A Woman Stole a Phone from a Man's Truck. It Contained Graphic Images of a Murder, Leading to 2 Convictions

Brian Steven Smith, 52, a man hailing from South Africa, has been convicted of the murders of Kathleen Jo Henry, aged 30, and Veronica Abouchuk, aged 52.

Smith's arrest in 2019 came after a sex worker absconded with his phone, uncovering disturbing videos depicting him brutally assaulting and strangling Henry to death in an Anchorage hotel room. She meticulously transferred the evidence onto a memory card and promptly handed it over to the authorities, as reported by the Associated Press.

Kathleen Jo Henry, aged 30,left, and Veronica Abouchuk, aged 52.

During his custody, Smith confessed to the killing of Ms. Abouchuk, which occurred in 2018 or 2019.

While the trial spared the general public from viewing the distressing videos of Henry’s murder, the haunting audio, capturing her desperate gasps for air as she met her demise, reverberated throughout the courtroom.

Despite Smith's face being obscured in the footage, his distinct South African accent narrated the gruesome act as if addressing an audience.

"In my movies, everybody always dies," his voice echoed in the recordings. "What are my followers going to think of me? People need to know when they are being serial-killed."

Reportedly, Smith drove around with Henry's lifeless body in the bed of his pickup truck for two days before abandoning her remains on a roadside.

Convicted on two counts of first-degree murder along with multiple charges of sexual assault and evidence tampering, Smith faces a mandatory 99-year prison sentence for Henry's murder due to the evidence suggesting "substantial physical torture." Additionally, he faces a sentence ranging from 30 to 99 years for the death of Abouchuk.

His sentencing is scheduled for July.