(Anchorage, AK) – Following a seven-week trial, an Anchorage jury Monday found Sarah Dayan guilty of 15 crimes — including murder, burglary, and theft — after the 2020 murder of Keith Huss and her ensuing flight from police.
The jury deliberated for approximately one-and-half days before finding Dayan guilty of one count of Murder in the First Degree, one count of Murder in the Second Degree, one count of Murder in the Second Degree, one count of Burglary, one count of being a Felon in Possession of a Concealable Firearm, four counts of Theft or Attempted Theft, three counts of Vehicle Theft, and three counts of Violating a Condition of Release while on bail. For the Murder in the First Degree conviction and one of the two Murder in the Second Degree convictions, the jury found that the defense of “heat of passion” applied. It did not apply to the second Murder in the Second Degree conviction.
Early in the morning on Sept. 29, 2020, Keith Huss’s body was found at the Turnagain Pass Rest Area. A passing motorist found Mr. Huss’s body and called the Alaska State Troopers, who began an investigation. The investigation showed Mr. Huss had been shot four times with a .45 caliber pistol and had been struck by a vehicle.
Troopers determined that Mr. Huss had been appointed by a judge to be the third-party custodian for Sarah Dayan, as a condition of her release on bail, on Sept. 28, 2020. That same day, Keith picked Dayan up from jail at the Wildwood Correctional Complex in Kenai. The two were seen getting into Dayan’s vehicle, and their stated plan was to drive to Anchorage to work at Keith’s food truck.
After Mr. Huss’s body was discovered, Troopers initiated a manhunt for Dayan, who was eventually apprehended in Seward on Oct. 1, 2020. Subsequent investigation revealed that Dayan obtained a .45 caliber pistol shortly after her release from jail. Troopers observed damage to Dayan’s vehicle that was consistent with it having been used to strike Mr. Huss. A review of Mr. Huss’s bank account revealed that Dayan had used his bank account to purchase items for herself and had transferred hundreds of dollars from his bank account to hers after his death. Troopers additionally linked Dayan to a series of vehicle thefts in Seward as well as the burglary of a cabin in Seward that were committed while she fled from police.
The case was investigated by Alaska State Troopers’ Alaska Bureau of Investigation, with Sgt. Mark Pearson as lead investigator. Seward Police also assisted in the investigation.
Assistant Attorneys General Daniel Shorey and Tyler Jones of the Office of Special Prosecutions prosecuted the case for the State. Paralegal Aryel Dilley of the Anchorage District Attorney’s Office and Law Office Assistant Olivia Fowler of the Office of Special Prosecutions provided invaluable work before and during trial.
“We are thankful that a jury held Sarah Dayan accountable for her crimes. We hope that Keith’s loved ones are able to obtain some closure in light of this verdict,” Jones said. “The State appreciates the attention and dedication the jurors paid to this case. The Department of Law thanks the Alaska State Troopers, the Alaska Scientific Crime Detection Lab, and the Seward Police Department for their partnership and assistance.”
Dayan is being held without bail pending sentencing, which is scheduled for May 6, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. The three murder charges will merge at sentencing, and Dayan will face a sentencing range from 15 years to 99 years on the merged murder charge.
