A memory card found in a truck has become a crucial piece of evidence in a murder trial in Alaska, thanks to the truly chilling images and audio discovered on the device.
Brian Steven Smith, 52, is due to start his double murder trial on Monday after years of delays, accused of killing Veronica Abouchuck and Kathleen Henry – both Alaska Native women who had experienced homelessness, and both from small villages in western Alaska.
It’s believed Abouchuck died in 2017 or 2018, while Henry died in September 2019.
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Henry’s murder hit headlines after an SD card containing disturbing content was handed over to police – who recognised Smith’s voice.
The memory card had been found by a woman who had been picked up by Smith for a ‘date’ near downtown Anchorage, and was left alone in his truck.
The unnamed woman, who had a criminal history of theft, assault, and prostitution - at first claimed she had stumbled across it in the street, but later admitted she had stolen it.
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However, she could never have been prepared for what she found on the device, which had 39 photos and 12 videos saved.
Gruesome photos and videos showed a woman being beaten and strangled at a Marriott hotel.
“In my movies, everybody always dies,” a voice says in one clip.
"What are my followers going to think of me? People need to know when they are being serial-killed.”
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Police recognised the voice as that of South Africa native Smith, who they knew from a prior investigation.
As he was interrogated about the murder captured on film, authorities said he shared further incriminating information with police as they escorted him to the bathroom.
“With no prompting, he tells the troopers in the bathroom, ‘I’m going to make you famous,’” District Attorney Brittany Dunlop said during a court hearing last week.
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“He comes back in and says ... ‘You guys got some more time? You want to keep talking?’ And then discloses this other murder.”
Smith is in custody at the Anchorage Correctional Facility, with his trial expected to last three to four weeks.
He has pleaded not guilty to 14 charges, including first and second-degree murder, sexual assault and tampering with evidence.
According to the Associated Press, prosecutors have suggested closing the courtroom to prevent the public seeing the horrific content from the memory card.
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“These were two Alaska Native women,” Dunlop said in 2019 after Smith was charged, when she was then the assistant district attorney.
“And I know that hits home here in Alaska, and we’re cognizant of that. We treat them with dignity and respect.”
Jess Hardiman