Chilling message: did this text spark a brutal attack on UCLA student?

A Los Angeles man was convicted on Sept. 10 for fatally stabbing UCLA student Brianna Kupfer while she was alone at a furniture store in 2022. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced that Shawn Laval Smith, 34, was found guilty of one count of murder with a special-circumstance allegation of lying in wait, as well as the use of a deadly weapon.

The attack occurred on Jan. 13, 2022, at Croft House, a boutique furniture store in Los Angeles where Kupfer, 24, was employed. Prosecutors said Smith stabbed Kupfer 46 times with a knife and left her to die. Moments before the assault, Kupfer had texted a friend expressing discomfort about a man in the store, but the friend did not see the message in time.

District Attorney George Gascón stated, "Brianna Kupfer was a promising young woman whose life was tragically taken far too soon." He described Kupfer as a bright and talented UCLA student dedicated to her architectural design studies.

Evidence presented at trial included an audio recorder left at the crime scene by Smith. The device contained a recording from weeks earlier in which Smith was heard ranting angrily about women. Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian argued in closing statements that the recordings showed Smith "hated women" and was intent on killing a woman.

Forensic evidence linked Smith to the crime. His DNA was found on the murder weapon, its sheath, and the audio recorder. The knife used in the attack had a bent blade, likely due to the force of the assault.

In under an hour, the jury delivered a guilty verdict. Apart from the murder offense, Smith was found guilty of using a lethal and hazardous weapon. He is scheduled to appear at a sentencing hearing in October, where he may face a life sentence with no chance of parole.

Kupfer's parents provided a heartfelt statement outside the courtroom. Her mother, Lori Kupfer, told reporters, "Justice will never be served because our daughter's not alive."