Shawn Laval Smith, a man known for his disdain towards women, was convicted on Tuesday for the brutal murder of a 24-year-old UCLA graduate student. Smith was found guilty of murdering Brianna Kupfer, who was working alone at a high-end furniture store in Los Angeles when she was attacked. The LA County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that Smith was also convicted of a special-circumstance allegation of lying in wait.
The jury also determined that Smith had used a deadly weapon, a knife, in the attack. Kupfer’s parents expressed their relief at the verdict. Todd Kupfer, Brianna’s father, admitted to reporters that the past few weeks had been incredibly difficult for the family. Lori Kupfer, Brianna’s mother, expressed gratitude towards the District Attorney’s office but lamented that justice could never truly be served as their daughter was no longer alive.
During the trial, Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian argued that Smith harbored a deep hatred for women and had set out to “hunt, destroy and kill” simply because his victim was a woman and alone. Balian also suggested that Smith had exploited Kupfer’s kindness before attacking her when she was vulnerable.
Smith’s defense attorney, Robert Haberer, however, contended that the murder was not premeditated and that the decision to attack Kupfer was made in a split second. He insisted that there was no prior planning involved.
The tragic incident unfolded on January 13, 2022, when Smith entered the Croft House store on North La Brea Avenue, where Kupfer was the sole employee at the time. Smith posed as a customer interested in buying a couch before launching his attack and fleeing the scene. Kupfer was later discovered by a customer who promptly called 911.
An autopsy revealed that Kupfer had sustained 46 sharp-force injuries, including eleven 5-inch deep stab wounds to various parts of her body. Smith was apprehended a few days later in Pasadena, approximately 15 miles from the crime scene.
During the trial, jurors were presented with a chilling audio recording from Smith’s digital audio recorder, which he had left at the scene along with the murder weapon. The recording captured Kupfer’s final moments, pleading with Smith that she could help him.
Smith, who has a criminal record spanning across the country, was out on a $50,000 bond at the time of the murder. He was facing charges for firing a flare gun at a vehicle with a child inside in South Carolina in November 2019. Smith is now awaiting the nonjury sanity phase of his trial, scheduled for October 2. If found guilty, he faces life imprisonment without parole and is currently being held at the LA County Jail without bail.