Cassandra Boskofsky Missing Person Case

Sep 28, 2020

Jul 30, 2024

Cassandra

Boskofsky

44

38

59 inches

120 lbs

American Indian / Alaska Native

Female

In the summer of 2019, 38-year-old Cassandra Lee Boskofsky, an Alaska Native woman from the Kodiak area, vanished from Anchorage, Alaska. The last confirmed contact anyone had with her was with law enforcement on August 7, 2019. Known for her loud laugh and the deep love she held for her seven children, Cassandra was a woman who, despite facing personal struggles with alcohol and unstable housing, made it a point to always stay in touch with her family. She was a mother, a daughter, a sister, and a friend, and her sudden silence was uncharacteristic and alarming to those who knew her best. Standing at four feet eleven inches, she had distinctive features, including a faded blue-and-black butterfly tattoo on her neck and scars on both of her knees. The search for Cassandra took a grim turn following the October 2019 arrest of Brian Steven Smith, a man convicted of murdering two other Alaska Native women, Kathleen Jo Henry and Veronica Abouchuk. During the investigation into Smith, authorities discovered graphic photographs on his cell phone of a bloodied and battered woman who appeared to be unconscious or deceased. When questioned, Smith claimed he had merely left an intoxicated woman outdoors after she passed out. For years, the identity of the woman in the photos remained a painful mystery. However, upon seeing the images, Cassandra's family, including her cousin Marcella Boskofsky-Grounds, immediately recognized her by the distinct tattoo on her neck. This devastating discovery led them to believe she was another victim of the convicted killer. In September 2024, the family's persistent quest for answers led them to an Anchorage courtroom for a presumptive death hearing. After reviewing the evidence presented by the family, a jury unanimously declared Cassandra Boskofsky a victim of homicide, allowing for a death certificate to be issued. While this legal declaration provided a measure of closure, it did not bring Cassandra home, as her remains have never been found. The Anchorage Police Department has not charged Smith in connection with her disappearance, citing a lack of sufficient evidence, and her case officially remains open and unsolved. The family's fight for justice continues, as they seek to find her remains and bring a final, peaceful rest to a life cut tragically short. This case highlights the broader crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Alaska, a painful reality for far too many families.

Sep 01, 2019

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

No

91215

Anchorage Police Department

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

99501

716 West 4th Avenue, Alaska

9077868900

Local

Law Enforcement

https://www.muni.org/Departments/police/Pages/default.aspx

200030173

Anchorage Police Department

na

Brown

Brown

Brown

07/16/2026