Man who fatally stabbed UCLA grad student Brianna Kupfer is sentenced to life

LOS ANGELES (TCN) -- A 34-year-old man who stabbed a UCLA graduate student dozens of times while she was working alone at a luxury furniture store will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Oct 2. that a judge sentenced Shawn Smith to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2022 murder of 24-year-old Brianna Kupfer. A jury found him guilty in September of one count of murder, lying in wait, and use of a deadly and dangerous weapon, a knife.

Prosecutors said Smith pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mildred Escobedo ruled he was sane when he killed Kupfer. A restitution hearing is scheduled for Nov. 25.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, on Jan. 13, 2022, Wilshire Patrol officers responded to the local furniture store Croft House after a customer found Kupfer deceased on the floor. Officers said Smith was not known to the victim when he randomly walked into the store, attacked Kupfer, and fled. KTTV-TV reports that Smith stabbed her 46 times.

Police used video surveillance from the alley to identify Smith as the suspect, who they believe to be homeless.

In a press conference held by the Los Angeles Police Department and posted by KNBC-TV, authorities said Kupfer texted a friend shortly after 1:30 p.m., saying that someone in the store gave her a "bad vibe." Her body was found shortly after.

According to KTTV, prosecutors obtained a digital recorder Smith allegedly left behind. On it, he is reportedly heard ranting about his hatred of women. He also allegedly recorded the killing and is heard saying that he was "not gonna hurt her" and told her to "just get down on the floor." KTTV reports that the digital recording captured Kupfer's screams and Smith saying, "It's over, it's over, it's over, it's over, b--ch."

In a statement, Gascón said, "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. Mr. Smith reprehensibly stole her future and her dreams."