Trial in UCLA student’s murder to proceed after judge found alleged killer to be mentally stable

Los Angeles, California – It has been determined by a court in Los Angeles that the accused killer of a UCLA student who was found dead at a furniture store in Hancock Park is mentally competent and may proceed to trial.

On January 13, Brianna Kupfer, 24 years old, was working alone at the Croft House business located on La Brea Boulevard when she was stabbed to death. According to the authorities, they think she was assaulted for no apparent reason.

According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Shawn Laval Smith, the alleged murderer who has been incarcerated since January and charged with a single count of murder, was determined to be competent to stand trial on Monday.

Smith was taken into custody in Pasadena about one week after the murder, when investigators with the LAPD made surveillance footage photos public and solicited the general public for help in locating him.

The pre-trial hearing is scheduled to take place next week.