Kupfer, a 24-year-old student at University of California, Los Angeles, was murdered by Shawn Laval Smith.

[1] Smith, a 31-year-old man with an extensive criminal record, stabbed Kupfer to death in the Croft House store where she was working in the Hancock Park neighborhood.

[14] She enrolled in a graduate program at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), to study architectural design.

[1] Kupfer worked as a consultant at Croft House, a luxury furniture store in the neighborhood of Hancock Park.

[4] At the time of the crime, Smith was out on bond awaiting trial in South Carolina with the charges of firing a flare gun at a vehicle with a child inside.

[25] On August 29, 2024, the murder trial started in the Los Angeles County Superior Court with Judge Mildred Escobedo.

[27] Deputy Attorney Balian said in opening statements that Smith posed as a client to gain Kupfer's trust and then stabbed her to death.

[29] On September 10, 2024, the jury found Shawn Smith guilty of both charges in relation to the murder of Brianna Kupfer.

[10] The murder of Brianna Kupfer and the search for her killer were widely reported in the news media and attracted national public attention.

[30] At Croft House, the place where Kupfer worked and was murdered, a memorial was held for her with flowers, cards, and pictures.