Gruesome Digital Memory Card Leads to Double Murder Trial in Alaska

Double Murder Trial Set to Begin

Anchorage, Alaska – A woman's act of stealing a digital memory card, which contained distressing recordings, has led to a double murder trial set to begin this week in Alaska. The woman, with a history of theft, assault, and prostitution, took the memory card from a truck and discovered gruesome photos and videos of a woman being beaten and strangled at a Marriott hotel. The recordings became key evidence in the trial of Brian Steven Smith, a South Africa native who has pleaded not guilty to 14 charges including first- and second-degree murder, sexual assault, and tampering with evidence.

The Victims and the Murders

The victims, Kathleen Henry and Veronica Abouchuk, both Alaska Native women who had experienced homelessness, were tragically murdered. Kathleen Henry, 30, and Veronica Abouchuk, 52, were from small villages in western Alaska – Eek and Stebbins, respectively. Authorities stated that Henry was the victim depicted in the recordings made at the TownePlace Suites by Marriott in Anchorage. Smith was registered at the hotel from September 2 to September 4, 2019, and the recordings showing the victim's body were time-stamped at about 1 a.m. on September 4.

Discovery of the Memory Card

Around a week after stealing the SD card, the woman turned it over to the police. The voice in the recordings was identified as that of Brian Steven Smith. Notably, the last images on the memory card showed Henry's body in the back of a black pickup, with location data indicating that Smith's phone was in the vicinity where her body was found several weeks later.

Smith's Confession

During an interrogation about the Marriott case, Smith confessed to another murder. He provided details to the authorities, leading them to identify Veronica Abouchuk as the second victim and locate her remains along the Old Glenn Highway north of Anchorage. The incorrect identification of another body as Abouchuk's in 2018 was rectified with the information Smith provided, confirming that the skull found was indeed that of Abouchuk.

Legal Proceedings

Smith's attorney sought to exclude the evidence from the digital memory card at trial, arguing that its provenance and authenticity could not be adequately demonstrated. However, the judge ruled that the recordings can be properly authenticated, and the woman who initially stole the memory card can testify about her possession of it until she handed it over to the police.

Family Responses

The families of the victims have chosen to remain private, declining to speak publicly or respond to media requests. Smith's wife and a sister acting as a family spokesperson in South Africa have also chosen not to comment until after the trial.

Upcoming Trial

The trial, expected to last three to four weeks, was scheduled to begin with jury selection. Despite prosecutors' suggestion of closing the courtroom to prevent the public from viewing the videos, the presiding judge has stated that the trial will be open to the public, albeit with precautions to prevent the distressing recordings from being seen by those in the gallery or watching the trial's livestream