Shawn Laval Smith Convicted of UCLA Student Murder

Shawn Laval Smith, a 34-year-old man, has been convicted of the first-degree murder of 24-year-old UCLA graduate student Brianna Kupfer, who was brutally stabbed 46 times while working alone in a Hancock Park furniture store in January 2022. The jury concluded that Smith's actions were driven by a deep-seated hatred for women, as evidenced by audio recordings made at the crime scene and his prior expressions of violent sentiment. Prosecutors depicted Smith as having hunted for vulnerable women, ultimately targeting Kupfer during her shift. The trial also revealed that Smith's DNA was found on the murder weapon and other evidence left at the scene. Following the conviction, Smith faces a life sentence without parole, pending a sanity hearing set for October 2. The case has sparked significant community distress and highlighted issues surrounding violence against women.