Sword and Scale – Episode 320 (October 4, 2025)

Podcast: Sword and Scale
Host: Mike Boudet
Theme: The episode investigates the case of Brian Steven Smith, a serial predator who targeted vulnerable Alaskan Native women living on the fringes of society in Anchorage. Through shocking audio, interviews, and case files, the podcast exposes how systemic neglect made these women the perfect prey—and how Smith was ultimately brought to justice thanks to a chance discovery of a lost SD card.

Overview

This episode centers on the tragic and horrifying murders of Alaska Native women in Anchorage, highlighting not only the grisly details of Brian Steven Smith’s crimes but also the social failures that allowed such violence to persist. It's a classic Sword and Scale story—gritty, raw, and a scathing critique of how society treats its most vulnerable people.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Anchorage's Dark Underbelly

• A Different Kind of Frontier: Host Mike Boudet sets the stage by describing Anchorage as a city caught between modernity and dangerous wilderness—with violence, addiction, and homelessness thriving in the shadows ([01:33]).
• Vulnerable Populations: Alaska Native people, especially unhoused women, are overrepresented among the homeless population. Their invisibility to society makes them easy targets ([03:58]).
  • “A population visible and invisible at the same time, ignored until something terrible happens.” – Mike Boudet ([03:58])
• Systemic Failures: Generational trauma, displacement, and poverty exacerbate risks, with violent crime against Native women running rampant and often uninvestigated.

A Chilling Discovery: The SD Card

• The Find: Valerie Kastler, a homeless woman, finds an SD card with “Homicide” scrawled on it. She’s traumatized by what she sees—a woman being tortured and murdered ([04:49]).
  • “There ain’t no music on that card. It shows some really sick shit on there. And it’s been freaking me out, okay? Because I can’t seem to get the pictures out of my head.” – Valerie Kastler ([08:08])
• Skepticism and Trauma: Valerie is reluctant to come forward, unsure if the video is real and distrustful of the police because of her own experiences ([10:10]).
• Direct Evidence: The SD card contains photos and videos of the abuse and killing of a woman later identified as Kathleen Henry—beaten, tortured, strangled, and filmed for an unseen audience ([13:20]).

Identifying the Victims

• Kathleen Henry: Her battered, decomposed remains are found weeks later. She’s revealed to be one of many Native women who cycled through shelters and the criminal justice system, then simply “disappeared” ([14:03]).
• Veronica Abouchuk: Smith later confesses to her murder as well; she, too, was a homeless Native woman reported missing but never identified.

The Predator: Brian Steven Smith

• A Pattern of Predation: Smith, a South African immigrant, frequented Anchorage’s homeless districts seeking victims. He is described as calculated and remorseless, targeting those society ignores ([47:30]).
• Disturbing Relationships: Alicia Youngblood, a previous girlfriend, describes their rough sex and Smith’s confessions of murder, which she initially believed could be fantasies—only to realize, horrifically, they were real ([19:52], [21:30]).
  • “He said he was standing over her like this, and he felt like a…hunter…like a lion over a zebra. He just felt so empowered.” – Alicia Youngblood ([20:23])
• The Hunt and Selection: Smith admits to police that most of the women he picked up were Indigenous and homeless, a result, he says, of “coincidence” ([48:52]).

The Police Investigation & Interrogation

• Connecting the Dots: Detectives notice the similarities between Smith and the unknown killer: matching voice, accent, truck, and shoes seen in the SD card media ([27:55], [29:56]).
• Smith’s Demeanor: In interviews, Smith is calm and claims amnesia, even when confronted with the evidence ([40:41], [41:52]).
  • “That’s my…it sounds like my voice. I’ve got a unique voice.” – Brian Steven Smith ([41:52])
• Partial Confession: He finally admits to dumping a body and confesses to another murder, almost casually ([57:09]).
  • “She was smelly and wouldn’t take a shower…I just did it. And I…shot her.” – Brian Steven Smith ([57:10])

The Impact on Families and Justice System

• Courtroom Trauma: Graphic videos are shown to juries and heard by victim families, leaving many traumatized but delivering a rare sense of closure ([65:03]).
• Systemic Indictment: The episode underscores how these murders are symptoms of Alaska’s systemic neglect—race, homelessness, and gender intersecting to leave so many women invisible until it’s too late ([70:12]).

Lapses & Loopholes in Justice

• A “Friend” Unpunished: A man with whom Smith shared his crimes in text messages never faced charges ([67:41]).
  • “I get Canceled for a meme. But this asshole’s walk around society doing just fine.” – Mike Boudet ([67:58])
• Deportation: Smith faces additional federal charges for unlawfully obtaining citizenship, reinforcing the irony of immigration controls only acting after horrific crimes ([70:12]).

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Homelessness and Vulnerability:
  “A problem we’ve talked about here many times. Homelessness, Alaska Native women disappearing.” – Mike Boudet ([01:33])

• On Witnessing Atrocity:
  “And on one of them, he even told her, hey, you ain’t leaving this hotel alive. You’re gonna end up making me murder you. And I was like, holy shit.” – Valerie Kastler ([06:03])

• On Societal Neglect:
  “Kathleen Henry’s life didn’t end the day she was murdered. It ended long before that, when the world stopped seeing her.” – Mike Boudet ([14:03])

• On Smith's Mindset:
  “He said when she died everything released…he made his mouth like this and grabbed my finger and said that’s what it felt like.” – Alicia Youngblood ([21:01])

• On Targeting the Vulnerable:
  “If you pick up somebody in the dark of the night…These are the type of people that are perfect for this.” – Detective Lee ([47:05])

• Smith as Performer:
  “In my movies, everyone dies. I get the Oscar, bitch. Only me.” – Brian Steven Smith, video played in court ([61:06])

• On Justice and Systemic Failure:
  “Brian Smith is behind bars. But the crisis is far from over. Justice for his victims doesn’t fix the real problem.” – Mike Boudet ([70:12])

Important Segment Timestamps

• 01:33 – Introduction to the Anchorage context and vulnerable populations
• 04:49 – Valerie Kastler finds the SD card
• 13:20 – Forensic identification of Kathleen Henry
• 19:52 – Alicia Youngblood recounts Smith’s fantasies and confessions
• 27:55 – Police start connecting evidence to Brian Smith
• 36:32 – Police interrogate Brian Smith
• 41:52 – Smith confronted with his voice on the recording
• 47:30 – Smith’s pattern of targeting homeless Native women
• 53:24 – Smith confesses to more murders
• 61:06 – Playing the graphic murder video in court
• 70:12 – Analysis of justice, aftermath, and the unresolved crisis

Concluding Insights

• The episode presents a damning portrait of how Alaska’s most at-risk women become prey to predatory men, ignored until tragedy strikes.
• Sword and Scale’s mix of raw audio, interviews, and lurid narration draw the listener into a world where the reality of evil is undeniable and the failure of society is inescapable.
• Even as justice is done, the final takeaway is one of anguish—unless American institutions change, there will be more “Kathleen Henrys” vanishing and unmourned.

Final Note

This harrowing episode is not for the faint of heart. It is a powerful—and deeply disturbing—exploration of violence, vulnerability, and societal failure. “The worst monsters are real.”