1. Jury watches woman’s death in Brian Smith murder trial
2. Jury witnesses woman’s demise in Brian Smith murder case.
By Trend News Line 2024-02-13 00:50:38.
Anchorage Jury Shown Disturbing Video Evidence in Murder Trial
An Anchorage courtroom witnessed a harrowing scene on Monday when a jury was shown video evidence that prosecutors claim depict the final moments of a woman’s life. The victim, 30-year-old Kathleen Jo Henry, was allegedly strangled to death and subjected to severe beatings and torture. The presiding Judge, Kevin Saxby, expressed his disgust, stating that the videos not only robbed Henry of her life but also her dignity.
The evidence consists of 39 images and 12 videos retrieved from an SD card, which Anchorage police say capture the murder committed by Brian Smith. Smith, who was arrested over four years ago, now faces 14 charges, including first- and second-degree murder, assault, and tampering with evidence. The trial began last week and is expected to last three to four weeks.
In addition to Henry’s murder, Smith confessed to shooting 53-year-old Veronica Abouchuk sometime between 2017 and 2018. Abouchuk’s remains were discovered near the Old Glenn Highway, where law enforcement recovered a skull with a gunshot wound.
The case gained national attention after a good Samaritan discovered a memory card labeled “Homicide at midtown Marriott” near an Anchorage Carrs store. The Samaritan, Valerie Casler, later admitted to stealing Smith’s phone and transferring media to the SD card.
During the trial, Detective Brendan Lee from the Anchorage Police Department described the disturbing content of the videos before allowing the jurors to view them. Smith, seated in court, watched the videos with his hands clasped in his lap, while Henry’s family and Smith’s wife looked on.
The videos portrayed Smith touching Henry inappropriately, strangling her, and subjecting her to various forms of abuse. At one point, Smith even sang a song while choking her. Detective Lee testified that in one video, Smith repeatedly kicked Henry’s stomach and vagina while uttering chilling words, “You live, you die, you live, you die. Sadly, in my movies, everyone dies.”
The jury, visibly affected by the unsettling images, listened intently as the evidence unfolded before them. The trial is set to continue, with Smith’s cross-examination anticipated in the coming days.
To follow the trial proceedings, visit Alaska’s News Source’s website for a live stream of the trial, scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. from Monday to Thursday.
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– “Jury watches woman’s death in Brian Smith murder trial”
– “Jury witnesses woman’s demise in Brian Smith murder case”.