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Updated October 22nd, 2019 at 15:14 IST

Midtown Marriott: Distinctive accent on torture video solves a murder

Midtown Marriott murder suspect Brian Steven Smith directly led the police to him with his distinctive South African accent in the video shot during murder

Reported by: Ruchit Rastogi
Midtown Marriott
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A suspect in a murder case in the city of Anchorage in Alaska, led the police directly to him by first losing a memory card titled 'Homicide at Midtown Marriott' that had the recording of the murder of the Alaskan woman and then by making the blunder of speaking in the video in his distinctive South African accent.

"Homicide at midtown Marriott"

The 48-year-old South African Brian Steven Smith was arrested on October 8 for the murdering a 30-year-old Alaskan native woman identified as Kathleen Henry which he allegedly videotaped and stored on a digital memory card labeled 'Homicide at midtown Marriot'. 

The memory card was found on a street by an unnamed woman who then turned it over to the concerned authorities. What they saw in the tape can be termed "very horrific". In the video, Smith told the victim that he was getting tired and then killed her by stomping her throat with his right foot. 

While the detectives were watching the disturbing video, they came across a very important clue — the South African accent of a suspect, Brian Steven Smith, from a different case. The clue led to the arrest of Smith, who then pleaded not guilty in relation to Henry's murder.

Read: 9-year-old Arraigned On Murder, Arson Charges In Deaths Of 5

Another shocking confession

After he was arrested, Smith gave a statement in which he confessed to having shot another local woman identified as Veronica Abouchuk who reportedly went missing in the month of February 2019. Smith then told the detectives that he had left Abouchuk's body in an area where the authorities had discovered a skull with a bullet wound. On October 21, he pleaded not guilty to the charges of killing Veronica Abouchuk.

Read: Man Missing After Spiritual Quest To Alaska’s Hatcher Pass

$2 million bail

In an official statement, the state authorities stated that the bodies of the victims were dumped like garbage on the roadside while seeking a $2 million bail against charges such as first and second-degree murder and tampering of crucial evidence. If Smith is convicted of the accusations against him then he would be awarded a jail term of 99 years as Alaska does not have a provision of a death penalty.

"Missing and murdered indigenous women" movement

During his court hearing, two women identified as Joanne Sakar and Natasha Gamache, had red hands painted across their faces to protest poor investigation and prosecution of perpetrators of crimes against Alaska Native women. They were a part of the "Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women" movement which aims to bring to light the level of violence that indigenous women endure and how the criminal justice system lacks enthusiasm in handling them.

Read: 'Fugitive Goat' Captured For Evading Law Enforcement In Alaska

"A very normal scenario"

According to the authorities, Brian Steven Smith had come to Anchorage 5 years ago and had married a local woman by the name of Stephanie Bissland. After her husband's arrest, Bissland while speaking to a local media outlet said that it was very normal for memory cards to be strewn around as Brian worked on cameras and other gears. However, she added that she never saw any of the memory cards having any title or label on them.

Read: Alaska: Bear Photobombing Two Fishermen At Katmai National Park Trends

(With inputs from agencies)

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Published October 22nd, 2019 at 13:48 IST

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