Man accused of documenting woman’s killing pleads not guilty

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A man accused of documenting the killing of a woman on a camera memory card has pleaded not guilty.

Brian Steven Smith didn’t speak during an arraignment that lasted about a minute Wednesday. A public defender entered his pleas for him.

Smith faces charges of murder, sexual assault and evidence tampering in the death of 30-year-old Kathleen Henry.

Her body was found near the highway south of Anchorage Oct. 2. A few days earlier, a woman walking in Anchorage found a memory card titled, “Homicide at midtown Marriott.” Police say the card had 39 photos and 12 videos. The videos show a man beating and strangling a woman, telling her to die and laughing.

The man’s accent on the tapes helped lead police to Smith, who is from South Africa.