A shocking discovery of gruesome murder footage on a stolen mobile phone has led to the arrest and conviction of Brian Steven Smith from South Africa in the US. The disturbing footage, found by an unidentified woman in 2019, showed the violent deaths of two Alaska Native women - Kathleen Henry, aged 30, who was murdered in September 2019, and Veronica Abouchuk, aged 52, who was killed in 2017 or 2018.

Smith was found guilty of first and second-degree murder, tampering with evidence, and sexual assault, following a jury verdict on Thursday in Alaska. The prosecution described the graphic videos showing Smith strangling Ms. Henry, stepping on her throat and stomach, as well as poking her in the eye. Smith's South African accent in the videos was also highlighted by the Anchorage Deputy District Attorney Heather Nobrega.

Investigators found that Smith had stayed at the TownePlace Suites by Marriot, where one of the murders took place in 2019. Smith was reported to have driven around with Ms. Henry's body in the back of his pickup for two days before dumping it on a rural road south of Anchorage, resulting in her strangulation. Furthermore, Smith admitted to the murder of Ms. Abouchuk, stating that he shot her in the head after she refused to take a shower while at his home.

The woman who found the incriminating footage initially provided conflicting stories about how she came into possession of the memory card containing the gruesome videos. She handed the card to the police in 2019, first claiming she found it labeled "Murder at the Midtown Marriott" on the ground, then changing her story to saying she stole it from Smith's truck during what she described as a "date." Smith's defense attorney discredited the woman's account as unreliable, calling her a habitual liar.

Despite Smith pleading guilty to all 14 charges, including two counts of first-degree murder, the jury ultimately convicted him on Thursday.