Suspected in murder of two women
Brian Steven Smith, an immigrant from South Africa, was arrested this week for the suspected murder of two Alaskan women.
Smith, who has lived in Alaska for five years and recently became a naturalized American citizen, confessed to both murders after his arrest. Both of the women were native Alaskans, and not of European descent.
Smith was charged with the murders of Kathleen Jo Henry and Veronica Abouchuk. Henry’s remains were found in October this year, while Abouchuk was killed in 2018.
Smith had also allegedly tortured and beaten the women before he killed them. Although there has been a wave of murders and sexual assaults of native Alaskan and Canadian women in the two jurisdictions, but police declined to link Smith to these other crimes.
He is currently being held on bail of $750 000.