Los Angeles County jurors have convicted Shawn Laval Smith, 34, for killing UCLA student Brianna Kupfer on Jan. 13, 2022. Smith was also convicted of a special circumstance allegation of murder while lying in wait.
24-year-old Brianna Kupfer was working alone at Croft House, a furniture store in Los Angeles, when Smith stabbed her dozens of times, unprovoked. Smith, a homeless man, already had a long criminal record.
Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian told jurors during the trial that Smith hated women and had searched businesses “hunting for a woman alone.” He posed as a customer before stabbing Kupfer 11 times.
In addition to security cameras showing Smith at the store and his DNA being found on the knife, Smith also left behind a digital audio recorder on which he had ranted about his hatred of women, and had recorded the actual murder as it happened.
Smith could be sentenced to life in prison without parole if it is determined he was sane during the killing.
