was to hide the body of my wife and then clean up the blood off the mattress and the surrounding area,’ he testified.

When asked how he knew he had not pulled the trigger, he simply replied, ‘I don’t.’

His defense attorneys suggested Saria’s death could have been accidental or self-inflicted, arguing that prosecutors had failed to establish precisely what happened.

Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop rejected that explanation, telling jurors that Hildabrand’s subsequent actions demonstrated a deliberate effort to conceal a murder.

Hildabrand’s defense team even tried to argue it was possible that Saria took her own life

‘Selective amnesia is a coward’s way out of a hard truth,’ she argued. ‘You don’t cover up an accident, you cover up a crime.’

The jury ultimately agreed that Hildabrand was guilty of murder.

At sentencing, the court heard from Saria’s devastated relatives about the extraordinary loss suffered by their family.

Judge Ramgren imposed 55 years for second-degree murder and two consecutive two-year terms for evidence tampering, bringing the total prison sentence to 59 years.

Hildabrand also received additional suspended prison time and must serve at least two-thirds of his active sentence before becoming eligible for parole.