ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The husband of a missing Utah woman has been arrested after her body was found overnight near the couple's home in Alaska.
Saria Hildabrand was last seen Sunday morning in Anchorage where she was a member of the Alaska National Guard. After days of searching, Hildabrand's body was found Thursday night in the 1400 block of Alpenhorn Avenue.
Anchorage police say Zarrius Hildabrand, Saria's husband, has been charged with two separate murder charges and a charge of tampering with evidence. Officials would not disclose how Saria had been killed.
A Utah native and graduate of Hillcrest High School in Midvale, Saria moved to Alaska at the beginning of the year to be with her husband who is an active duty member of the military, according to a GoFundMe page set up to help the search.
Saria's father was in the National Guard, too, according to her mother, Meredith Barney. Saria's parents were never worried about her daughter's safety while serving in Anchorage. She was described as an amazing person: driven, happy and fun, and Barney is horrified at what happened and still trying to make sense of it.
“When there's senseless violence, we always want to find an answer, but I don't know that there's an answer in this case," she said. "Love each other, be there for each other.
"I know she has a lot of friends [in Utah] and a lot of connections and we have a ton of support here, but she touched a lot of people's lives.”
The GoFundMe said Saria was taking college courses while serving with the National Guard. A search began after she didn't return home Sunday and it was learned that she hadn't shown up for work.
Saria's family hopes people continue contributing to the GoFundMe so they can have the money to bring her body back home to Utah.
