WATCH: SA man speaks out about 226-year prison sentence
· The South African
In one of the most shocking crime stories from the last decade, Brian Steven Smith was sentenced to 226 years in prison for the gruesome murders of two Alaska Native women, concluding a case that shocked the world with its depravity.
The South African native was convicted of first-degree murder, sexual assault, and tampering with evidence.
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The investigation began when a woman stole Smith’s phone from his truck and discovered a memory card containing horrific videos and photos. The footage captured Smith torturing and strangling 30-year-old Kathleen Jo Henry in an Anchorage hotel room, while narrating the act in his distinctive accent and stating, “In my movies, everybody always dies.”
After his arrest, Smith confessed to investigators that he had shot and killed a second victim, 52-year-old Veronica Abouchuk, a year prior.
Brian Steven Smith convicted of brutal murders
Veronica Abouchuk (52): Murdered in July 2018. Her family officially reported her missing in February 2019, several months after they last saw her.
Kathleen Jo Henry (30): Murdered on September 4, 2019. This was the horrific crime that Smith recorded on his phone at the TownePlace Suites by Marriott in midtown Anchorage.
During the emotional sentencing hearing, Superior Court Judge Kevin Saxby emphasised the total dehumanisation of the victims, stating that Smith’s actions were “the stuff of nightmares.”
Judge Saxby noted that the maximum sentence was necessary to guarantee Smith could never harm anyone again.
Towards the end of 2024, Smith gave an interview from prison, where he sought to present ‘his side of the story’. It is harrowing viewing.