Episode 320 — Sword and Scale

Summary of transcript

Overview

This episode covers the investigation, arrest, trial, and sentencing of Brian Steven Smith, a South African immigrant convicted of brutal murders and sexual assaults of homeless Indigenous women in Anchorage, Alaska. The case began when a homeless woman, Valerie Kastler, found an SD card containing videos and photos of a woman being tortured and murdered; that evidence led detectives to identify the victim (Kathleen Henry), link the crime to Brian Smith, and ultimately uncover additional victims and crimes. The episode also explores systemic failures that leave Indigenous and unhoused people vulnerable.

Key points & main takeaways

• Discovery and evidence
  • Valerie Kastler found an SD card showing graphic torture and murder footage; she eventually reported it to police.
  • The SD card contained photos of a hotel room, a truck with a partial plate, and videos with an identifiable voice and shoes.
• Identification and investigation
  • A U.S. marshal recognized the victim as Kathleen Henry; her remains were later found near Seward Highway.
  • Homicide Detective David Cordy linked the footage and other evidence to Brian Steven Smith (truck plate, voice, timestamps, GPS data).
  • Multi-agency coordination (Anchorage PD, FBI, Homeland Security, U.S. Marshals) led to Smith’s arrest at D.C. baggage claim.
• Perpetrator behavior and victims
  • Smith targeted vulnerable women—primarily Indigenous and unhoused—who were unlikely to be immediately missed.
  • Prior interactions included showing graphic videos to a former partner (Alicia Youngblood) as part of kinky/fantasy exchanges; later evidence showed those were real.
  • Smith admitted (variously) to multiple killings and led police to other dump sites, implicating at least two murdered women (Kathleen Henry and Veronica Abowchuk) and possibly a third (Cassandra Boskovski, missing and later declared legally dead).
• Legal outcome
  • Smith was indicted on many charges (rape, murder, sexual assault, tampering with a corpse, etc.), tried, found guilty on all 14 counts, and sentenced to 226 years in prison (including consecutive 99-year sentences for first-degree murders).
  • Federal charges were later filed to revoke his naturalization for false statements on immigration forms.
• Broader issues highlighted
  • The episode emphasizes how homeless Indigenous women in Alaska are disproportionately victimized and frequently overlooked by systems that should protect them.
  • The case underscores the importance of unusual or reluctant witnesses (Valerie) and digital evidence (SD card, phone data) in solving violent crimes.

Notable quotes & insights

• Promotional / thematic: “Truth and Treason — Because courage is contagious.”
• From the killer (recorded on video): “In my movies, sadly, everyone dies. I get the Oscar, bitch.”
• Victim-safety/systemic critique (host commentary): “Kathleen Henry and Veronica Abowchuk weren't just murdered — they were failed.”
• Stat cited: Indigenous women in Alaska are murdered at rates purportedly 10 times higher than the national average (episode highlights extreme disparity).
• Local homelessness stat (from episode context): 9,524 people registered with programs; 47.3% were Alaskan Natives despite Natives comprising ~15.6% of population.

Topics discussed

• Graphic homicide evidence found on an SD card
• Police investigation techniques (forensics, GPS/timestamp, cadaver dogs, phone data)
• Victim identification and discovery of remains
• Perpetrator patterns: targeting, documenting, performing for camera
• Sexual violence, sadism, and the role of fantasy vs. reality
• Systemic neglect: homelessness, Indigenous vulnerability, missing persons
• Legal process: arrest, interrogation, indictment, trial, sentencing
• Immigration/naturalization fraud charges tied to criminal history
• Role of witnesses who are reluctant due to homelessness or distrust of police

Action items & recommendations

For listeners, advocates, and policymakers:

• For the public
  • Take reports from marginalized people seriously; unusual evidence (found media, photos) should be reported.
  • If you find digital media that may contain criminal evidence, preserve it and notify law enforcement rather than discarding it.
• For law enforcement & agencies
  • Improve outreach and trust-building with unhoused communities so vulnerable witnesses will come forward sooner.
  • Prioritize missing person investigations for marginalized groups; use cross-agency data matches (corrections, shelters, DMV) proactively.
  • Train investigators to recognize patterns in digital evidence (timestamps, GPS, vehicle IDs) and link related cases.
• For policymakers & community organizations
  • Strengthen protections, shelter capacity, and safety measures for Indigenous and unhoused populations.
  • Invest in prevention and wraparound services to reduce cycles of homelessness, incarceration, and victimization.
  • Improve interagency data sharing and missing-persons tracking for at-risk subpopulations.
• For media and researchers
  • Highlight systemic patterns and statistics alongside individual cases to push for structural change.

Trigger warning

The episode contains graphic descriptions and audio of sexual violence, torture, and murder. Listener discretion is advised.

Bottom line

This episode tells a harrowing story of predation on society’s most vulnerable, how chance (an SD card found by a homeless woman) and determined investigative work exposed a serial predator, and how systemic neglect contributes to the risk and invisibility of Indigenous and unhoused women. The case resulted in a lengthy prison sentence for Brian Steven Smith, but the episode argues the underlying social failures that enabled the crimes remain unresolved.