In a shocking turn of events, prosecutors have unveiled images of a potential third victim in the case of Brian Smith, a convicted serial killer responsible for the deaths of two Alaska Native women. These photos, extracted from one of Smith's cellphones, were presented in a sentencing memorandum filed recently, just before Smith's upcoming sentencing hearings set to commence on Friday morning.

The photographs depict a woman, potentially of Alaska Native descent, lying on the ground, covered in blood and dirt, appearing either dead or unconscious. Prosecutors included these images in the sentencing memo to strengthen their argument. They were seized from a cellphone that Anchorage police detectives confiscated from Smith at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport back in 2019 while he was returning from vacation.

It has been nearly five years since the photos were discovered, and law enforcement officials are still unable to identify the woman in question. To assist in her identification, a forensic artist's sketch, based on a facial reconstruction of the cellphone images, has been included in the court filing.

Anchorage District Attorney Brittany Dunlop stated via email that efforts have been ongoing to identify the woman. Typically, crime scene photos are not released during an ongoing investigation, but in this instance, Dunlop believed they were essential for the court to comprehend the full pattern of Smith's behavior. Although the images are disturbing, with blood and the woman lying in a vulnerable position, they show her fully clothed.

Criticism has arisen from former Anchorage police officer Michael Livingston, who is also actively involved in Alaska's Missing and Murdered Indigenous People movement. Livingston expressed disappointment that more extensive efforts were not made to identify the woman in 2019. He suggested that if an artist's sketch had been released earlier, the woman might have been identified by now. Livingston also raised concerns about the release of the actual photos, implying a lack of respect for the victim and questioning whether they would have been made public if she were white.

Timothy Ayer, Smith's defense attorney, has objected to the utilization of the images during the sentencing phase. Ayer argued in a memorandum that the prosecution lacks information about the person in the photographs and cannot confirm whether they are genuine or staged. Additionally, Ayer took issue with the prosecution's recommended 226-year sentence, proposing that a more fitting punishment would be 132 years. However, he stated that both sentences would essentially ensure Smith remains imprisoned for the rest of his life.

Brian Smith, originally from South Africa, resided in Anchorage and worked at a Midtown hotel. In February, a jury found him guilty on all 14 counts, including first-degree murder, related to the deaths of Veronica Abouchuk and Kathleen Jo Henry. Smith confessed during police interviews that he specifically targeted vulnerable Alaska Native women grappling with homelessness.

During Smith's trial, jurors were shown a graphic video of Kathleen Jo Henry struggling for breath, while Smith's voice taunted her, complaining about the time it was taking for her to die. The video was extracted from a different cellphone that had been stolen by a sex worker during a meeting with Smith. The woman later handed it over to authorities after copying the footage onto a memory card. This critical evidence linked Smith to the murder of Henry as well as the death of Veronica Abouchuk, whose remains were discovered outside Anchorage.

The sentencing hearings for Brian Smith will take place over two days, with the proceedings scheduled for Friday, July 12, and a week later on Friday, July 19. The accused will face Anchorage Superior Court Judge Kevin Saxby as the court determines the appropriate sentence for his heinous crimes.