In Anchorage protest, woman’s family says she is convicted killer Brian Smith’s third victim

2 months ago

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The family of a female whose photos Anchorage constabulary found connected a convicted killer’s phone deliberation she is yet different of his victims.

A assemblage convicted Brian Steven Smith of execution successful February for sidesplitting 2 Alaska Native women, and a judge successful mid-July sentenced him to 226 years down bars. In their sentencing memorandum, prosecutors included photos from 1 of Smith’s compartment phones showing different female who appeared to beryllium unconscious aliases dead, on pinch a forensic artist’s sketch of her.

Now, Cassandra Boskofsky’s family says she is nan female successful nan photos, and they want answers astir wherever her remains are located and why constabulary haven’t identified her arsenic Smith’s 3rd victim.

Protestors stood successful nan rainfall crossed from nan Anchorage Police Department astatine noon connected Friday. Their faces were stamped pinch reddish handprints, a awesome of solidarity successful nan Missing and Murdered Indigenous People movement.

They carried signs that said, “Where is Cassandra?” and “Bring Cassandra home.”

Raindrops streamed for illustration tears connected a poster-sized photograph of Cassandra Boskofsky’s face. She was 38 erstwhile her family reported her missing successful August 2019.

Detectives seized nan telephone from Smith, erstwhile they took him successful for questioning successful different case, astir a period aft Boskofsky disappeared.

That was almost 5 years ago. In February, a assemblage convicted Smith of nan murders of Kathleen Jo Henry and Veronica Abouchuk. Both were from distant coastal communities successful Western Alaska. Evidence successful Smith’s proceedings included video of him taunting and sidesplitting Henry.

Prosecutors said successful their sentencing memo that nan female successful nan recently released photos was apt different of Smith’s victims, and they utilized them to make a lawsuit for a harsher sentence. Their recommendations prevailed, pinch Smith receiving nan balanced of 2 life sentences.

But Cassandra Boskofsky’s family still wants justness for their loved one. Marcella Bofskofsky-Grounds is Cassandra’s cousin, and said they were raised together for illustration sisters erstwhile they were small. It was Bofskofsky-Grounds who reported her missing, soon aft her disappearance successful 2019.

Bofskofsky-Grounds said she doesn’t understand why constabulary kept nan photos a concealed for truthful agelong and why they waited to stock them only days earlier Smith was sentenced. She said she recognized Cassandra instantly and felt shocked, distraught and angry pinch police.

“She didn’t matter. That’s really I felt, for illustration she didn’t matter to them,” Bofskofsky-Grounds said, “because they only brought it up to our attention, a week earlier his sentencing.”

So far, Anchorage constabulary person not confirmed that nan unidentified female successful Smith’s compartment telephone photos is Cassandra Boskofsky.

It’s nan department’s argumentation not to remark connected progressive investigations, according to APD Detective Brendan Lee. Police effort to debar contacting a victim’s family until they person beingness evidence, to debar causing them condolences complete a lawsuit of mistaken identity, he said.

“APD takes nan families affected into relationship and does not want to springiness accusation until it is 100% confirmed,” Lee said successful an email. “Telling a family personnel that a loved 1 is missing aliases deceased without being 100% meticulous tin beryllium conscionable arsenic mentally detrimental to them.”

MMIP activistic Antonia Commack isn’t satisfied pinch that explanation. Once nan photos and nan artist’s sketch went public, it was easy to place nan images connected Smith’s compartment phone, Commack said.

“I knew of a batch of (MMIP) cases statewide, and I knew, I knew immediately, that that was Cassandra,” she said. “When regular group tin conscionable look astatine a photograph and place it immediately, that’s really mediocre investigation.”

Police should beryllium held accountable for their nonaccomplishment to act, Commack said. If they had made an artist’s sketch of Smith’s unfortunate nationalist soon aft they recovered nan photograph of nan chartless female connected his phone, Boskofsky mightiness person been identified a agelong clip ago, she said.

But there’s often much going connected down nan scenes than constabulary tin stock pinch nan public, Lee said.

“APD does not springiness retired each specifications astir ongoing investigations successful bid to sphere nan investigation and not discuss it,” Lee said.

Cassandra Boskofsky’s aunt, Terrie Boskofsky, was 1 of astir 8 family members astatine nan protestation who chanted, “Where is Cassandra?” and “Justice for Cassandra.”

Her connection to police: Their activity is acold from over.

“I want them to thief find nan remains,” she said, “so we tin put her to rest.”

Grief complete Cassandra is widespread, she said.

“She came from a very ample family, Terrie Boskofsky said. “She had 14 aunts and uncles connected my side.”

Cassandra was raised successful Ouzinkie and Old Harbor, 2 communities adjacent Kodiak, wherever she has dozens of extended family members who will consciousness her loss, made much achy by knowing nan difficulties she faced passim her full life. Cassandra mislaid her mother successful an ATV mishap erstwhile she was small, and arsenic an adult, her family said, she struggled pinch addiction. She had 7 children, and each were adopted out.

But contempt that, different aunt, Lisa Ann Christiansen, said group loved her niece for her bully qualities, for illustration nan measurement she enjoyed nan outdoors and helping others.

“She had really pretty, dark, agelong hair,” Christiansen said. “Dark eyes. The precocious cheekbones. Dimples. Just beautiful.”

Cassandra enjoyed showing disconnected pictures of her children, Christiansen said.

“You know, she loved her family,” she said. “Even though she didn’t person her kids, she loved them.”

People ever hoped Cassandra would yet move her life around, Christiansen said, but Smith cheated her of that opportunity to find her way.

Smith, who moved to Alaska from South Africa, worked astatine a Midtown Anchorage edifice arsenic a attraction man. During his trial, nan assemblage saw a video Smith made of torturing and sidesplitting Kathleen Henry successful a room astatine nan hotel. In an question and reply pinch police, he admitted that he specifically targeted susceptible women, who could beryllium lured distant pinch offers of alcohol, nutrient aliases shelter. The Carrs market shop connected Gambell Street was 1 of his preferred spots to prime up women.

MMIP activists person offered 2 abstracted $500 rewards, 1 for accusation starring to nan betterment of Cassandra Boskofsky’s remains and a 2nd that asks for accusation starring to nan apprehension of Ian Calhoun, a man prosecutors said was a friend of Smith’s. In nan sentencing memo, prosecutors said they judge Calhoun astir apt knew astir 1 of nan murders. So far, he has not been charged successful nan case.

A female named Amber, who asked that only her first sanction beryllium utilized for this story, stood successful nan backmost of nan group of protesters. She said she’s a erstwhile activity worker, who could person easy been 1 of Smith’s victims.

Amber said she was friends pinch Kathleen Jo Henry and Cassandra Boskofsky.

Amber is half Black and half Lingít, primitively from Yakutat. She said she grew up marginalized and that she and her friends, including Kathleen and Cassandra, shouldered nan burdens past of traumas.

Their nonaccomplishment will beryllium felt successful mini villages crossed nan authorities and moreover by those who didn’t cognize Cassandra, because galore families person loved ones who person disappeared, she said.

“Their communicative is my story. It’s their story. It’s a organization story,” Amber said. “We put ourselves successful immoderate vulnerable situations, particularly those of america who are looking for emotion and acceptance.”

“And I travel from that. I travel from nan streets,” she said. “It’s truthful easy to get into nan incorrect person’s vehicle, and you don’t moreover cognize it.”

Before Amber near nan protest, she rubbed reddish overgarment connected her hands and crossed nan thoroughfare to time off imprints connected nan constabulary department’s solid doors, a reminder of Cassandra Boskofsky and of each nan “missing sisters whose voices person been silenced.”