Military Wife Stuffed in Drain Pipe by ‘Killer’ Husband: Police
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Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Sariah Barney, a National Guard medic, was found dead in a storm drain with a gunshot wound to her left temple.
- ❖Her husband, Zaryas Hildebrand, reported her missing 36 hours after she was last seen, despite allegedly knowing her whereabouts.
- ❖Hildebrand's claim that Sariah walked to work without her phone was contradicted by a text sent from her phone 45 minutes later.
- ❖The text sender did not know the boss's contact name or company protocol, suggesting it wasn't Sariah.
- ❖A 911 call reported a gunshot near the couple's apartment at 2:45 AM on the day Sariah was last seen.
- ❖Police found a blood-soaked mattress and evidence of latent blood in the apartment, indicating a cleanup attempt.
- ❖Hildebrand made three trips to Fred Meyers and one to Lowe's on Sunday, purchasing items like new sheets, hydrogen peroxide, a spray bottle, and a 96-gallon garbage can.
- ❖Sariah's body was found inside a storm drain near her apartment, with the garbage can purchased by Hildebrand found nearby containing blood.
- ❖A criminal defense attorney notes that Hildebrand's 'elementary missteps' and inconsistent statements would make taking the stand extremely risky.
- ❖The defense may challenge the scientific validity of blood reagents and argue for alternative explanations like accident, suicide, or self-defense, though cleanup attempts are hard to explain.
Insights
1Inconsistent Alibis and Faked Communications
Hildebrand provided conflicting accounts of Sariah's disappearance. He claimed she left for work without her phone, yet a text was sent from her phone 45 minutes later to call off work. The sender of this text did not know the boss's contact information or company protocol, strongly suggesting it was not Sariah. Hildebrand denied sending the text and could not explain it.
Hildebrand told police Sariah left for work at AM without her phone. A text from Sariah's phone was sent at AM, and the sender lacked knowledge of work protocols and contact details. Hildebrand denied sending it. Sariah's mother confirmed the boss's number was saved under a specific company title, not his name. (, , , )
2Evidence of a Violent Crime and Cleanup Attempts
Investigators found a significant amount of human blood on the mattress in the couple's bedroom, which had soaked through to the carpet and wood frame. Latent blood was also discovered in the bathroom and on floors using a blood reagent spray, indicating attempts to clean up the crime scene.
APD crime scene team found the mattress 'saturated by human blood,' which soaked into the carpet and wood frame. Blue Star reagent revealed latent blood in the bathroom and on floors, 'most likely after cleanup attempts were made.' (, )
3Suspicious Purchases and Body Disposal
On the day Sariah was last seen, Hildebrand made multiple trips to stores, purchasing items consistent with a crime cover-up, including new sheets, a mattress cover, hydrogen peroxide, a spray bottle, and a 96-gallon garbage can. Sariah's body was later found in a storm drain near their apartment, and the purchased garbage can, containing what appeared to be blood, was found in a nearby landscaping truck.
Hildebrand purchased sheets, a mattress cover, hydrogen peroxide, an empty spray bottle from Fred Meyers, and a large 96-gallon garbage can from Lowe's. Sariah's body was found in a storm drain, and the garbage can, appearing to contain blood, was found in a truck at the complex. (, )
4Legal Challenges for the Defense
A criminal defense attorney notes that Hildebrand's youth, lack of sophistication, and numerous 'elementary missteps' in his interactions with police make it highly problematic for him to take the stand. The defense will likely challenge the scientific reliability of the blood reagent and argue for alternative explanations for the blood, but explaining away the extensive cleanup and suspicious purchases will be difficult.
Eric Fattis states Hildebrand is '21 years old,' 'does not appear particularly sophisticated,' and made 'elementary missteps,' making cross-examination 'questionable.' He suggests challenging the 'scientific validity' of the Blue Star reagent and arguing for accident, suicide, or self-defense, but acknowledges the cleanup is hard to argue away. (, )
Lessons
- Understand that inconsistent statements and actions by a suspect, even if seemingly minor, can form a powerful narrative for the prosecution in a criminal trial.
- Recognize that forensic evidence, such as blood spatter patterns and the use of chemical reagents, can reveal crucial details about a crime scene, even after cleanup attempts.
- Consider how a defendant's purchasing history, especially for items like cleaning supplies or large containers, can be used as circumstantial evidence to suggest an intent to cover up a crime.
Quotes
"Zaryius walked around for hours with me searching for my daughter, knowing that she was dead. He lied to me multiple times and tried to play it off like he was a concerned husband."
"Zarya said that he discovered that Sariah was missing later in the day when he went to pick Sariah up at 1900 hours and found out that Sarah never made it to work. Zarya said that he had been searching for Sarah ever since."
"I asked Zaryus about the text from Sarah's phone to work at 10:45 after she had already left the house and the fact that the phone was still in the house. He denied sending the text and couldn't explain how that happened."
"Jesse, I think the texts are really problematic for Hilderbrand. Look, he tells police that she left her phone at home when she went to work. And then 45 minutes after he says she left, there is a text message from her phone. Gosh, I wonder who could have possibly sent that."
"APD crime scene team lifted the mattress in the bedroom. They described the mattress as being saturated by human blood. There was so much blood on the mattress that the blood soaked through onto the carpet and into the wood frame."
"You know, did his grocery list was it titled supplies you would need to cover up a crime scene? Because that's what it sounds like he bought."
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