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.
First Sgt. Toby Howry, a friend of Hildabrand’s, testified on Monday that he went to the couple’s home on Aug. 7. While he had intended to help search for Barney, who at that point was missing. Howry said that evening that he and Hildabrand stayed at the apartment, while the defendant “broke down crying, saying he was starting to remember more and that he was very drunk that night.” When asked for further detail, Howry said, “pretty much, [Hildabrand] said he’s remembering more than what he told [the police].”
Image from surveillance video shows Zarrius Hildabrand using a self-checkout. (Court TV)
After Hildabrand’s arrest, Howry visited him in jail; they did not discuss the case at all, but Howry asked Hildabrand if he had any message to pass on to someone. “He said, ‘No, but I hope this thing isn’t recording, because I did what I did,” Howry testified. The message, delivered with a “plain” and “empty” demeanor, unsettled Howry. When he glanced back, he saw the defendant was grinning; Howry then notified his chain of command about the odd comment.
The jury saw several clips of surveillance video from inside Fred Meyer as asset protection manager Veronica Karella testified that Hildabrand made several purchases on the day after his wife was last seen alive. At 12:26 p.m. on August 6, video showed Hildabrand buying Gatorade Zero lemon-lime, Prego marinara sauce and a set of sheets. He returned at 6:12 p.m. and purchased hydrogen peroxide, Old Spice, a spray bottle, a deodorant/all-purpose cleaner, and Q-Tips. A final trip at 10 p.m. saw him buying Red Bull Yellow Edition and a mattress pad; on the final visit to Fred Meyer, Hildabrand had changed clothes and was no longer wearing a long-sleeved shirt.
Despite the evidence against Hildabrand, Howry said he has continued to maintain contact with his friend. “I don’t hate him,” he said in court. “I hate his sin, I’ll say that.”
