Sarah Dayan, 39, was convicted of 15 crimes, including first-degree murder, following the murder of Keith Huss, 57, her court-appointed supervisor, just hours after her release from Alaska’s Wildwood Correctional Complex.
A judge had assigned Keith as Dayan’s outside custodian as a condition of his bond on September 28, 2020. The two were seen leaving in Dayan’s vehicle, intending to travel to Anchorage to work at Keith’s food truck. . The next morning, Keith’s body was discovered at the Turnagain Pass rest area.
According to the Alaska Department of State of Law, Keith had been shot four times with a .45 caliber pistol and was hit by a vehicle. Investigators linked Dayan to the crime and discovered that he had obtained the firearm shortly after his release. His vehicle showed damage consistent with having been 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 his account. She was also linked to several other crimes committed while evading law enforcement, including vehicle thefts and the burglary of a cabin in Seward.
State police detained Dayan on October 1, 2020, after a chase. After a seven-week trial, the jury convicted her on December 23 on multiple charges: first-degree murder, second-degree murder, robbery, felony firearm possession, larceny, vehicle theft and violations of the release on bail.
On two of the second-degree murder charges, the jury found the “heat of passion” defense applicable, but not on the first-degree murder conviction. Keith’s brother, Michael Huss, expressed his gratitude to prosecutors and the 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 more than four years and it’s a big relief.” he told Alaska’s News Source. “We would just like to thank everyone…we are very grateful that they were able to come to this conclusion.”
Tyler Jones of the Office of Special Prosecutions praised the work of the jury and the efforts of authorities. “We are grateful that a jury held Sarah Dayan accountable for her crimes,” he said. “We hope that Keith’s loved ones can achieve 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 Laboratory and the Seward Police Department in bringing the case to justice.