Federal prosecutors in Alaska are seeking to revoke the U.S. citizenship of Brian Steven Smith, a South African man convicted of killing two Alaska Native women, for lying on his naturalization application. Smith, 52, was found guilty earlier this year in the deaths of the two women, with chilling details emerging of him narrating as he recorded one woman dying. The video was stored on a phone stolen from his pickup, and later turned over to police. Prosecutors allege Smith falsely answered questions on his naturalization application about being involved in killing or hurting someone.
Smith’s naturalization could be revoked if he is convicted of illegally obtaining citizenship. No court date has been set for this case, and a request for comment from Smith’s public defender was not immediately returned. The two women he was convicted of killing were Kathleen Henry, 30, and Veronica Abouchuk, both of whom suffered torture and sexual assault at Smith’s hands. Henry’s body was found weeks after her death in September 2019 at a hotel where Smith worked, while Abouchuk died in either 2018 or 2019, with her body found north of Anchorage with a gunshot wound.
Smith, who arrived in Alaska in 2014, was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in the same month Henry was killed. He had specifically denied any involvement in killing or hurting someone on his naturalization application, despite the gruesome crimes he was later convicted of. Smith allegedly picked up Abouchuk while his wife was out of town, and upon her refusal to shower, shot her in the head and disposed of her remains. These chilling details emerged during the trial which led to Smith’s conviction on Feb. 22.
Following the conviction, Smith’s sentencing was scheduled for two consecutive Fridays in July, as Alaska does not have the death penalty. The case has shocked and horrified the community in Alaska, with the brutal details of the murders and Smith’s callous actions towards the victims coming to light during the trial. The prosecution’s move to revoke his citizenship adds another layer of legal proceedings to the heinous crimes Smith has committed and the justice being sought by the families of the victims. The case serves as a grim reminder of the importance of thorough background checks and truthful answers in the naturalization process.
