The UCLA student who was murdered in a posh Los Angeles furniture store in January suffered 26 stab wounds, according to an autopsy report.
Brianna Kupfer, 24, was working a shift at Croft House on Jan. 13, 2021, when Shawn Laval Smith, 31, allegedly began lurking around the store before leaving and coming back.
Kupfer texted her manager that she was getting a “bad vibe” about the suspected killer before he attacked her with a knife. The document also reveals that her supervisor did not see the message for 10 minutes and that Kupfer was dead by the time he read it.
The autopsy report states that Kupfer was stabbed 11 times in the chest, twice in her abdomen, right leg and right arm, five times in her left arm, three times in her left leg, and once in her pelvis.
Brianna Kupfer was working at Croft House in Los Angeles when she was stabbed to death. Emma McIntyre/Getty ImagesSmith allegedly exited the store through a back door without taking anything and was later seen walking casually down the street, cops said in January.
Kupfer was later found dead in the store by a customer.
The shocking random attack occurred in broad daylight in one of Los Angeles’ premier shopping districts.
Kupfer texted her manager about Shawn Laval Smith before he came into the store and allegedly killed her. Los Angeles Police Department via AP“The murder of Brianna Kupfer has left Los Angeles County devastated and my office is reaching out to her family to provide any services they may need,” embattled LA County District Attorney George Gascon said at the time of the attack.
Smith was arrested soon after the crime and is facing murder charges.
His extensive criminal history includes gun charges and an attack on a police officer, records show.
Friends of Kupfer gather for a memorial at the store on North La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles on January 20, 2022. MediaNews Group via Getty ImagesGascon and his office have come under fire for prosecutorial laxity that some blame for a spike in the city’s crime rate. He has been criticized for disbanding the “Lifer Unit,” which alerts victims to their assailants’ parole hearings.



