Arrest made after stray memory card found on street with photos, video of murder: report

Authorities in Anchorage, Alaska, have arrested and charged a suspect with the murder of a woman whose remains were found on the side of a local highway after a stray SD card was turned in with what appeared to be photos and videos of the killing.

NBC reports that 48-year-old Brian Smith was charged with first-degree murder after the Anchorage Police Department was given a memory card that was found on the street by a local resident.

The SD card was labeled “homicide at Midtown Marriott” and contained 39 grisly images and 12 videos which authorities believe shows the unidentified woman’s murder.

The images reportedly show a woman being strangled and a man’s voice saying “just…die” can be heard in a video.{mosads}

Authorities did not say why they believed the SD card was found in the street, but said Smith likely recorded the video and images himself. Smith, who is from South Africa, has a distinct accent which authorities said they recognized when they heard it in videos. He was already being investigated in relation to a separate case.

The SD card was turned in two days before the unidentified woman’s remains were found on the side of a highway.

Police were then able to trace Smith’s cellphone to the spot where the woman’s body was found, and placed his visit within minutes of the timestamp on the last image on the SD card.

A medical examiner is reportedly working to confirm whether the identity of the victim and the woman on the memory card are the same. They have yet to officially confirm cause of death.