ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Court TV) — Prosecutors have focused on surveillance video and testimony from friends about Zarrius Hildabrand’s behavior after his wife’s disappearance as they present their case against him.
Zarrius Hildabrand appears in court on June 15, 2026. (Court TV)
Hildabrand, 24, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, second-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence in the disappearance and death of his wife, Saria Barney. The couple had been out with friends on Aug. 5, 2023, to celebrate Hildabrand’s 21st birthday. At some point after they arrived home, Barney was shot. While prosecutors say Hildabrand killed his new bride, his defense team claims that she took her own life.
In her opening statements to the jury, Hildabrand’s defense attorney conceded that her client “panicked” and made poor choices after his wife’s death. The alleged victim’s body was found hidden beneath a pillow inside a drainpipe behind the couple’s apartment complex…