
Alaska Native Women's Killer Convicted on All Charges
A South African man, Brian Steven Smith, was found guilty of first-degree murder for killing two Alaska Native women, Kathleen Henry and Veronica Abouchuk, and was also convicted of multiple counts of sexual assault. Smith was arrested after a woman stole his cellphone and discovered a gruesome video of Henry's death. The jury found the murder involved "substantial physical torture," subjecting Smith to a mandatory 99-year sentence. The victims, both from small villages in western Alaska, had experienced homelessness, and the graphic videos were shown to the jury during the trial. Smith's sentencing is scheduled for July.
