Sarah Dayan, 39, was convicted of 15 crimes, including first-degree murder, following the killing of Keith Huss, 57, her court-appointed supervisor, just hours after her release from Alaska’s Wildwood Correctional Complex.
Keith had been assigned as Dayan’s third-party custodian by a judge as a condition of her bail on September 28, 2020. The two were seen departing in Dayan’s vehicle, intending to travel to Anchorage for work at Keith’s food truck. By the following morning, Keith’s body was discovered at the Turnagain Pass Rest Area.
According to the State of Alaska’s Department of Law, Keith had been shot four times with a .45 caliber pistol and struck by a vehicle. Investigators linked Dayan to the crime, discovering she had obtained the firearm shortly after her release. Her vehicle showed damage consistent with being used to hit Keith.
A review of Keith’s bank account revealed that after his death, Dayan used his funds to purchase personal items and transferred money to her account. She was also tied to several other crimes committed while evading law enforcement, including vehicle thefts and the burglary of a cabin in Seward.
State Troopers apprehended Dayan on October 1, 2020, following a manhunt. After a seven-week trial, the jury convicted her on December 23 of multiple charges: first-degree murder, second-degree murder, burglary, firearm possession as a felon, theft, vehicle theft, and bail violations.
In two of the second-degree murder charges, the jury found the “heat of passion” defense applicable but not in the first-degree murder conviction. Keith’s brother, Michael Huss, expressed gratitude to the prosecutors and jury after the verdict.
“We’ve talked a lot about closure…I didn’t appreciate how much weight was put on us to find justice for Keith. It’s been over four years, and it’s just a huge relief,” he told Alaska’s News Source. “We’d just like to thank everybody…we’re so grateful they were able to arrive at this conclusion.”
Tyler Jones from the Office of Special Prosecutions commended the jury’s work and law enforcement’s efforts. “We are thankful that a jury held Sarah Dayan accountable for her crimes,” he said. “We hope Keith’s loved ones are able to obtain some closure in light of this verdict.”
The Alaska Department of Law also recognized the contributions of the Alaska State Troopers, the Alaska Scientific Crime Detection Lab, and the Seward Police Department in bringing the case to justice.