Shawn Laval Smith, a 34-year-old homeless man, has been found guilty of murdering 24-year-old Brianna Kupfer, an architectural graduate student, while she was working alone in a furniture store in Los Angeles.
A Los Angeles County jury has convicted Shawn Laval Smith, 34, of murdering Brianna Kupfer, a 24-year-old UCLA architectural graduate student, in a brutal stabbing attack at a furniture store in the city's Hancock Park neighborhood on January 13, 2022.
Kupfer was working alone at Croft House when Smith, a homeless man with a long criminal history, entered the store and stabbed her dozens of times during an unprovoked attack. Kupfer was found dead at the scene.
Homeless Man Convicted for Brutal Murder of UCLA Graduate Student
Smith has a long history of criminal convictions, including robbery, assault, and drug possession. He was on probation for a 2021 robbery conviction at the time of Kupfer's murder.
In his closing argument, Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian told jurors that Smith hated women and went from business-to-business "hunting for a woman alone." He posed as a customer when he saw Kupfer alone inside the shop.
Homeless Man Convicted for Brutal Murder of UCLA Graduate Student
Surveillance footage from the store showed Smith entering and leaving the store around the time of the murder. His DNA was also found on the knife used to kill Kupfer.
Prosecutors also presented a digital audio recording in which Smith was heard ranting about his hatred of women, as well as a recording of the killing.
Homeless Man Convicted for Brutal Murder of UCLA Graduate Student
Smith's lawyer argued that the recording was a "mildly incoherent rant laced with profanities" and not a "smoking gun" for the murder. He claimed that the decision to attack Kupfer happened in an instant and was not planned.
Smith faces life without parole if a judge determines he was sane. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 21, 2023.
Homeless Man Convicted for Brutal Murder of UCLA Graduate Student
Days after the killing, mourners gathered at the furniture shop to remember Kupfer. Kupfer was described as a bright and caring person who had worked at the shop for about a year.
Her death sent shockwaves through the Los Angeles community and reignited concerns about the safety of women in the city.
Kupfer's murder has prompted calls for increased police presence in the Hancock Park neighborhood and other areas of the city where women have been targeted in recent months.
Organizations that advocate for victims of violence against women have also called for increased funding for mental health services and programs to help homeless individuals.
