Brian Smith, Ex-South African, Stands Trial for Murder in Alaska Featuring Self-Recorded Evidence

The trial of Brian Steven Smith, an ex-South African native, commenced with jury selection late Monday evening SA time, embarking on a harrowing saga that could last between three to four weeks in an Alaskan courtroom. Charged with the cruel killings of two women, Smith’s own recordings allegedly encapsulate the evidence of at least one murder, an act perpetrated while checked into a Marriott hotel.

Smith, 52, stands in the dock, facing a litany of 14 charges, notably first and second-degree murder, sexual assault, and tampering with evidence. These accusations were fortified by a macabre discovery on a memory card viciously named "Homicide at midtown Marriott." The digital media revealed graphic photos and videos depicting the ordeal of Kathleen Henry, 30, whom Smith allegedly enticed, assaulted, and subsequently murdered in September 2019. Her remains were later located by a highway. Following his arrest in October 2019, Smith purportedly confessed to fatally shooting another woman, Veronica Abouchuk, aged 52.

Smith’s chilling involvement came to light after a woman of questionable repute filched the incriminating SD card from the console of his truck during what was described as a 'date.' After a week, she handed over the footage to authorities, leading them to the chilling content that bore voice recordings with a sharp South African inflection—a characteristic that became a pivotal identifier for the police familiar with Smith from prior investigations.

The haunting digital material portrayed a voice coldly stating, "In my movies, everybody always dies," pushing Henry to her demise. In a turn of startling candor, Smith provided additional details to investigators, leading to the recovery of Abouchuk's remains, identified by dental records after a tragic misidentification situation a year prior.

Efforts by Smith’s attorney, Timothy Ayer, to exclude the memory card evidence were in vain, as the judge allowed it into the trial, given its authentication and the narrative of its custody. Henry and Abouchuk, both Alaska Native women with vulnerable backgrounds, were recognized posthumously by the District Attorney, bringing a poignant community context to the case.

Smith migrated to Alaska in 2014 and had been naturalized as a US citizen just as Henry met her untimely death. With his wife and a South African family spokesperson opting to withhold comments until post-trial, the community in Alaska, still reeling from the shock, focuses on the courtroom where a jury will soon deliberate on the sobering evidence.

As the trial progresses, the preservation of public courtroom access remains paramount, although precautions will ensure the gallery and live stream viewers do not face the grisly visual evidence, in a sensitive balance between transparency and respect for the victims’ dignity.