Judge Rules On Insanity Plea During Latest Hearing
Shawn Laval Smith has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2022 murder of 24-year-old UCLA graduate student Brianna Kupfer, who was killed while working at a furniture store in Hancock Park, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced.
“Our prosecutors fought hard to obtain justice for Brianna, her family, and the community shaken by Smith’s brutal and senseless violence,” Gascón said. “Brianna was a bright and talented architectural design student, known for her kindness and love of learning. Mr. Smith stole her future and dreams. We are grateful to the court for holding him accountable.”
On September 10, a jury convicted Smith of one count of murder and found him guilty of the special circumstance allegation of lying in wait. The jury also determined that Smith used a deadly weapon, a knife, during the attack. Following the conviction, the case moved to a non-jury sanity phase.
Today, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mildred Escobedo ruled that Smith was sane at the time of the murder, rejecting his plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. Smith received a life sentence without parole, plus an additional year for the use of a deadly weapon.
The crime occurred on January 13, 2022, when Smith entered the furniture store on North La Brea Avenue where Kupfer was working alone. After posing as a customer, Smith fatally stabbed her and fled the scene.
A restitution hearing is scheduled for November 25 at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center. The case was prosecuted by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Major Crimes Division and investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department.
