Murder Conviction in UCLA Graduate Student Case: A Tragic Incident

Wednesday, 11 September 2024, 03:00

Murder conviction reached in the case of UCLA graduate student Brianna Kupfer, who was fatally stabbed at work. The guilty verdict follows shocking evidence against Shawn Laval Smith. Jurors deliberated for only an hour before convicting Smith of murder with special circumstances.
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Murder Conviction in UCLA Graduate Student Case: A Tragic Incident

Murder Conviction in Brianna Kupfer's Case

Jurors took little more than an hour on Tuesday to convict Shawn Laval Smith of murder in the stabbing death of UCLA graduate student Brianna Kupfer as she worked in a boutique furniture store. Smith, a 34-year-old transient with a lengthy criminal record, was found guilty of murder with special circumstances for lying in wait and using a deadly weapon—a knife.

The Incident

On January 13, 2022, Kupfer was tragically attacked by Smith, who stabbed her 46 times while she was alone in upscale Croft House. Prior to the incident, she sent a text to a friend at 1:36 p.m., expressing discomfort about an individual in the store.

Trial Highlights

Key evidence included an audio recording from a device prosecutors claim belonged to Smith, which provided horrific details of the attack. A customer discovered Kupfer on the floor covered in blood approximately 20 minutes after her text.

Future Proceedings

The sanity phase of the trial is set to begin on October 2. Smith, who has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, waived his right to a jury trial for this phase. If deemed sane at the time of the crime, Smith faces life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.


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