A Quick Timeline of an Alaskan Serial Killer
This case is overwhelming, and will be updated as needed. Shout out to Alaska's own Kyle Hopkins investigative journalist bad ass, I appreciate the additional info and links shared.
GRAPHIC PHOTOS
February 2013 Smith and Bissland meet through online gaming.
March 2013 Smith and Bissland Skype together for 1st time.
July 2013 Smith proposes to Bissland.
July 10, 2013 Brian posts selfie picture, appears to be shirtless. He’s cleanshaven.
August 2013 Smith and Bissland meet in South Africa. She talks about it in a local SA newspaper.
https://www.iol.co.za/ios/news/durban-love-link-to-alaska-killing-suspect-42306391
March 24, 2014 Brian in DC with Stephanie. Brian posts this pic: “Stephanie and I at the Capital. Soon to be my new office.”
March 25, 2014 Smith and Stephanie in DC area. Stephanie posts photo of the two of them captioned “A Discussion by the Shenandoah River.”
March 27, 2014 Brian in Alaska with Stephanie “at Paul and Marlene’s cabin”.
April 2, 2014 Brian announces engagement on FB, Stephanie comments “Actually, we were engaged in September 2013.”
April 21, 2014 Stephanie posts this selfie with Smith at Turnagain Arm.
May 17, 2014 Smith and Stephanie Bissland are married in Anchorage, Alaska. She later describes his proposal to a SA newspaper.
https://www.iol.co.za/ios/news/durban-love-link-to-alaska-killing-suspect-42306391
“I first saw him rushing over to me in the Durban airport. We were both excited and happy and not awkward at all. The next day we drove to Estcourt and stayed in the guesthouse he managed. He proposed again on his knee,” she said.The couple shared their first proper date in a local steakhouse on the day she arrived.”
Stephanie posts a picture of the two of them, tagging Smith, and Carol A George at St. Mark Lutheran church in Anchorage.
December 25, 2014 Brian Steven Smith posts a photo.
Aug. 20, 2015 Stephanie posts pic of Smith standing in front of Emmonak School. The photo appears to have been taken at an earlier date and she is posting later. “A day of work at Emmonak AK.”
Dec. 4, 2015 Smith and Stephanie in Kodiak. “Last day at Auntie Dottie’s beautiful house in Kodiak.” Tags Smith, posts photo fo the two of them.
February 2016 (Smith and wife visit South Africa)
https://www.iol.co.za/ios/news/durban-love-link-to-alaska-killing-suspect-42306391
Independent (South Africa) story: In February 2016, the couple visited South Africa so Bissland could get to know his family and friends better. They traveled from Johannesburg to tour around the Southern Cape to Smith’s hometown, Queenstown, as well as East London, where he had lived and worked. “We had ‘us’ time along the route”, and they visited the Cango Caves, animal reserves, historic sites, stopping at small villages and stalls.
May 12, 2016 Stephanie Bissland marks upcoming anniversary with Brian Steven Smith.
Nov. 3, 2016 Stephanie and Smith in Hawaii.
January 26, 2017 Stephanie Bissland updates profile photo with Brian Steven Smith. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.bissland.3/posts/10154977587084158:0
April 16, 2017 Stephanie Bissland shares hunting post; tags relevant to life with Brian Steven Smith. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.bissland.3/posts/10155238274304158
Feb. 24, 2018 Stephanie tags Smith at photo at Westchester Lagoon. “Lovely, sunny ‘spring’ walk at Weschester”
March 25, 2018 Stephanie posts to FB indicating she and Smith saw a show together in Anchorage. “Throughly enjoyed seeing the finale of ‘Shakespeare in Hollywood.’”
May 13, 2018 A rambling Quora post What was it like to live in South Africa during apartheid by Brian Smith
Lived in South (1971–2013)
I grew up in the 70s and 80s under apartheid. I also spent 2 years in the SA Military. I grew up in a town called Queenstown that is situated between 2 homelands. Therefore I grew up in a majority black area. i grew up knowing that there were communist terrorists infiltrating the black communities. We often spent time in the black areas. Most of my friends were black and the people working with my father were black. My father was in the the construction industry and had many wealthy black business friends in the homelands. We once had to hide a black family in our home because the terrorists wanted to kill them for not giving them support. I was only 11 years old and it was my first exposure to the word ‘murder’. I still remember how frightened the kids were.
So basically I grew up around blacks and never new or was given the idea that all whites are bad and all blacks are victims. When I got to the military I learned what was going on. Then I understood what was meant by communist terrorists. I also witnessed my first necklacing. We were sent in to protect a black community near Bloemfontein. 3 communist ANC terrorists had started their process of intimidation in this community of about 100,000 people. Their first objective is to necklace anyone resisting them. We got there to late to save the woman that was necklaced. We were still getting off our vehicles and thought the terrorists were just burning some tires. As the fire lit we heard the screaming for about 15 seconds. At that point the woman’s throat and lungs would have been burned by the heat and she could not scream any more. She would also have been with past saving. We spent 3days hunting down the 3 terrorists and only caught 1. We all wanted to kill him because of how many blacks he had killed but the intelligence guys grabbed him away. After a week of cleaning up the burned bodies and vehicles we left. 2 weeks later the terrorists returned but were much less visible. They were at stage 2 which is converting business and community leaders directly. This must have been the stage were that black family had hidden in my home all those years before.
Today I look at international news footage of the township violence and understand exactly what is going on, but the footage is edited and then reported as the evil white military attacking the innocent blacks. Not one news report ever says that the apartheid military were sent into the black areas to protect the black people from the communists terrorists. You will also hardly see the many, many black soldiers that I was enrolled with. There was a huge number of blacks that volunteered to join the SA military so that they could fight to defend their communities. 32 Battalion and the SA Coloured Corps were the biggest I think. Therefore I understand why people have the misconception that it was white on black. There was also not as many deaths as the media portrayed. I think that more blacks die in Chicago every year than all the black political deaths during all the years of apartheid.
June 9, 2018 FB pic of Smith working on black truck.
“An acutal 2018 sunny day to be able to work on an engine” Stephanie Bissland posts picture of Smith working on the truck in Anchorage
July 2018 Veronica Abouchuk was last seen.
August 6, 2018 Veronica Abouchuk’s missing persons report is closed when her family is told she has passed, though this is later discovered to be incorrect.
August 14, 2018 Alicia Youngblood makes a call to Anchorage Crimestoppers after Smith shows her videos and images of a woman he had shot and sexually assaulted.
August 14 - September 19, 2018 Alicia is in near daily contact with Anchorage PD.
-Alicia contacted the police because she knew what he had shown her was real.
These are documents that show how the police handled her calls.
Police don’t take reports seriously. Case Closed. Without contacting Smith.
September 19, 2018: Alicia moves out of Alaska due to feeling unsafe, she is hoping that when she leaves APD will question Smith.
Sept. 25, 2018 (9 Quora posts, beware - lots of racism, aggression)
What does 2% North African mean in my DNA test?
The sad thing about this means that in my blood there are the genes of an evil black african racist slave trading murderer. I hope God does not judge me on this evil that raped its way into my DNA. Why is the Hologcaust regarded as the worst human rights tragedy when millions more Africans died during the African slave trade alongside the murders during Jim Crow, lynching, Aparthied
How would the Uniteed States be in 2016 if it never ahd slavery in its history?
In all honesty we must admit that the black population of the USA is a huge drain on resources. Welfare, housing, education, policing, politics, political correctness…. that money would help other sectors oh American life greatly.
December 2018 Shirley Skeek, 27, is last seen getting into a black truck outside Bean’s Cafe. https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/crime-courts/2019/12/30/anchorage-woman-whose-remains-were-found-months-after-she-went-missing-was-victim-of-a-homicide-troopers-say/
December 25, 2018 “5th Christmas” post from Stephanie Bissland with Brian Steven Smith.
Jan. 2, 2019 Shirley Skeek reported missing by her sister Amy Skeek.
February 2019 Veronica Abouchuk’s daughter files another missing person report for her mother since APD didn’t reopen the initial report.
April 10, 2019 Alaska State Troopers were notified about human remains found near mile 4.5 of the Old Glenn Highway. The remains were sent to the Medical Examiner.
May 27, 2019 human remains were found the evening of May 27 off the Seward Highway near the Hope cutoff, and were sent to the State Medical Examiner Office for autopsy and identification.
August 2019 Cassandra Lee Boskofsky is reported missing by her family.
September 4, 2019 SD-card images/videos timestamped 12:59 a.m.–2:52 a.m. (hotel room; luggage cart; black pickup).
September 4, 2019 Brian Steven Smith murders Kathleen Jo Henry.
September 6, 2019 Last truck-bed image 1:12 a.m.; Brian Steven Smith phone pings near Rainbow Valley Road; returns to Anchorage 1:24 a.m.
September 18, 2019 Valerie Casler takes Smith’s burner phone, finds evidence of his crimes, and turns the SD card over to police.
September 19, 2019 Cassandra Boskofsky is last seen. Smith takes photos of her when they are hanging out that night.
September 2019 Cassandra is reported missing.
September 30, 2019 SD card labeled “Homicide at midtown Marriott” turned in to police; Stephanie Bissland says they left for Virginia that day.
October 8, 2019 Brian Steven Smith arrested at the Anchorage airport, returning to town for work; during the interrogation he admits disposing of Kathleen Jo Henry and shooting Veronica Abouchuk, identifying Veronica Abouchuk from pictures; detectives contact Stephanie Bissland in Virginia (Paradiso).
October 8, 2019 Brian Steven Smith charged in case 3AN-19-09901CR.
Police find graphic photos of a woman at the time of his arrest on his phone. Smith claims “she was alive when he left her.”
October 11, 2019 The human remains found in April are identified as Veronica Abouchuk. Her remains are just a few hundred yards from where Alicia had brought APD for a search the year before.
October 14, 2019 Grand jury indicts Brian Steven Smith in Kathleen Jo Henry case.
October 17, 2019 Brian Steven Smith indicted in Veronica R. Abouchuk case; misdemeanor misconduct involving a corpse added.
October 19, 2019 Special finding: “substantial physical torture” re: Kathleen Jo Henry.
October 21, 2019 Brian Steven Smith arraigned; pleads not guilty.
December 30, 2019 Alaska State Troopers announce Shirley Skeek has been identified through dental records as the remains found on May 27, 2019 near the Hope Cutoff. https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/crime-courts/2019/12/30/anchorage-woman-whose-remains-were-found-months-after-she-went-missing-was-victim-of-a-homicide-troopers-say/
January 3, 2020 Shirley Skeeks family waits for answers. “I really hope that we can get some answers from forensics and find out who did this to her,” shares Amy Skeek in an article with the Juneau Empire. https://www.juneauempire.com/news/homicide-latest-in-string-of-tragedies-for-juneau-family/
March 3, 2020 Stephanie Bissland posts a photo with Brian Steven Smith.
July 14, 2021 Alicia Youngblood passes away at the age of 41.
February 5, 2024 The Brian Steven Smith’s trial starts. He is on trial for 14 counts, including two counts of Murder in the First, Sexual Assault in the Second Degree, Tampering with Physical Evidence and Misconduct Involving a Corpse. During the trial evidence is shown of messages between Ian Calhoun and Smith regarding Kathleen’s murder.
February 22, 2024 Smith is found guilty of all counts, deliberating an aggravator that Smith subjected Kathleen to substantial physical torture, which carries a mandatory 99 year sentence.
February 23, 2024 I find Valerie through a contact. She was expecting a call from the prosecutors after trial, they never called. I get to tell her about the guilty conviction. We celebrate her birthday and Smith’s conviction at lunch. We talk about the messages between Smith and Calhoun. She describes Calhoun to me. He frequents sex workers.
February 27, 2024 Detective Brandon says they are not pursuing charges against Ian Calhoun.
March 6, 2024 The first Protest to Arrest Ian Calhoun is held at the Nesbett Courthouse.
March 11, 2024 A change.org petition is started, Arrest Ian Calhoun NOW. To date is has over 6 thousand signatures.
March 15, 2024 A Protest to Arrest Ian Calhoun is held at APD Headquarters. Over the next year we will have countless protests across Anchorage as well as on Hillside across the street from his house.
July 3, 2024 Smith’s Sentencing Memorandum is filed in Anchorage court.
July 5, 2024 The Sentencing Memorandum is printed during a routine information pull of Smith’s case. There are three graphic photos and a composite forensic sketch of a woman in the filing. APD does not release this sketch to the public.
July 5, 2024 We look over the photos and sketch and reach out to APD in order to contact the family and confirm who we think it is.
July 6, 2024 Detective Brenden Lee at APD is contacted, noting the woman in the photos resembles Cassandra Lee Boskofsky. Detective Lee sends images to the Boskofsky family via Facebook Messenger, and they identify her.
July 9, 2024: Smith admits that if the police had contacted him, it would have prevented him from doing anything else.
July 12, 2024: Brian Steven Smith’s sentencing takes place. Judge Saxby is incorrectly informed that the woman in the photos has not been identified. Cassandra’s family is present, having identified her only days earlier. Smith is sentenced to 226 years in prison for the murders of Veronica Abouchuk and Kathleen Jo Henry.
July 22, 2024 Cassandra’s family files a civil death suit in Anchorage Alaska.
September 2, 2024 Cassandra’s presumptive death hearing is held, and a six-person jury unanimously rules Cassandra deceased, ruling her death as Death by Homicide.
September 2024 A missing person flyer and reward is offered for information on where Cassandra Boskofsky is.
October 8, 2024 Additional legal paperwork from investigators continues to state they do not know whether the woman in the photos is dead or alive. APD refuses to name the victim as Cassandra Lee Boskofsky. Smith has not been further questioned.
April 12, 2025 Antonia Commack, Michael Livingston, myself and Marcella Boskofsky-Grounds are presented with the First Amendment Award from the Alaska Press Club - “For advancing and brining to light the importance of the First Amendment freedoms through dogged investigation and citizen reporting on missing and murdered indigenous people. For playing an important role prying loose the veil of secrecy over a police invesitaion that should give us cause for concern - providing the public service of accountability.”
Alaska Press Club First Place - Best Blog - amberbatts.com “Five Years Forgotten in a Phone”.