The murderer of 24-year-old UCLA graduate student Brianna Kupfer was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, L.A. County Dist. Atty. George Gascón announced Wednesday afternoon.
Shawn Laval Smith, 34, was found guilty after just over an hour of deliberation on Sept. 10 in the slaying of Kupfer at a furniture store in Hancock Park in 2022. Smith, a transient with an extensive criminal record, was charged with murder with the special circumstances of lying in wait, as well as committing the crime with a deadly weapon, a knife.
“Our prosecutors fought hard to obtain justice for Brianna, her family, and the community shaken by Smith’s brutal and senseless violence,” Gascón said in a statement. “Brianna, a bright and talented architectural design student, was known for her kindness, adventurousness, love of learning, and the joy she brought to all who knew her.”
Smith’s attorney claimed he was not guilty by reason of insanity, according to Gascón office. L.A. County Superior Court Judge Mildred Escobedo ruled, however, that Smith was sane at the time he committed the crime. Escobedo then sentenced Smith to life in prison without the possibility of parole in addition to one year in prison for the use of a deadly and dangerous weapon, a knife.
A restitution hearing to determine financial compensation for the victim’s family is slated for Nov. 25.
“Mr. Smith reprehensibly stole her future and her dreams,” Gascón said. “We applaud the court’s ruling in holding Smith responsible for his horrific actions.”
Smith stabbed Kupfer 46 times. She was working alone in the upscale furniture store, the Croft House, on Jan. 13, 2022.
An audio recording on a device that prosecutors said belonged to Smith was key to the conviction. The audio file provided evidence of the grisly attack.
A man believed to be Smith can be heard telling a woman he’s “not gonna hurt her” and yelling at her to “just get down on the floor.” The woman screams, and the man says: “It’s over, it’s over, it’s over, it’s over, b—.”
Kupfer’s last communication was at 1:36 p.m. when she texted a friend to say she felt uncomfortable about a customer who was in the store, according to prosecutors and LAPD detectives. About 20 minutes later, a customer found Kupfer on the floor covered in blood.
