Zarrius Hildabrand Trial

Summary

Court Junkie — "Zarrius Hildabrand Trial" (August 4, 2026)

Podcast: Court Junkie | Host: PodcastOne

---

Episode Overview

This episode of Court Junkie examines the high-profile Alaska trial of Zarrius Hildabrand, a young soldier accused of murdering his wife, Sariah Hildabrand, following his 21st birthday celebrations in August 2023. The podcast closely follows the investigation, trial testimonies, and courtroom drama, exploring whether this was a drunken, impulsive act, a result of fear and panic, or a more calculated crime. Drawing from interviews, courtroom audio, and deep research, the episode exposes both the emotional devastation for Sariah’s family and the complexity of motive, memory, and justice in the American legal system.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Initial Disappearance and Early Suspicion

• Sariah's mother, Meredith Barney, describes receiving a call from Zarrius about her daughter's disappearance. Zarrius claims Sariah left for work, hungover, and never returned. Meredith immediately senses something is wrong, describing Zarrius as "very paranoid and very rigid" ([03:18]).
• Meredith travels to Alaska to search for her daughter, noting Zarrius's strange behavior and excuses for not joining search efforts or meeting at the police station ([02:36], [03:09]).
• During the coordinated search, Zarrius closely monitors Meredith's and her sister’s movements, texting obsessively to track their whereabouts ([05:07]). Meredith becomes increasingly suspicious, saying, “We wanted to see where he wanted to take us and where he was not wanting us to go” ([06:01]).

2. Background of Zarrius and Sariah Hildabrand

• Zarrius and Sariah, both 21 and newly married, met in Army basic training, with Sariah moving to Alaska to be with him. However, their relationship was rocky due to trust issues and Zarrius’s infidelity ([09:41]-[13:44]).
• Sariah is portrayed as upbeat, social, ambitious, and close to her family, especially her mother, whom she was excited for to visit soon ([11:59]).
• Testimony reveals Zarrius continued messaging with a woman named Cheyenne, which led to repeated confrontations with Sariah ([13:39]-[14:19]).

3. Birthday Party & Events Leading to the Crime

• The night before Sariah's death was Zarrius's raucous 21st birthday, involving heavy drinking and partying. Eyewitnesses and Zarrius himself recount widespread intoxication but no public fights or signs of trouble ([15:45]-[16:39]).
• Descriptions of their dynamic that night: happy, playful, no visible tension. Zarrius claims to have blacked out ([17:54]-[18:10]).

4. Discovery of Sariah’s Death & Zarrius's Account

• Zarrius testifies waking up still drunk, discovering evidence that Sariah had accessed his phone and found proof of infidelity ([18:48]-[20:14]).
• He claims to have found Sariah dead, shot in the head, with no memory of events during the blackout ([24:28]).
• Instead of calling police, Zarrius admits to staging an elaborate cover-up – texting from Sariah's phone to fake her presence, buying cleaning supplies, hiding her body in a trash can, and eventually dumping her in a park’s storm drain ([27:30]-[30:04]).
• He wrote a suicide note but did not attempt suicide, instead continuing with daily life and attempting to dispose of evidence ([30:04]).

5. Prosecutorial Cross-Examination

• Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop presses Zarrius about his emotions post-mortem; notably, he never mentions grief or sadness—only stress, fear, shame, guilt, and exhaustion ([32:37]-[33:29]).
• Dunlop challenges his amnesia claim, highlighting how unreasonable it is for Zarrius to sleep through a gunshot when a neighbor 80 feet away heard it clearly ([53:27]).
• She accuses him of being self-interested, focusing only on saving himself, and uncovers evidence Zarrius admitted to wanting to “work his magic on the jury” in a jail call ([37:39]).
• Forensic evidence: Ballistics confirmed the gun was fired from 6-12 inches away, and Sariah’s cause of death was a single front-to-back shot, deemed homicide by the medical examiner ([50:33]-[52:08]).

6. Friends’ and Family Testimony

• Sariah’s friends describe her as happy, forward-looking, and not suicidal. Messaging patterns from her accounts the morning after her death, controlled by Zarrius, were deemed very suspicious by her best friend Marie Wenz ([39:29]-[42:36]).
• Zarrius’s army friend, Dalen Gates, reports Zarrius engaging in normal activities (making dinner, watching YouTube) the day after Sariah’s disappearance and crying out of self-blame about not driving her to work, but never outright saying he killed her ([45:30]-[46:51]).
• Notably, Zarrius offered his friend one of his guns, which later proved to be the murder weapon, an act the prosecution interprets as a possible attempt to obscure evidence ([48:25]-[48:35]).

7. Forensic Timeline and Autopsy Findings

• Prosecutors reconstruct the timeline:
  • 2:18–2:24am: Sariah sends screenshots of Zarrius’s chats to herself.
  • 2:40am: Sariah attempts to call her friend Marie; no answer.
  • 2:48am: Neighbor calls 911 after hearing a gunshot ([52:55]-[53:27]).
• Dr. Kenneth Gallagher testifies that the wound was consistent with homicide, not suicide—intermediate range, non-contact ([50:33]-[52:08]).

8. Closing Arguments & Verdict

• Prosecutor's Argument:
  • Focuses on intent, calculated lies, lack of grief, and that drunkenness isn't a defense.
  • “He lied to every single person that he talked to about Soraya's death, and he lied to you yesterday. But the defendant could not work his magic on the police, and he will not work his magic on you either, because he knew what he was doing that night and he remembers what happened. Selective amnesia is a coward's way out of a hard drive.” ([55:29])
• Defense's Argument:
  • Emphasizes fear, trauma, bad decisions, and lack of direct evidence of murder: “The fear. In his panic and fear, Zarrius made some mistakes, some abysmal choices, but these choices ... should be seen as evidence of what they are: evidence of fear. Use your reasoning, common sense here. Trauma affects people differently.” ([57:13])
• Verdict:
  • After 10 hours, the jury finds Zarrius Hildabrand guilty of second degree murder and two counts of evidence tampering. Sentencing set for October 23, 2026; facing 15–99 years ([58:35]).

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Victim’s Mother’s Instincts

• Meredith Barney: "Just very paranoid. Very paranoid and very rigid. Like, he kept making excuses of why he couldn't meet with us..." ([03:24])

Zarrius on Discovering Sariah’s Body

• Zarrius: "I was gonna ask my wife about it. And that's when I realized that she was no longer alive." ([20:33])
• "I had just discovered the body of my wife, who I loved. And that's gonna hurt anyone, regardless of... it's just something that hurts." ([25:34])

Prosecution’s Cross

• Brittany Dunlop: “You described deception ... guilt ... disgust ... shame ... anger at yourself ... betrayal ... fear ... substantial fear ... stress ... exhaustion. In all of the times you were asked, you never once said grief, did you?” ([33:16])

Key Behavioral Evidence

• Marie Wenz: “I thought it was weird because she told me she was going to call out but wasn’t really thinking about it too much in the moment. ... She was attached to her phone. She was really no exception, especially because she had family, not in Alaska.” ([41:09])

Prosecutor’s Closing

• Brittany Dunlop: “He lied to every single person that he talked to about Soraya's death, and he lied to you yesterday. But the defendant could not work his magic on the police, and he will not work his magic on you either, because he knew what he was doing that night and he remembers what happened. Selective amnesia is a coward's way out...” ([55:29])

Defense Counsel’s Closing

• Lacy Brewster: “Trauma affects people differently. Trauma affects memories. Trauma affects our ability to recollect and perceive things. ... That doesn't make him a killer.” ([57:13])

---

Important Timestamps

• 01:15–06:19 | Sariah’s disappearance recounted by her mother
• 09:15–14:42 | Background on Zarrius & Sariah; marital issues, infidelity
• 15:45–17:54 | Birthday party, no sign of strife, heavy intoxication
• 18:40–24:28 | Zarrius's testimony of events after waking up; discovery of Sariah’s body
• 27:30–30:04 | Details of cover-up: supplies, disposal of the body
• 32:37–37:39 | Prosecutor’s cross examination—focus on lack of grief, “work my magic” jail call
• 39:29–44:56 | Testimony from friend Marie Wenz (messaging patterns, suspicions)
• 45:30–48:35 | Testimony from army friend Dalen Gates (night-after behavior, handling firearms)
• 50:33–52:08 | Autopsy evidence; determination of homicide
• 52:55–56:57 | Prosecution’s reconstructed timeline; closing statements
• 58:35 | Verdict: Guilty of second degree murder, sentencing pending

---

Conclusion

This Court Junkie episode offers a comprehensive exploration of the Zarrius Hildabrand trial—the young army husband who claims memory loss after a night of drinking, only to wake to his wife's death, fabricate her disappearance, and then attempt to explain his behavior in court. The episode excels at balancing perspectives, providing not only the dramatic courtroom moments but also the emotional context from family and friends, forensic detail, and the complexities of trauma, guilt, and accountability in a criminal case. The episode ultimately shows how a case may be built as much on behavioral red flags, the absence of remorse, and post-crime actions as on forensic evidence, underscoring ongoing questions of motive and justice.

Transcript

[Narrator]

There's a new way to Ricola. It's a delightful citrus drop made just for your mouth. Just pop one in and go from parched to quenched. Made to make your mouth water dry, mouth quenched, mind blown.

[AT&T Advertiser]

New from Ricola the AT and T Guarantee is all about having your back with AT and T Internet air. Your home Internet is backed by the AT and T guarantee. In the rare event of a network outage, you'll automatically get a credit for a full day of service. It's like waking up from a nap, the warm blanket resting on your shoulders. Visit att.comguarantee to learn more. When the connection matters, it has to be AT and T credit for Internet air downtime lasting 20 minutes or more. Restrictions and exclusions apply. See att.com guaranty for full details.

[Narrator]

Premier hosts on VRBO deliver quality vacation rental stays with fast responses and clear instructions.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

Oh, I had a question, our host replied.

[Narrator]

Super quick Premier move.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

Wish I had a Premier group chat. They won't even write me back.

[Narrator]

Book a top rated stay with a Premiere host. If you know, give herbo Meredith Barney was alarmed when she got a call from her son in law on a Monday night in August 2023. He was calling from her daughter Sariah's cell phone and he told her that Sariah was missing.

[Meredith Barney]

He told me that he had just reported her missing. He told me just kind of like the story. She left for work, she was hungover. She left for work, left her phone

[Interviewer/Host]

at home,

[Meredith Barney]

didn't come back. And then I tried to ask him like questions, like all questions, like curious questions to try to get more information. And it all pulled back to the same story and he wouldn't waver from those exact facts.

[Narrator]

Her son in law Zarius, told her that he last saw Saria on that Sunday morning the day prior. He said she had left to walk to work. Meredith had last talked to her daughter on that Saturday night. Soraya had called her while she was out with Zarius and some friends celebrating Zarius's birthday. It seemed like the celebration was going well and everyone was having fun. She figured the two would be hungover on Sunday. Meredith lived hundreds of miles away in Utah, but she typically talked to her eldest daughter daily. She had planned to go visit Saria and Zarias where they lived in Alaska in the coming weeks.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

As a mom, what do you do?

[Meredith Barney]

Go to Alaska and look for my kids.

[Narrator]

After Zarias told her that her daughter was missing, she got on a plane, met her sister Brittany in Seattle, and the two of Them headed on to Alaska. They arrived in Anchorage the following day on Tuesday. When they landed, they wanted to hit the ground running. They had a missing persons poster already drafted up, and they were supposed to meet Zarius at the police station, but he said he wasn't able to meet them.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

Throughout this time, when Zarius is telling you what has happened, how would you describe his demeanor?

[Meredith Barney]

It was weird.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

Okay, explain.

[Meredith Barney]

Just very paranoid. Very paranoid and very rigid. Like, he kept making excuses of why he couldn't meet with us to do things like hang up posters or, like, go to the police station.

[Narrator]

She went to the apartment where Zarias and Saria lived near Joint Base Elmendorf. Richardson. Rosarius was stationed in the military.

[Interviewer/Host]

Okay.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

Is that the first time that you saw Mr. Hildebrand since, you know, arriving in town?

[Meredith Barney]

Yeah.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

Okay. And what was his demeanor? How did you perceive him then during that interaction?

[Meredith Barney]

Like, nervous, but not, like, upset. Like, I wouldn't. It's not. If my partner was missing, I would have been very emotional, and it was more nervous, anxious.

[Narrator]

A search was organized where dozens of fellow military members and Meredith and her sister searched for Soraya.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

When you initially informed him that there was going to be a search, how did he respond?

[Meredith Barney]

Confused.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

Clarify.

[Meredith Barney]

Just like, why are you doing that? Why would you search somewhere else?

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

Did he have questions about who organized it?

[Meredith Barney]

Yes, he asked me who. Who organized it? And I said, me. I did.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

And you said you were with your sister, and you started describing kind of quickly yesterday, Mr. Hildebrand's demeanor during that time. Can you walk the jury through that a little more? Slow, slowly?

[Meredith Barney]

Yeah. So we. There's, like, an access road that we all lined up on. It was like a long line. And then we all just, like, walked out into the woods, and me and my sister were, like, on the end of it. And then Zarya stayed by us, and then we wanted to get away from him. And so we were just kind of veering off, just looking. And then when we got separated from him, he was texting me a lot. Where are you guys at? What are you guys doing? Wait there. Let me find you. Like, very, like, intensive, wanting to know exactly where we were.

[Narrator]

Meredith quickly grew suspicious.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

It sounds like you found his conduct off putting that day very much.

[Meredith Barney]

There was a point where we decided to meet up with him and then let him. We wanted to see where he wanted to take us and where he was not wanting us to go so that we could go back later without him and search without him present.

[Narrator]

The following day, however, Sariah's body was found. This is Jillian in partnership with law and crime. You are listening to Court Junkie. You know that moment in the middle of the night when your sheets are stuck to your legs and you kick everything off, but then you're cold, only to be hot again like an hour later? That used to be me until I actually looked at what I was sleeping in. Turns out it wasn't the ac, it was the sheets. Sleeping hot is miserable. You've blamed the thermostat, the mattress, even the person sleeping next to you. But it's none of that. It's your bedding. Bolen Branch is like the cool side of the pillow, but everywhere. Bolen Branch's summer bedding options are breathable, lightweight, and designed to keep you cool all night long. Their sheets are 100% organic cotton, woven specifically for airflow, not just softness. Unlike synthetic cooling technology or chemically treated fabrics, their cooling is structural. It's literally how the cotton is woven. And 94% of Bolin branch customers say their sheets get softer with every wash. I can attest to that. It's totally true. I've actually got a few of their pieces going on right now. Our newest addition, the percale quilted down comforter is crisp, almost like a fresh hotel bed every night. And it's noticeably cooler to the touch than anything I've had before. We've also got the signature sheet set, which you've heard me talk about multiple times. It's soft and cozy and that one's in rotation for whoever wants comfort over Christmas. And I keep the waffle bed blanket folded at the foot of the bed right now for that lighter layer. It's the thing I grab when I want to feel tucked in without waking up all sweaty. I'm telling you, I will never go back to regular bedding. Sleep Cooler this summer with Boll and branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free [e-mail] court with the code Court that's Bull and Branch B O L L A N D branch.com court code court to unlock 15% off it's a great deal. Bull and branch.com court code court exclusions apply. August 5, 2023 Zarius Hildebrand was excited to buy his own beer now that he was officially 21 years old. But Zarius started off his birthday annoyed. He was annoyed that Soraya, his wife, had bought streamers to decorate their apartment in Anchorage, Alaska. She had also baked him a beer flavored birthday cake.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

What's the first thing you remember on

[Zarius Hildebrand]

that day the first thing I remember was Shreya came home, she got a bunch of decorations and stuff and I was a little upset because I didn't want my 21st birthday to be that big of a deal. I didn't really want to decorate for it and I was a little upset. But we moved past it. It was nothing to like. It was nothing after that. After we moved past, it was irrelevant.

[Narrator]

Zarias and Sariah, also 21, were newlyweds who had known each other for less than a year before they got married after they met in boot camp. By August 2023, they had been married for eight months and already things were rocky. Zarius's life had always been chaotic. That began in childhood. Born in Kentucky, he went into foster care at the age of six and then was adopted at age eight.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Do you remember much about your life before you went into foster care?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Bits and pieces, but most of my memories didn't really start until after I was adopted.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Okay, do you recall if you've ever. Before you went into foster care, what do you remember about your biological mom?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Not a lot. Kind of a ghost type presence. Like I knew she was there, but I don't ever remember physically seeing her.

[Narrator]

The first time Zarius tried alcohol, he was around 15. He snuck beer from his adoptive parents. When he got older, his friend's mom bought them alcohol and let the teens drink at her home. A few times he got blackout drunk. Zarius graduated high school and then got a job working at a car dealership, then a job in a factory. At 19, he joined the military.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

I needed a sense of direction in life. At one point my mom found a bunch of beer cans and was like, you need to do something with your life. And the army was the direction I wanted to go.

[Narrator]

In 2021, he began basic training in Oklahoma, which was rigorous both physically and emotionally. He was standing in his platoon in formation when he noticed Soraya for the first time. She was pretty. He thought she was a year older than him. Dating in the army doesn't sound too romantic. Their first date was doing job training together with one of Zarius's friends there. Since the army didn't want a man and a woman to be alone together, they started dating. It then became a long distance relationship. When Zarius was sent to Alaska in 2022, Saria came to visit. Less than a year later, they got married in Utah, where Saria had been living. Their wedding took place just after Christmas in 2022 in front of Saria's loved ones. A few weeks later, Saria moved to Alaska to be with Sarias. Living in an apartment outside the barracks on Mockingbird Drive, Saria seemed to be thriving there. She was excited because she foresaw a professional opportunity. She wouldn't have to wait two years to become a combat medic like if she had stayed in Utah. She began working in the Alaska National Guard. She had big goals and dreams for her future. Her plan was to be an anesthesiologist, but to get there. Being a combat medic in the National Guard was a good stepping stone. She also worked at a restaurant. Saria was an upbeat person, a social butterfly. One friend described her as wholehearted, the kind of person who would do anything for others. Saria quickly made friends and was happy in her new home. She was the oldest of five children and had a special bond with her mother, who was planning to come visit in two weeks. Sariah couldn't wait to show her mom around. But one side of Saria's life was hard. She was navigating trust issues with her new husband. Zarius wasn't faithful. He stayed in touch with a woman named Cheyenne, who he had met back home in Kentucky and had reconnected with. They talked to each other on Snapchat.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Were there other girls besides Cheyenne?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Just once, yes.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Did Sariah ever confront you with suspicions that you were cheating on her?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yes.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

And when was that?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

That would have been around April or May of 2023.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

How did that conversation go?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

She basically just wanted to know what was going on and why and just normal why are you cheating on me? Questions.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Did you feel guilty?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yes.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

But you said you kept talking to Cheyenne.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

I did.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Why would you do that?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Because I felt it would have been suspicious if I just stopped talking to her in general. So I tried to wind it down slowly. That way it looked less suspicious. On Cheyenne's. And

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

did Cheyenne know you were married?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

I. I don't believe so, no.

[Narrator]

The newlyweds swapped passwords so they could monitor each other's correspondence. Still, Zarius was in communication with Cheyenne leading up to his 21st birthday, which is the day everything got turned upside down. On the day of his birthday in August 2023, Zarius Hildebrand went out to eat at a Japanese restaurant and drank his first official legal beer. More friends joined and the binge drinking began. They went to Dave and Buster's, where Zarius was buzzed, feeling the effects of his five or six beers. They played games and won prizes. Back at his apartment, Zarias shotgunned a beer. And then the party continued with dancing at The Willy Wa, a bar in Anchorage. If you had any question about the level of Zarius's sobriety that night, you only had to look at the names of the drinks he was ordering.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Started drinking trash cans and AMFs.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

And AMF. That has a name?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yeah, that AMF is an abbreviation.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Without saying the last word of it. What are the first two words?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Adios, mother. Effer is what the AMF stands for.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Are those strong?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yes.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

How many of those did you have?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

At least two. And then I also had at least two trash cans, which. The trash can and the AMF are essentially the same drink, except for the trash can has a Red Bull, like, on top of it.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

And you were doing shots?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yes, before I. I started drinking. Mixed drinks. We were taking shots.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

How many shots did you do?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

At least four. Was probably more than that, though.

[Narrator]

He took a selfie with Soraya. They looked happy together. Drunk, but happy. Logan Calhoun, one of Zarius's army buddies, testified about what he saw that night.

[Interviewer/Host]

Everybody was having fun, drinking, dancing.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Host]

Was Sariah with the defendant most of the night? Yes. How did they seem?

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Nothing out of the ordinary.

[Interviewer/Host]

How was the defendant?

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

He got drunk.

[Dalen Gates]

I remember that.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Like, he was flushed.

[Narrator]

The jury saw another photo from that night. A picture of Zarias, eyes closed, slumped on Saria's shoulder. He was so drunk he couldn't walk. His friend said it was the last thing he claimed he remembered that night. He would later get refused entry into a bar because of how drunk he was back home. At the end of the night, he soiled his shorts because he was too intoxicated to make it to the bathroom. Sariah didn't seem bothered by her husband's intoxication. However, she had expected this for his 21st birthday. The couple seemed playful and happy. No signs of fighting or of an argument.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

I remember, like, I wanted to call it a night. I remember, like, leaning on my. On my wife and probably yelling into her ear that I wanted to go home. Like, let's. Let's leave. Let's go.

[Narrator]

Zarias would later say he blacked out. He didn't remember the ride home in an Uber when he got sick. He awoke the next morning still feeling drunk with a pounding headache. Soraya was asleep beside him. He noticed his phone wasn't in the normal spot. He got up to go look for it. He found his phone elsewhere in the apartment and began scrolling through photos from the night before. He checked his bank account to see how much he spent on drinks.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

I remember checking Instagram, Snapchat, and My bank account, stuff like that.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

What did you find on Snapchat?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

On Snapchat I found on Snapchat. It tells you when you screenshot a chat and then when someone else screenshots a chat. And I saw that I had screenshotted chats with Cheyenne off my phone and that's when I checked my phone and saw that the screenshots were there and then saw that they were sent to my wife's phone and saw that they were on her phone as well.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

How many phones did you have in your hand at that time?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

I had one in each hand.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

And I'm going to approach with what's been marked as States Exhibit 301 through States Exhibit Street 10. Mr. Hilliran, do you recognize 301 through 310?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yes, ma', am. I. I recognize all these.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

What are those

[Zarius Hildebrand]

pictures of me cheating with Cheyenne.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

About what time of year are those?

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

April. April.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

End of May.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Of what year?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

2023.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Is that what you saw when you looked at your phone?

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Yes, ma'. Am.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

And did you see those also on Sariah's phone?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yes, ma'.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Am.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

What'd you think when you saw those photos on Sariah's phone?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Thought in oh, crap. But in a much more vulgar way.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

What was going through your head?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Uh oh, oh crap. How can I. How am I gonna fix this?

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

So what did you do?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Um, I went to the back end of the bedroom and I was gonna ask my wife about it. And that's when I realized that she was no longer alive.

[Narrator]

Have you ever heard the saying that August is the Sunday of summer? It's the perfect time to hit reset before the autumn rush. And for me, that always starts with my wardrobe. Quince proves you don't need a crowded closet to look incredible. You just need the right pieces. Quince specializes in effortless, high quality essentials like ultra soft organic cotton and premium Mongolian cashmere sweaters, which I love. They're beautifully tailored, built to last and transition seamlessly from morning meetings to dinner. Quince also has premium stretch denim starting at just $50 with the kind of perfect fit, structure and weight you'd expect from a luxury designer brand. Everything at Quint's is priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. They work directly with ethical factories and cut out the middlemen. So you're paying for quality and not for brand markup. Honestly, the clothing item I keep reaching for over and over this summer are my blue and white striped linen high waisted shorts that I got from Quinn's. They've genuinely exceeded my expectations. The linen feels super comfortable and soft. I can pair them with a plain tank top or even a dressier shirt and I get compliments on them all the time. And it's not just apparel. Quince also brings that same everyday elevation to everything they offer, from hotel quality bedding and bath to kitchen staples, essentials and thoughtfully designed furniture. Upgrade your everyday Download the Quince app for app exclusive offers or go to quince.com court. Get free shipping on your order and 37065 day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK too. That's Q U I N C E.com court. You're listening to this podcast, so I know you've got a curious mind. Here's a helpful fact that you might not know yet. Drivers who switch and save with Progressive save over $900 on average. And they make it super simple. Hop over to progressive.com, answer some questions and you'll get a quick quote with coverage options tailored to your choices. Plus you'll see which discounts you may qualify for, like the online quote discount or savings for paying in full. In fact, 99% of Progressive Auto customers earn at least one discount. See if you could save when you switched to Progressive. You'll feel good about making a savvy choice. Visit progressive.com and see if you can enjoy a little extra cash back. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates national average 12 month savings of $946 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2024 and May 2025. Potential savings after a night of partying to celebrate his 21st birthday, Zarius Hildebrand claimed he woke up and realized his wife, Saria had discovered the truth, that he had been flirting with other women and trying to organize a meetup so he could cheat on her. When he went to talk about everything with her, he found her dead in their bed. She had been shot in the head. He didn't know what had happened. At least that was his version of events when he took the stand in June 2026 at his trial for first degree murder.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

She was like partially covered. I went to uncover her and essentially the first thing I saw was the gunshot wound to the to my wife's.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Did you do cpr?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

I did not just because I checked for a pulse. Once I saw the gunshot wound and didn't feel a pulse.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

What's going on in your head at that time?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

A lot. I just was confused. This is where the fear started to set in. I was hurt and I basically didn't Know what I was. I didn't know what I was gonna do.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Use the word fear.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yes, ma'.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Am.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

And hurt?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yes, ma'.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Am.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Why were you hurt?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

I had just discovered the body of my wife, who I loved. And that's gonna hurt anyone, regardless of. It's just something that hurts.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Were you shocked?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

I was confused.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

And you said you felt fear?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yes.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Had you ever felt a fear like that before?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

No. Never? Once.

[Narrator]

He said he was afraid. He had no recollection of the night before. After that, he was afraid of letting everyone he loved down, especially his little brother.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

You found your. Your wife deceased and you're afraid. Why are you afraid, Zarius?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

I was afraid.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Why?

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Yes.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Because of what was gonna happen.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

What were you afraid was gonna happen?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

I was afraid I was gonna lose my family. I was afraid that I was gonna go to jail for something that I had no recollection of. I just. There's so many unknowns, and I immediately assumed the worst and thought that. I just assumed the worst.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

And so we were afraid that you were gonna. Your brother would disown you because you went to jail?

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

He said he didn't call the police because he was scared he would be accused of killing her. So instead he tried to cover it up. At 10.44am he used Sariah's phone to carry out a lie. Impersonating Soraya. He texted her boss that she was sick and wasn't going to work. At 12:46pm he went out and bought Gatorade, marinara sauce and bed sheets. He then made more stops. He went to a park searching for something. Then he went to the Brown Jug liquor store where he bought a fifth of Four Roses bourbon and a two liter of coke.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

I didn't. I. I didn't want to be sober.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Why?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Cuz I knew what was to come.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

You knew what was to come? So had you made a plan by that point?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Not directly, but it was starting to come together.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

And what was the plan you were thinking about?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

I was gonna clean up and get rid of my wife's body.

[Narrator]

He said his plan was to hide her body and clean up the blood on the mattress and in the surrounding areas. He went to the store and purchased hydrogen peroxide, deodorant, a spray bottle, and Q tips.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

What did you buy those things for?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

The hydrogen peroxide and the sprayer were to help with cleaning up the surrounding areas in the mattress. And then I just needed deodorant and Q tips.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

And what's going through your head when you're going to Fred Meyer to get those items.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

A lot of.

[Interviewer/Host]

Just

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

like

[Zarius Hildebrand]

a lot of numbness. I just didn't know what to feel. I felt everything. And I just knew that the next day was going to be rough.

[Narrator]

Zarius testified that 13 hours had passed since he first realized Sariah was dead. On the bed. He drank a Red Bull. It was getting dark. Then it was time to move Soraya's body. He stuffed her remains in a 96 gallon trash can and then put the bloody bed sheets on top of her. He was savvy enough to go through the back door in his apartment building, which had no cameras. He wore gloves. He chose University Lake Park, a park that was Soraya's favorite, where she liked to walk their dogs. She often FaceTimed her mom on these walks there. Zarius hauled the trash can down an access road where he found a storm drain. He took off the drain's lid and dumped the trash can. Saria's body fell down 15ft. He put the manhole cover back on. He threw the trash can in the woods. As he carried out his task, Zarius testified he felt hollow. He was committed to his plan, so he wasn't going to file a missing persons report or call the police. He said he considered dying by suicide and even went as far as writing a suicide note. The note he wrote, that authorities later recovered, said, I'm writing this just in case what's going on with my wife becomes too much for me to handle. I've always said since we met that I couldn't live life without her. And I want whoever finds this note to please make sure my dogs are taken care of. I want that to be the main priority. To all of my family members and loved ones. I'm sorry I wasn't mentally strong enough to handle the weight of what's going on. But Sarius didn't end his life. Instead, he watched porn on his phone and drank alcohol. He researched getting a haircut. He did some online shopping, looking at Patagonia, which sells outdoor sports supplies. He showered and went to work, even though he hadn't slept that night. At one point, he found Soraya's wedding ring, which she always took off in the bathroom before bed. He put it in his pocket. Zaria faced a fierce cross examination by the prosecutor.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

I want to talk to you a

[Interviewer/Host]

little bit about

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

some of your testimony. You were asked probably no fewer than 15 times the emotions you were feeling after you found your wife dead and dumped her body. You described deception, right?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yes, ma'.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Am.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

You described guilt.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yes, ma'.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Am.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

You described disgust.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yes, ma'.

[Meredith Barney]

Am.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

You described shame.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yes, ma'.

[Carter Roy]

Am.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

You described anger at yourself.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yes, ma'. Am.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

You described betrayal.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yes, ma'.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Am.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

You described fear.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yes, ma'.

[Meredith Barney]

Am.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

Substantial fear.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yes, ma'.

[Pluto TV Advertiser]

Am.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

You described stress.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yes, ma'.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Am.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

You described exhaustion.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Yes, ma'. Am.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

In all of the times you were asked, you never once said grief, did you?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

I did not. But I did say loss.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Okay.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

You never said sadness, did you said emptiness.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Okay.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

You testified that you went through this elaborate lie of your wife being missing and telling everybody that. That she was missing, because otherwise people would assume the worst.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yes, ma'. Am.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

What's the worst?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

The situation I'm in now, what is the worst? Going to jail.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

And you went to bed next to your wife?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

I can't tell you for sure because I don't remember.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Okay.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

And you have no idea what happened until the next morning?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yes, ma'.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Am.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

Despite the neighbor more than you know, 80ft away in that weapon.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Argumentative.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

A rule.

[Interviewer/Host]

Okay.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

How do you know, sir, that she didn't confront you with those Instagram and Snapchat messages? And you didn't put the gun to her head and tell her you were gonna kill her? How do you know that you didn't pull the trigger?

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

I don't.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Okay.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

You don't know?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

No, ma'.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

Am. You want the jury to believe that she did this to herself?

[Interviewer/Host]

Objection.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Overruled.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

It's not up to me what the jury believes.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Okay.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

Despite the fact that she was otherwise happy in your marriage. Yes.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yes.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

And planning for her future.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Yes.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

And your future.

[Dalen Gates]

Yeah.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

And tried to have a good evening with you on your birthday and had forgiven you for text message infidelity in the past, right?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yeah.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

Okay, so you don't know that you didn't kill her?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

I said, can you restate that question?

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

You don't know that you didn't kill her?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Not sure how to answer that. There's a lot of do's and don'ts. It's just too complicated.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

Do you know if you pulled the trigger, sir?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

I do not.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

Okay, so I want to get to. Because you don't remember anything about her death? I want to get to the morning when you wake up.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Okay.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

You were soaked in blood.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

I was not.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Okay.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

You've seen the photographs of the mattress?

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

I have.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

And you were laying in bed with her?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yes, ma'.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Am.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

Okay. You didn't call 911.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Correct.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

You didn't take life saving measures?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

No, I did not.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Okay.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

You didn't run outside and ask for help?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

No.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

You didn't call her mom? You didn't call her best friend?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

No.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

You didn't call her command?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

No.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

You started planning how to protect yourself?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

I wouldn't phrase it that way, but

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

you started planning how to dispose of her body.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

I started planning on what I was going to do next.

[Narrator]

During cross, the jury also learned that Zarius had denied it was a suicide note that he had written first when he spoke to his adopted mom on a recorded jail call. And then when talking to the jail clinicians, the prosecution believed he was trying to avoid the strict suicide prevention protocol in jail.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

So out of self interest, you said it's not a suicide note?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Yes, ma'.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Am.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

But here you're telling the jury that it was a suicide note.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

I wanted to protect the feelings of my mother. I don't think any mother wants to hear that her son's suicidal.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

Okay, well, you also want to manipulate the emotions of the jury, right?

[Interviewer/Host]

Objection. System.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

Do you want the jury to feel sorry for you? Objection.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

A rule.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

I want the jury to use. No, I don't want the jury to feel sorry for me.

[Interviewer/Host]

Okay.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

It's not their job.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

Have you ever told your mom you were gonna work your magic on the jury?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Briefly, yes.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

Yeah. What did you mean by that?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Just that I was gonna testify.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

That you were going to testify and they would feel sorry for you?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

I didn't say that.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

What did you say?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Based off the conversation? Said work my magic.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Yeah.

[Zarius Hildebrand]

Which implies that I was just going to testify.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

I moved to go ahead and play. And that conversation with Your mom was January 15, you recall?

[Zarius Hildebrand]

I don't remember the conversation, but I've seen the text.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

Okay. I'd move to play that conversation. Judge starting at 404.

[Meredith Barney]

Go ahead.

[Interviewer/Host]

Does Lars think you have a good chance if you go to trial?

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Nope, not really.

[Interviewer/Host]

Oh.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

So.

[Interviewer/Host]

Oh, okay.

[Narrator]

That's if I can get on the stand and tell a testimony. Tell and, you know, if I can get on the stand and I don't want to say work my magic, but.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah, I know what you mean. Make the jury. Yeah.

[Narrator]

You know, feel.

[Interviewer/Host]

Feel for you.

[Narrator]

I know I can do what I've been doing my whole life, especially, but I don't know if I can do

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

that with this, so.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah, I know.

[Narrator]

That's the biggest problem.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Sure.

[Narrator]

But how's the video? Marie Wenz was also an Alaskan transplant. She met Saria at a house party, and the two young women became instant best friends, going to the gym together and exploring their new home on outdoor adventures. Marie worked as an administrative Assistant for a sewer company. She testified that she and Saria communicated constantly through Instagram and Snapchat if they weren't together. She of course knew her friend's husband from hanging out together.

[Interviewer/Host]

How was their relationship from what you observed? Looked amicable to me. They were nice to each other. They were pretty sweet. They didn't really fight in public. And then what was Soraya's demeanor in the weeks around and coming up to August 6, 2023? First time demeanor? She was happy. Nothing really out of the ordinary. She was excited for Zaria's birthday coming up and planning for it the week before. When you knew her in Alaska, did she ever express any suicidal ideations in any way? No.

[Narrator]

Marie wanted to know how Zarius was feeling the morning after his birthday party. She had witnessed his drunkenness while out partying with them. Around 10am she wrote Saria a Snapchat message.

[Interviewer/Host]

I sent a snap saying, how is Dee feeling? And I got a snapback of his face with a thumbs up. And that was to her phone on her Snap account. Her Snapchat account?

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Yes.

[Interviewer/Host]

What did you send next? About an hour later, I sent them a Snapchat asking if they wanted to get brunch. And did you get a response? I got a response from him on her account saying that she had gone to work and forgot her phone. And just to clarify one more time, the thumbs up you said whose face was in that picture? Zaria's. His face. And did it have any text on it? It was just a thumbs up. So his face from her account with a thumbs up?

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Host]

And at that point, what did you think? I thought it was weird because she told me she was going to call out but wasn't really thinking about it too much in the moment. Did you ever know Sarai had to forget her phone? No. Can you explain that a little more? We're attached to our phones. She was really no exception, especially because she had family, not in Alaska. And also just talking to people through social media all the time. Were you guys constantly talking on social?

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Yes.

[Interviewer/Host]

Would that be Instagram, Snapchat? Yeah, things like that. Was it normally text or. No, between her and I? Yes. Just Snapchat and Instagram. So after lunch was declined saying that she forgot her phone. What was the next time you reached out to Sariah? I text or I Snapchatted her around 7:30, asking when she wanted to go to the gym. And why did you wait until 7:30? Because that's the normal time that we

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

went to the gym.

[Interviewer/Host]

And did you guys Normally coordinate?

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Yes.

[Interviewer/Host]

Did you hear back from her? I heard back from. From her account saying that he had not taken her up from work yet. What did you think when you got that response? I thought it was weird because she usually got off work around 7:30. Did you hear back from Sariah or the defendant on Sariah's phone again that night? Not that night.

[Narrator]

She messaged Sariah on her Instagram the following morning. She said she essentially asked her why she wasn't responding. They had never gone more than 12 hours without talking. It was around 11 o'.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

Clock.

[Narrator]

Zarias then called her from Saria's phone.

[Interviewer/Host]

And what did he say? He said that he'd not seen her since the morning before. Sunday morning. What went through your head when you heard that? Why would you not tell me last night when I asked when she wanted to go to the gym? Why would you not tell me at all yesterday? Why would you wait so long to tell me? And did you ask him any of those questions? I asked why he waited so long to tell me. He said he didn't want to worry me. What did you do when you got that information? I told him to call the police. I said I couldn't leave work right now because of my boss, but I would come over right after work to try to help look for. And did you end up doing that? I did go over after work to try to look for her, yes. Where did you meet the defendant? At the park behind her job. Like Campbell Airstrip park or something like that. What did he say to you when you arrived? He said that he'd spent a couple hours looking. Needed to know what happened to her. Do you remember what was his demeanor or actions? Very calm. It was. It was weird behavior for what was going on.

[Narrator]

Soon Marie started calling morgues and hospitals looking for Soraya. Zarius was strangely indifferent while Saria was missing. Zarias openly debated which of her belongings he should return to her family. Maybe Saria's mom would want her childhood blanket. He mulled. But he was unwilling to part with Sariah's wedding ring. Marie said she was horrified.

[Interviewer/Host]

What went through your head when he asked you that? I started crying and I said, why would you be giving her belongings when we haven't even found her? And what did he say about that? He said that he was just thinking about like what her mom deserves in case something happened. And how did you take that effect on the listener?

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Your Honor? Overruled.

[Interviewer/Host]

Sorry, what was the question? How did you take him saying he was thinking about what his her mom would want at that point. I kind of thought that he knew something more than he was telling me at that point.

[Narrator]

Zarias friend in the army, Dalen Gates, had missed the August 5 birthday party because he was out of town. After Dalen returned home and learned the shocking news that Sariah was missing, he headed over to Zarius's apartment. It was Monday night.

[Interviewer/Host]

What did you guys do when you got there?

[Dalen Gates]

We made Hamburger Helper and turned on YouTube. Just kind of did what 20 something year old boys would do and just kind of bury whatever it was and just trying to give him a place to relax at the time.

[Interviewer/Host]

And did you stay in the living room, in the kitchen the entire time?

[Dalen Gates]

Yes, ma'.

[Interviewer/Host]

Am. Did you see any firearms in the apartment?

[Dalen Gates]

Yes, ma'.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Am.

[Dalen Gates]

They were just set out on the kitchen counter or whatever counter it was.

[Interviewer/Host]

And after you guys are eating hamburger, your helper and watching YouTube, did he eventually open up to you?

[Dalen Gates]

Yeah, we had a deep talk and some sadness and once he finally calmed down, he seemed like he could get some sleep and I went on my way.

[Interviewer/Host]

Can you tell me a little more about that? When he opened up and had some sadness, what was he saying and what was he doing?

[Dalen Gates]

He was just blaming himself from the night before, saying he could have took her to work and could have drove her and should have and was just harping on the fact that if he was putting it on himself, he was

[Interviewer/Host]

saying it was his fault.

[Dalen Gates]

Yes, ma'. Am.

[Interviewer/Host]

Was he crying?

[Dalen Gates]

Yes, ma'. Am.

[Interviewer/Host]

And did you tell him not to blame himself at that point?

[Dalen Gates]

Yes, ma'.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Am.

[Dalen Gates]

At that point I was not to put all the pressure on himself.

[Narrator]

He said he stayed until about 10:30 or 11. He was asked more about the guns he saw there.

[Interviewer/Host]

And then you said that you saw some guns in his apartment. Did that raise your concerns being military?

[Dalen Gates]

Not really. I mean we, most of us carry, most of us have guns. So it didn't raise any concerns at the time. The most concern it raised for me was self harm that I was worried that he was gonna do.

[Interviewer/Host]

And did you know those guns to be various Hildebrands?

[Dalen Gates]

I figured so, yes, ma'.

[Interviewer/Host]

Am. And did he show you the gun?

[Dalen Gates]

No, man, they're just, they're out and around where the boys? Around where? Their apartment, where they live. There's a lot of homeless camps and not the best neighborhood. So they were gonna. If we went out looking in that night, which was the original plan, they were both going to be carried with us.

[Interviewer/Host]

So do you recall what color gun he offered you to carry?

[Dalen Gates]

No, ma'. Am.

[Interviewer/Host]

Was it possibly black, gray, tan, something else?

[Dalen Gates]

I mean, I know there's a tan. There's a tan. I want to say Sig, and then a black Glock. I want to believe that was on the counter. But which one? I wanted maybe the Sig, because I like the tan colored better.

[Interviewer/Host]

And he was fine offering you to carry that one that night. And did you ultimately handle the gun at a certain point, either looking at it, intending to carry it, or moving it away from Sirius Hildebrand looking at

[Dalen Gates]

it intended to carry in it? Yes, ma'.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Am.

[Narrator]

That gun later turned out to be the alleged murder weapon. Detectives found the gun on August 9th when they executed a search warrant at the apartment.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

The other thing the detectives find at the residence is this weapon. And this is ends up being, after ballistics testing the murder weapon. And there's a lot of question about DNA analysis and, like, why we didn't find DNA on this. And a couple things to remember about this gun is clearly the defendant possesses it, has it in his hand after the murder. His DNA is going to be on it, regardless if they're even able to get it. They're not able to get DNA off that gun. But also, we know Jalen Gates said he handled that weapon after. And that's interesting, too, right? Like that the defendant is. His friend is offering to go out to search with him, and they're going to take weapons just in case. And the defendant says to Mr. Gates, why don't you take this one? And has his friend handle that weapon, obscuring evidence. If he's. If he's thinking that far ahead. Just something to think about. It's interesting that the murder weapon is the weapon that he would put in. His friends came back to work.

[Narrator]

Experts testified that the gun had been held 6 to 12 inches away from Saria when it was fired. A landscaping crew contracted by the Parks and Rec Department spotted the trash can that Zarius had discarded. That helped lead investigators to the storm drain less than a quarter mile from the apartment. The search for Sariah officially ended August 10, 2023, five days after Zarius's birthday party. Down the drain in water was Saria's body. She had been shot once above her left eyebrow and had died instantly. Dr. Kenneth Gallagher with the Alaska State Medical Examiner's Office ruled her manner of death a homicide, not a suicide.

[Interviewer/Host]

What were your pathologic diagnoses? What did you observe about her?

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Yes, so on the front page of my report, I always summarize Everything. So she had the cause of death injury was a penetrating intermediate range gunshot wound of the head. So that was an entrance that entered on the forehead and then it passed through the skin, through the bone and into the brain. And then caused lots of injuries, disruption and pulpification of the soft tissue of the brain, bleeding around the brain, bleeding within the parenchyma or the body of the brain. And then the trajectory was basically a front to back is the pathway. And then we did recover several fragments of the copper and lead colored metal projectile or bullet from our examination.

[Interviewer/Host]

And what your finding is intermediate range gunshot wound. And generally where would you estimate that range to be?

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Yeah, if it's a handgun, again, I would say two foot or so. And as it gets closer to the skin, this broad pattern would get closer and closer until it's very dense near the. The entrance wound itself. But this is a broad pattern.

[Interviewer/Host]

But certainly not contact.

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Definitely.

[Interviewer/Host]

And not close to contact?

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

No. Okay.

[Interviewer/Host]

And does that help feed your diagnosis or not your diagnosis, but your opinion about the manner of death?

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Yes.

[Interviewer/Host]

Okay. And that's why you say homicide as opposed to suicide?

[Courtroom Witness/Respondent]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

Zarias testified that he couldn't remember what happened in those early morning hours after his birthday party. But the prosecutor provided a timeline of events during their closing arguments at his murder trial. Between 2:18 and 2:24am Sariah sent screenshots to herself of her husband's messages with other women that she had found on his phone.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

This is the. The thing that happened just moments before the fatal gunshot. We know. 2:40am Soraya calls Marie either to talk about what was happening or what was going on with their fight, but Marie does not pick up. And just eight minutes later, at 2:48am we hear from Taylor Ingstrom on the 911 call.

[Narrator]

Taylor Ingstrom was a neighbor who was up late that night watching the TV show Lucifer. He testified that he heard a gunshot go off that was pretty loud and sounded like it was in the middle of the Courtyard. He called 91 1.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

And what that tells you when you evaluate the defendant's testimony, that he slept through some gunshot and just woke up later next to Sariah's dead body, it's just. It's not reasonable. Like the neighbor 80ft away knew, knew that it was a gunshot and heard it.

[Narrator]

Later that day when the sun was up and Zarius was busy buying supplies, cleaning up his apartment to cover up Sariah's death, and looking at porn, he took a moment to text his dad.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

Much like his testimony, it's just so. Callous and so calculated and so unemotional and frankly, selfish. Like, this is what he's thinking of in this moment. And then he texts his dad. And his text messages with his dad are also really telling as to his mindset on that day. He's not scared. If he is, he's scared of what he did and that he's going to get caught. He's not sad that Sariah is dead. He never, never once expresses, through his whole testimony or through any of his actions, grief.

[Interviewer/Host]

Not.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

Not a moment of it.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

And that's evident when he texts his dad. His dad says, I hope you had fun last night. And he responds, I did. Maybe a little too much fun. And dad says, well, that's okay, as long as no one got hurt or went to jail. And he texts his dad. Well, neither of those things happen.

[Narrator]

In her closing arguments, prosecutor Brittany Dunlop said Zarius was a liar. He was narcissistic, selfish, and a murderer.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

He is lied to every single person that he talked to about Soraya's death, and he lied to you yesterday. But the defendant could not work his magic on the police, and he will not work his magic on you either, because he knew what he was doing that night and he remembers what happened. Selective amnesia is a coward's way out

[Interviewer/Host]

of a hard drive.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

True, he acted impulsively and drunkenly, no doubt, but he did act intentionally, and for that, he was guilty of murder in the first degree.

[Narrator]

She said being blackout drunk is not a defense of murder. She also told the jury that there was no way Sariah died by suicide or accidentally shot herself.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

She is not suicidal at all. There's no evidence of this. And in the group, she's the most sober. She didn't, like, make some drunken, outrageous decision to take her own life or. She's also weapons trained, right? She didn't handle that weapon and have it go off accidentally because she was mad. She's the most sober of this group, and she's got no reason to do that. What she does have a reason to do is confront her husband about being unfair, faithful, essentially, since they got married, right? She's. She's undoubtedly mad about that. She calls her friend and she's going to talk to him about it.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

And he.

[Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop]

He responded violently.

[Narrator]

But Zarius's attorney, Lacy Brewster, urged the jury to look at the motivations behind Zarius's lies.

[Defense Attorney Lacy Brewster]

And that is what this case is about. The fear. In his panic and fear, Zarius made some mistakes, some abysmal choices, but these choices and mistakes should not be seen as evidence that Zarius killed his wife. They should be seen as evidence of what they are. Evidence of fear. Use your reasoning common sense here. Trauma affects people differently. Trauma affects memories. Trauma affects our ability to recollect and perceive things. The government wants to call Zarius a coward because he can't remember everything perfectly. Zarius wanted to protect himself, and Zarius made objectively bad mistakes trying to do so. Trying to protect the people he loved, trying to protect him. That doesn't make him a killer.

[Narrator]

After 10 hours of deliberations, the jury reached their verdict. They found Zarius Hildebrand guilty of second degree murder and guilty of two counts of evidence tampering. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 23, 2026. He faces fatal 15 to 99 years behind bars. And that's all for this episode. This episode was researched and written by Gabrielle Roussen. To hear these episodes without the ads, check out my Patreon options@court junkie.com support thanks again for listening. Until next time,

[Pluto TV Advertiser]

Hello and welcome to Pluto Foe. If you know the name of the movie you'd like to see, just stream it for free on Pluto tv where all your blockbuster favorites are landing all summer long. Catch Anchorman. The Legend of Ron Burgundy.

[Narrator]

Fantastic.

[Pluto TV Advertiser]

The Matrix Trilogy.

[Narrator]

Welcome to the real world.

[Pluto TV Advertiser]

Mean Girls.

[Dalen Gates]

Shut Up.

[Pluto TV Advertiser]

Titanic.

[Narrator]

I'm the King of the World.

[Pluto TV Advertiser]

And so much more. For Showtime's press nothing. They're free 24. 7 that is so effective on Pluto TV. Stream now. Pay Never.

[Carter Roy]

The moment a body is found, the clock starts ticking 48 hours before the trail goes cold. From A E and Crime House, this is the official podcast from the famous true crime series the first 48. I'm Carter Roy. Every Thursday I revisit a landmark homicide investigation in depth with long form storytelling built for your ears. Listen to and follow the First 48 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to podcasts.

[AT&T Advertiser]

The AT and T guarantee is all about having your back with AT and T Internet air. Your home Internet is backed by the AT and T guarantee. In the rare event of a network outage, you'll automatically get a credit for a full day of service. It's like waking up from a nap with a warm blanket resting on your shoulders. Visit att.com guaranty to learn more. When the connection matters, it has to be AT and T credit for Internet air downtime lasting 20 minutes or more. Restrictions and exclusions apply. See att.com guaranty for full details.