An Alaska jury found Sarah Dayan, 39, guilty of murdering her court-appointed supervisor, Keith Huss, and stealing from his bank account. Dayan is set to be sentenced on May 6, 2025.
The jury, after deliberating for about a day and a half, decided she killed Huss, 57, as confirmed by the Alaska Department of Law... Continue reading here ▶
Although the jury accepted her claim of acting in the “heat of passion” for one count of first-degree murder and one of the second-degree murder charges, it did not apply to a second second-degree murder charge. She was also convicted of burglary and theft.
Keith’s brother, Michael Huss, expressed relief after the verdict. “It’s been over four years, and it’s a huge relief to finally get justice for Keith,” he told KTUU, though he noted the loss of his brother would always stay with them.
On September 28, 2020, Dayan was released on bail for another case and was required to be supervised by Huss, her court-appointed supervisor.
That same day, Huss picked her up from the Wildwood Correctional Complex in Kenai. The two planned to drive to Anchorage, where Huss worked at a food truck.
However, authorities said Dayan obtained a .45 caliber handgun soon after her release. The next day, on September 29, 2020, Huss’s body was found at the Turnagain Pass Rest Area. He had been shot four times with the gun and struck by a vehicle. Police linked the vehicle damage to Dayan’s car.
Investigators found that Dayan had used Huss’s bank account to buy items for herself and transfer money to her account after his death. She was also tied to several crimes committed while on the run, including vehicle thefts and a cabin burglary in Seward.
Dayan was arrested in Seward on October 1, 2020. At her sentencing, the murder charges will be combined, and she could face 15 to 99 years in prison.
