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A South African man, who recently became a U.S. citizen, was sentenced to 226 years in prison for the brutal killings of two Alaska Native women, as well as charges including sexual assault and tampering with evidence. The man, Brian Steven Smith, aged 48, received two consecutive 99-year sentences for the murders of Kathleen Henry, 30, and Veronica Abouchuk, 52. Alaska Superior Court Judge Kevin Saxby described the crimes as horrific, likening them to “the stuff of nightmares.”
Smith’s heinous acts came to light after he filmed the torture and murder of Henry in an Anchorage hotel. His voice, recognizable by his South African accent, was captured in the footage where he can be heard making disturbing statements, treating the murder as part of a film where “everybody always dies.”
The case proceeded quickly, with a jury finding Smith guilty after less than two hours of deliberation, following a three-week trial. The trial was sensitive, keeping the victims’ names confidential initially, only referring to them by initials, to avoid dehumanizing them further. However, during sentencing, Judge Saxby chose to use their full names to restore their dignity.
The breakthrough in the case occurred when a sex worker stole Smith’s cell phone, found the graphic footage on a memory card, and alerted authorities. Smith was apprehensive during his arrest and subsequent court appearances, showing no emotion even as the details of his brutal crimes were disclosed.
During the police interrogation, Smith confessed to the killing of Abouchuk after a dispute at his home, leading to her death by a gunshot to the head. Her remains were found based on the location Smith provided during his confession.
The sentencing was attended by jurors and the public, with one juror affirming the justice of the 226-year sentence given the grievous nature of the crimes. This case adds to a series of severe sentences handed down in Alaska, reflecting the state’s strict penalties for murder despite the absence of the death penalty.