ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A South African man has been convicted of first-degree murder for killing an Alaska Native woman and another Native woman.
The jury in Anchorage returned a unanimous verdict against 52-year-old Brian Steven Smith, who showed no reaction in court as the judge read the jury’s verdict. He was arrested after a woman stole his cellphone from his truck and discovered gruesome footage from 2019. The woman, a sex worker who became a key witness during the trial in Anchorage, then copied the footage to a memory card and ultimately turned it over to police, prosecutors said.
Smith, later confessed to killing another Alaska Native woman whose body had been found earlier but had been misidentified. He was found guilty of all 14 charges, including two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Kathleen Henry in 2019 and Veronica Abouchuk, either in 2018 or 2019. He was also convicted of multiple counts of sexual assault.
Sentencing for Smith was set for July 12 and July 19. Alaska does not have the death penalty.
The case drew attention as it revealed the killings of two Native women who had experienced homelessness in the Anchorage area. Smith was registered to stay at a hotel where one of the women’s death was recorded, and the footage later led to his arrest.
During the trial, graphic videos were shown to the jury, but the audio could be heard in the gallery, with some hearing the victim gasping for breath before dying. Smith was heard on the tapes narrating as if to an audience, urging the victim to die as she was repeatedly beaten and strangled.
Both women, Kathleen Henry and Veronica Abouchuk, were from small villages in western Alaska and had experienced homelessness. The fact that their deaths were recorded and the graphic nature of the videos had shocked the community and sparked widespread outrage and concern.
Smith’s sentencing is expected to reflect the severity and disturbing nature of the crimes committed. The case has shed light on issues surrounding violence against Indigenous women and the vulnerability of those experiencing homelessness, prompting discussions about the steps needed to ensure the safety and protection of such individuals in the future.
The harrowing and tragic stories of Kathleen Henry and Veronica Abouchuk have not only brought justice to their families, but they have also raised awareness about the need for better support and protection for vulnerable members of society.