295: Brianna Kupfer

After the body of a young woman was found inside a furniture store in Los Angeles, California, detectives began in their investigation. On the counter beside the till, they came across an audio recording device. It had captured the entire murder in chilling audio.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:34):
With her laugh.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
Breathing words. She's just telling him, I can help you,
I can help you, I can help you, and he's
telling her it's over.

Speaker 3 (00:48):
It's over. It's over.

Speaker 4 (01:00):
Los Angeles is known as the City of Angels a
sprawling metropolis on the west coast of California in the
United States. It started out as a humble peblu before
evolving into a global epicenter of entertainment, culture, and innovation.
By the twentieth century, the city had become synonymous with Hollywood,

(01:20):
drawing dreamers from all across the world. Today, it stands
as a melting pot of diversity, offering everything from sandy
beaches to skyscrapers, to vibrant art districts and local businesses.
One of these businesses is Croft House, nestled in the
heart of Los Angeles in LaBrea Avenue. This boutique furniture

(01:42):
stores celebrated for its handcrafted, minimalistic designs and boasts of
celebrity clientele. Each piece is meticulously crafted, emphasizing quality and functionality,
and it's the go to for those seeking bespoke furnishings.
On the Altae afternoon of the thirteenth of January twenty
twenty two, a customer arrived at Croft House in search

(02:05):
of a sofa for her new apartment with her boyfriend.
As she pushed open the glass door, and eerie silence
greeted her, save for the music playing softly in the background.
The showroom appeared to be empty, and there was no
employee grading her from behind the counter. Once inside, she

(02:26):
turned towards a sofa near the entrance, and her gaze
dropped what she saw froze her in her tracks. Brianna

(02:50):
Cooper was born on the ninth of April nineteen ninety
seven to parents Todd and Laurie Cooper. She was raised
in the neighborhood of Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles, California,
alongside her three siblings. The family were a close knit one,
where Brianna was known for her radiant personality and bondless curiosity.

(03:11):
From an early age, she demonstrated a talent for balancing
ambition with kindness, a trade that would come to define her.
At Brentwood High School, Brianna excelled academically while embracing an
active lifestyle. She captained the cheerleading team, and she competed
in track. Outside of sports, Brianna immersed herself in extracurricular activities,

(03:33):
building friendships and skills that would last a lifetime. Her
ability to juggle so many commitments earned her admiration from
her classmates and teachers alike. Then, after graduating high school,
Brianna attended the University of Miami, where she pursued a
degree in public relations. As part of her study, she

(03:53):
participated in a study abroad program at the University of
Sydney in Australia. Experience broaden her horizons, instilling in her
a global perspective and a deep appreciation for culture and design.
She returned to Los Angeles with her degree in hand
in two thousand and nineteen, ready to pursue her dreams.

(04:16):
Her passion for creativity and structure led her to use
the LA where she began working towards an architectural degree.
Her father, Tather recollected she loved geometrical patterns, She loved
design and drawing. Her journals were filled with sketches and notes,
capturing her love for learning and her drive to better

(04:36):
understand the world around her. Once back in California, Brianna
shared an apartment in Culver City with her close friend
Lynn mckillivan. Lynn fondly described Brianna as the brightest light,
always able to light up a room and make others smile.
She said of her, she would bring so much to

(04:56):
any social scene and is always there to have a
good time, always there to put a smile on everyone's face. Professionally,
Brianna found a role that allowed her creativity to shine.
She worked as a design consultant at Croft House, a
boutique furniture store on La Brea Avenue in the center
of Los Angeles. There she helped customers create beautiful spaces

(05:20):
and arranged furniture displays with her signature precision and artistry.
The store's co owner, Riley Ray, described her a smart, confident,
calm and beloved by her coworkers. But Brianna's ultimate ambition
was to create her own clothing line. Her family and
friends frequently praised her selflessness and her uplifting nature. Her

(05:43):
father said, simply, she cared about people, he said to
Fox eleven.

Speaker 1 (05:49):
No, it's funny because she was a very shy person.
Yet everybody will tell you she touched everybody's life and
when she showed up, she was alike to the.

Speaker 4 (05:56):
Party at just twenty four years old. Brianna was described
as a gift did artist, a kind soul, and a
dedicated friend. Despite her many accomplishments, however, she remained humble,
often critical of herself in ways her loved ones found unnecessary.
Her father said she shouldn't have been she was just

(06:16):
a wonderful human being. It was a little after one
thirty pm on the thirteenth of January twenty twenty two,
and Brianna Cooper was working alone at Croft House. The
boutique furniture store was quiet that day despite the lack

(06:37):
of customers. However, Brianna kept herself busy arranging displays and
tending to the shop's details with her usual care. She
wasn't even supposed to be working alone that day, she
had volunteered to cover her co worker's shift. Brianna was
behind the counter when the bell over the door jingled,
signaling somebody's entry. A man in a tall, lanky figure

(07:02):
dressed in a black hoodie and Jane's carrying a backpack.
His hood was up and a mask concealed the lower
half of his face. The reflective sunglasses that he wore
obscured his eyes entirely Brianna's unease was immediate. Something about
this man didn't feel right. He didn't look like their

(07:24):
typical customer, and his presence seemed at odds with the
serene setting of the store. The man approached the till
and in a flat voice, he explained that he and
his girlfriend were interested in purchasing a couch. Ever polite,
Brianna spoke with him for a moment and encouraged him
to browse the store. He nodded, but he then claimed
that he needed to step outside and call his girlfriend.

(07:47):
As he exited, Brianna couldn't shake the unnaise that was
creeping over her. She quickly pulled out her cell phone
and texted her manager, Carrie StEB Can you call me.
There's someone here and I'm get a weird vibe, she
wrote about twenty minutes later, the stillness in the shop
was interrupted by the arrival of another customer, Kelly Jeng,

(08:09):
who was there with her boyfriend. The couple entered the store,
their minds focused on finding a sofa for their new apartment.
The soft music playing overhead did a little damask the
strange silence that greeted them as they stepped further into
the store, they noticed something out of place. In front

(08:30):
of a couch. Just to the left of the entrance
lay a figure on the floor. It was Brianna. She
was motionless, her body sprawled on her back in a
crimson pull of blood. Her phone was lying on the
ground near her outstretched hand. The scene was gruesome and unmistakable.

(08:52):
Brianna was clearly dead. The stark reality of what they
were witnessing hit Kelly like a wave. In shock, she
later recounted, I've never seen anything like that before. Kelly
and her boyfriend bolted from the store, and their screams
echoed through the street. They immediately called nine one one,

(09:14):
struggling to relay what they had just found. The operator
tried to guide them through the process, asking if Brianna
was still alive. Through tears and trembling breaths, Kelly responded,
I'm sorry, I'm scared, and I don't want to go
back in there. Detectives were on the same Within a

(09:40):
matter of moments, they swiftly cordoned off the area with
bright yellow crime scene tape. It was immediately clear that
Brianna Cooper was far beyond any chance of resuscitation. The
brutality of the attack against her was staggering. She had
sustained a total of forty six stab wounds. Twenty six

(10:01):
of those wounds had been inflicted before her heart finally
gave out. Eleven targeted her chest, five struck her left arm,
three pierced her left leg, and one landed near her pelvis.
Further stab wounds riddled her abdomen, her right arm, and
her right leg. The force of the attack was so
ferocious that Brianna's lungs, liver, stomach, and air order were punctured,

(10:25):
causing massive internal trauma. Defensive wounds on her hands and
arms showed that she had tried her hardest to defend herself,
but the murder had been a frenzied one. The scene
suggested that she had tried to escape from the store
escape from her killer. Detectives observed a smudged footprint on
the white sofa near her body. The placement suggested that

(10:48):
the killer had leapt on to the furniture to block
her path, cutting off her only chance to escape. Brianna
had clearly fought with everything that she had, but the
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today on iOS and Android. Once Brianna's body was transported
to the medical Examiner's office, detectives shifted their focus to

(12:17):
the store surveillance system. Crofthouse was equipped with several cameras,
including one with a direct view of the counter where
Brianna had been working. Reviewing the footage, detective spotted the
man who had entered the store, the one that Brianna
had texted her manager about. The recording showed him walking

(12:37):
into the store, speaking briefly with Brianna, and placing a
small object on the counter. Upon closer inspection, it appeared
to be an audio recorder. Although the attack itself wasn't
captured on video, The footage revealed the man exiting the
store through the back door. Just moments later, he walked
northbound down the alley, vanishing from view. Detectives returned to

(13:01):
the counter and found the audio recorder still sitting there,
exactly where the man had left it. It was carefully
bagged and taken to the lab for forensic analysis. Prince
and DNA were also lifted from the device, offering the
first potential lead in the case. When the tape from
the recorder was downloaded, seasoned investigators stealed themselves for what

(13:26):
they might find, but nothing could have prepared them for
the contents. The recording wasn't just evidence, it was a
blow by blow account of the horrifying moments that had unfolded.
Every sound, every word, and every scream was there etched
into the tape. For even the most seasoned detectives, the

(13:49):
contents of the tape were a nightmare come to life.
When detectives played the recording, it was as if time
had stopped. Brianna's murder had been preserved in chilling detail
on the audio tape, offering an unfiltered window into the
last moments of her life. The tape began innocently enough,

(14:12):
capturing the familiar songs of the store, soft music playing
a distant hum of passing traffic. Then Brianna's voice, sweet,
polite and welcoming. She greeted the man, her tone professional
yet guarded. He asked her for her Facebook information, a

(14:32):
question that clearly unsettled her. Her polite refusal was followed
by his persistent voice asking if she had been following
President Biden. No, Brianna replied curtly, trying to steer the
conversation back to professionalism. The man then rambled about stopping
by later maintaining her composure, Brianna replied cool. She directed

(14:58):
him to the business card on the counter when he
claimed he was supposed to get information, But then his
tone darkened. I think this government is crazy, he muttered.
The tension was palpable as the man noticed her cell phone.
His voice turned sharp as he said, put down the phone.

(15:21):
Brianna hesitated, her discomfort evident even through the recording. Her
voice wavered as she complied. The man barked back, I'm
not going to hurt you, right, Chill the fuck out, Okay,
Brianna replied. A faint, metallic rasp followed. It was the

(15:42):
sound of the sheath being pulled from his knife. The
air second with dread as Brianna tried to diffuse the situation.
I can't have you in here. I've called the cops,
she said, as her voice trembled. The man's movements grew
radic Captured in the shifting sounds of the recording, Brianna's

(16:05):
voice broke as she begged, wait now. The man snarled back,
get down on the floor. Desperation filled her voice as
she pleaded I want to help you. I can help you.
Then came the screams, followed by Brianna begging wait, get
off me. The man then coldly replied, it's over. It's over,

(16:30):
it's over. Brianna's cries grew weaker as she said, oh
my god, okay, okay, it's over, bitch, the man growled.
Brianna's final words were a whisper filled with anguish. I
wanted to help you, but the man only repeatedly said

(16:50):
it's over, bitch. Then silence. Only the faint music in
the background remained, an eerie juxtaposition to the violence that
had just unfolded. Moments before, a phone began ringing, shattering
the quiet. It was a futile attempt by Brianna's manager, Carrie,

(17:10):
to check on her after receiving the unsettling text message.
The ringing went unanswered. It was already too late, but
the horrors on the recorder didn't end there. There were
other audio recordings, including one from December. It revealed the
same man's voice, seething with rage as he spat I

(17:34):
hate bitches. I want to destroy everything. The search for
evidence of the crime scene continued, and detectives uncovered a
critical clue. The murder weapon itself, a seven inch filet
knife bent at the tip, laid escarded near Brianna's lifeless body.

(17:58):
As detectives reviewed the surveillance foote and pieced together the timeline,
they issued an urgent appeal to the public. They released
a stale image of the suspect, describing him as a tall,
slender man dressed in dark clothing with a hood obscuring
much of his face. Detectives believed he was a homeless individual,

(18:19):
unconnected to Brianna in any way. The revelation that the
murder was random sent a wave of terror through the community.
The notion that such a heinous act could happen without
motive or warning left people shaken. Calls began pouring in,
some from those who recognized the man from the surveillance footage.

(18:41):
One of the most compelling leads came from doctor Jennifer Boutello,
who owned a chiropractic practice just next door to Croft House.
She recalled the suspect entering her clinic shortly before Brianna
was killed. She said, he asked whether we did orthopedics
and what kind of care we provided. He was only
there for a couple of minutes before turning around and leaving.

(19:05):
Jennifer now suspected the man was scouting potential targets, likely
searching for a location where he could find somebody alone.
Her clinic, which was staffed by multiple employees, didn't fit
the profile. Tragically, the business next door, where Brianna worked
alone that afternoon did. Jennifer said, it's terrifying. It's horrible.

(19:29):
She was such a young girl. We feel so horrible
for Brianna's family and hope we can catch this guy.
Further investigation revealed that the suspect had entered several other
businesses along the strip before targeting Croft House. Each location
either had multiple employees present or customers inside, deterring him

(19:49):
from striking for reasons that would haunt those who knew
and loved Brianna. She had been the one left most
vulnerable that day. The random nature Brianna's murder heightened fears
in an area that was already grappling with rising crime rates.

(20:11):
Business owners and employees along the Brea Avenue shared that
they had been bolstering their security in response to the
growing violence. Los Angeles had seen a fifty two percent
increase in murders and a fifty nine percent rise in
shooting since twenty nineteen, statistics that were very difficult to ignore.
Brianna's father, Todd Coopfer, expressed his frustration with local leadership

(20:36):
and their inability to curb the crisis. Speaking to Fox News,
he didn't hold back as he said, crime is truly spiking,
and we have a lot of criminals on the streets
that shouldn't be out. We have politicians that somehow forget
about people. They think the key to getting elected is
to support the lowest rung of our society and give

(20:56):
them rights, and somehow that's the annam sort of getting votes.
Todd was adamant that his daughter's senseless murder needed to
spark change. He stated, she needs to be championed as
a beacon of what is wrong. People need to realize
it could be their child next. Los Angeles County District

(21:17):
Attorney George Cascoon faced mounting criticism for his policies amid
the rising violence. The new year is here. Time to
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with smarter, stress free storage. Elected on promises of sweeping
criminal justice reform, Gascone's approach had left many residents feeling unprotected.
His zero bill policy allowed suspects of various crimes to
walk free within ours of their arrests, and his removal

(22:42):
of sentencing enhancements meant that even violent defenders could avoid
the full weight of the law. California's legal framework stipulated
a sentence of twenty five years to life without parole
for certain violent crimes. However, under Gascon's reforms, killers could
pretend be paroled after serving just part of their sentence.

(23:05):
Gascoonne defended his policy, stating, the reality is that we
go through these cycles, and we go through the cycles
for a variety of reasons. In many ways, we can't
prosecute our way out of social inequalities, income inequalities, the unhoused,
the desperation that we have. But for graving families like
the Coopers, such words rang hollow. The randomness and brutality

(23:29):
of Brianna's murder were stark reminders of a city on
the brink, and her death became a rallying cry for
those demanding accountability and change. The days trickled into wakes
and frustrations mounted as detectives found themselves with no solid
leads in the case. Despite the intense media coverage of
the murder, nobody had stepped forward with critical information to

(23:52):
identify the killer. The LPDA made a strategic move to
reignite public interest, leased a new video, this time showing
the suspect just moments after the crime. The footage had
captured him walking through the alleyway behind Croft House, His
movements eily calm and unhurried, for somebody who had just

(24:14):
committed such a brutal murder. Adding to the evidence, detectives
unveiled another clip, recorded around thirty minutes later. This time,
the suspect was sainted in nearby seven eleven casually purchasing
a vapepen. He was still dressed in the same black
hooree and Jean's, with his face concealed by a mask.

(24:36):
Unlike the grainy alleyway footage, the seven eleven cameras provided
a much clearer view, revealing a crucial detail the man
had braided hair. To accelerate the hunt for the killer,
detectives announced a staggering two hundred and fifty thousand dollars
reward for information leading to his arrest. The sum, which

(24:57):
was a combination of public and private contribution, underscored how
deeply Brianna's murder had shaken the city. Los Angeles City
Councilman Paul Carrets addressed the community as he announced the reward.
His voice carried both determination and empathy as he vowed,
we will find this vicious criminal, we will get him arrested,

(25:17):
and we will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.
Carets also shared a statement from Brianna's family, which poignantly
described the void that her death had left behind. It read, Brianna,
who was born, educated and was building her career here
in Los Angeles, was a rising store in this community
whose ascent was unnecessarily cut short by a heartless criminal

(25:40):
last Thursday. She embodied everything that is great about Los Angeles,
and the entire city should grieve over this senseless act.
Brana's father Taught address the media as well, personally sharing
his reflections on the footage of the suspect. He stated,
it just feels as if he did that without remorse.

(26:01):
The limited video evidence we were able to see didn't
look like somebody that cared for an act of incredible
violence that had just occurred. Despite his grief, Todd express
gratitude for the overwhelming support his family had received from
the community during the unimaginably difficult time. He said, it's
damaged my family greatly, but we feel the love through

(26:22):
all these people. The day after the two hundred and
fifty thousand dollars reward for information was announced, detectives received
a critical breakthrough. DNA results from the murder weapon in

(26:42):
the audio recorder matched thirty one year old Sean Thevall Smith,
identifying him as the prime suspect in Brianna's murder. At
a press conference, LPD Police Chief Michael Murr warned the
public about the suspect.

Speaker 1 (26:57):
This individual response for for thisvicious, senseless, and brutal crime.

Speaker 5 (27:04):
It walks amongst us I am convinced of that.

Speaker 4 (27:07):
He described Smith as armed and dangerous and urged anybody
who spotted him to call nine one one immediately. Details
of Smith's extensive criminal history soon surfaced, painting a disturbing
picture of somebody who had slipped through the cracks of
the justice system time and time again. His criminal record

(27:28):
stretched back more than a decade and spanned multiple states.
In twenty ten, he was arrested in Charleston, South Carolina,
for breach of trust, and three years later he was
charged with simple possession of marijuana. That same year, the
Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department issued a public appeal noting Smith
was wanted on fourteen active warrants for bicycle thefts. In

(27:52):
twenty seventeen, Smith moved west and was convicted in San
Diego for carrying a concealed dagger and brandishing a deadly
weapon during a fight. He was sentenced to probation and
found four hundred dollars. Two years later, he was back
in Charleston, charged twice for entering premises after receiving warnings.

(28:13):
That November, he was charged with discharging a firearm into
a vehicle, a serious offense that was interrupted by the
COVID nineteen pandemic, leaving the case unresolved. Smith's thrun ins
with the law continued in California. In twenty twenty, he
was arrested in Covena for stealing from a home depot,
but was cited and released on one thousand dollars bill.

(28:36):
In twenty twenty one, he vandalized a corn Daily city
and assaulted a police officer during his arrest. During the altercation,
he screamed threats and bitten officer's finger with full force.
Although his defense attorney at the time argued that he
was mentally incompetent, two doctors determined otherwise. Smith served just
one hundred and thirty three days of an eight month

(28:57):
sentence before being released shortly after. He failed to report
to his probation officer, resulting in the revocation of his
probation and a bench warrant for his arrest. However, by
then Smith had disappeared. The public reaction to Smith's identification
as the suspect was one of outrage. When he questioned

(29:19):
how somebody with such a lengthy and violent criminal record
had managed to remain free, critics pointed to systemic issues
in California's criminal justice system, highlighting reduced BAILL requirements, lenient
sentencing policies, and an emphasis on decarceration. Nathan Hoffmann, running
against Los Angeles District Attorney George Gaskin, summed up the sentiment,

(29:43):
stating he should never have been on the streets that day.
He had a rap sheet going back a decade, and
if the prosecutors at the time had been doing their
jobs and he had been arrested on his outstanding warrants,
he would not have been in the furniture store that
day to kill Brianna Coopfer. The very next morning, a

(30:08):
man driving down Fair Oaks Avenue in Pasadena, about seventeen
miles from the furniture store where Brianna was killed, made
an observation while passing a man walking on the sidewalk.
He noticed the individual's distinctive git. It matched that of
the suspect from the widely circulated surveillance footage. The driver

(30:29):
did a double take, spotting a backpack slung over the
man's shoulder, one that closely resembled the one seen in
the videos of Brianna's killer. Trusting his instincts, he quickly
grabbed his phone and called nine one one.

Speaker 5 (30:42):
Well, I am calling because I see a Jentlemen, if
it looks very similar to push in the cutner's stabbing
in La I'm in Pasadina currently the address where that
person is, Sir? Uh, he didn't walk past the corner

(31:06):
of Green in Paris to Pasadees. I'm sorry, what's the
cross street with Green? Green?

Speaker 2 (31:16):
The R?

Speaker 1 (31:18):
Yes?

Speaker 5 (31:18):
What's the other streets?

Speaker 1 (31:19):
Sir?

Speaker 5 (31:20):
Green and parent pe r r A C okay?

Speaker 3 (31:27):
And what was he wearing?

Speaker 1 (31:31):
Uh?

Speaker 5 (31:32):
So he had black hoodie on at wet pant and
he had a backpack, a black backpack that was very
similar to the one of a ticket Is.

Speaker 4 (31:46):
Police responded with urgency sirens blazing as they raced to
the location. The caller directed them to him on near
a park bench at the intersection of Fair Oaks Avenue
in Colorado Boulevard. Officers are approached the man and detained him,
asking for his name. Though he gave a false name,
his resemblance to Sean the Val Smith was undeniable to

(32:10):
confirm his identity, The officers brought in a fugitive unit
equipped with a fingerprints ganner with the moments, it was
confirmed that the man in custody was indeed Sean the
Val Smith, the prime suspect in Brianna's murder. As news
of Smith's arrest spread, the community of Los Angeles gathered
outside Croft House to honor Brianna's memory. A vigil was

(32:32):
held with Mourner's laying down flowers, candles, and personal tokens
in tribute of her life. The gathering became a space
for collective grief and reflection as residents expressed their heartbreak
and frustration over the census tragedy. One local woman, Cherry Gonzalez,
spoke with K A b C about the day impact

(32:53):
of the crime. She stated, I'm the parent of a
girl two years younger than her. It shocking to me
that this happened here or anywhere in our city. The
following day, Smith was charged with the murder of Brianna
with a special allegation of use of a dangerous or
deadly weapon. In announcing the charges, District Attorney Gaskins said

(33:17):
those who show no compassion for human life will face
serious consequences. The murder of Brianna Coopper has left Los
Angeles County devastated, and my offices reaching out to our
family to provide any services they may need. A lot
of people in the community wanted the death penalty for
Smith if he were convicted, but Gascon was anti death penalty.

(33:39):
When he took the office back in December of twenty twenty,
he borreed his prosecutors from seeking it. In a memo
he had written, the reality is the death penalty does
not make us safer. It is racist, it's morally untenable,
it's irreversible and expensive, and beginning today, it's off the
table in La County. In the wake of the charges,

(34:03):
homeless advocates shared their fear that the crime had left
vulnerable population even more endangered. Because Smith was homeless, other
homeless people found themselves under scrutiny. Eric Tars, the legal
director for the National Homelessness Law Center, commented that labeling
all homeless people as people we should be afraid of,

(34:24):
rather than have compassion for set them up for hate crimes.
She said that homeless people were actually much more likely
to be the victim of violence rather than be a perpetrator.
In Los Angeles, the homeless population at the time was
estimated to be forty thousand, or one percent of the
city's four million residents. LAPD Chief Michael Mure commented that

(34:47):
leaders needed to focus on supportive housing rather than law enforcement.
He said, these stats, these lives are speaking to mental health,
substance abuse, and housing. Then in July, it was announced
that the legal proceedings against Smith had been halted so
that he could undergo a psychiatric evaluation. Ultimately, he was

(35:10):
ruled competent to stand trial, but before then Smith's request
did he represent himself. During a court hearing. In June
of twenty and twenty three, his right to act as
his own attorney was revoked after he directed profanities at
Judge Mildred Escubido. Afterwards, Smith pleaded not guilty as well
as not guilty by reason of insanity, meaning that if

(35:33):
he were convicted during a trial, he would face an
insanity hearing. On the morning of the thirtieth of August
twenty twenty four, John the Vaal. Smith entered the Los
Angeles courtroom, sitting alongside his defense attorney, Robert Heberer. The
trial began with opening statements, led by District Attorney Habi Ballian,

(35:54):
who presented the prosecution's case.

Speaker 3 (35:57):
Brianna KUMIFERA fourty six times.

Speaker 4 (36:08):
Ballian told the jury that on the day of the murder,
Smith had been on a calculated hunt for a vulnerable
victim who was isolated and alone. He revealed that Smith
had visited six different stores earlier that morning, leaving each
one immediately upon noticing multiple employees or customers. This pattern,
Ballian argued, demonstrated Smith's intent to find a solitary target.

(36:35):
That search ended when he entered Croft House and encountered
Brianna Coopfer alone. The prosecution led out the damning evidence
tang Smith to the case, including security footage from Croft
House and DNA found on the bent knife left at
the crime scene. Ballian described how Smith pretended to be
a customer, fabricating a story about shopping for a couch

(36:58):
to gain Brianna's truck, even stepped outside the store at
one point, pretending to make a phone call to his girlfriend.
Balian said to the jury, the evidence will show you
they weren't looking for a couch. It was all a lie.
He then held up the murder weapon, a seven inch

(37:19):
filet knife, showing the court how the steel blade had
been bent due to the force and frequency of the stabbing.
The evidence will demonstrate that the defendant attacked Brianna with
such force, such determination, with such frequent and numerous swings
of this knife, that he bent the steel blade. Adding
to the horror, Balian described the audio recording that had

(37:41):
captured the entirety of Brianna's murder. Furthermore, just eighteen days
before the murder, Smith had recorded himself expressing vile, misogynistic
thoughts about women.

Speaker 2 (37:54):
Did he record himself talking about his most vile and disgussion.

Speaker 3 (38:01):
And grotesque thoughts about women?

Speaker 4 (38:04):
The courtroom fell silent as the prosecution played the recording
of Brianna's final moments. Before the playback began, Judge Escobido
allowed Brianna's family to leave the room, sparing them the
agony of reliving her final moments. On the recording, Brianna
could be heard pleading for her life, repeatedly offering to

(38:26):
help Smith in response his cold unrelating voice declared, it's over, bitch.

Speaker 5 (38:34):
With her last.

Speaker 2 (38:37):
Breathing words, she's just telling him I can help you,
I can help you, I can help you, and he's
telling her it's over.

Speaker 3 (38:49):
It's over. It's over.

Speaker 4 (38:52):
The judge prohibited the media from obtaining or reproducing the
recording see if, guarding the dignity of the victim and
her family. Following the prosecution's opening statements, defense attorney Robert
Haberer chose not to immediately present his case. He said
he was reserving his opening statements for the start of
the defense's turn later in the trial. The trial testimony

(39:16):
began with emotional accounts from witnesses, painting a chilling picture
of the crime and the aftermath. Carrie Stay, Brianna's manager,
recounted the moment when she realized that something was wrong.
She testified that she missed Brianna's distressed text by only
four minutes. Desperate, she called Brianna and the store multiple times,

(39:37):
but the phone just rang endlessly. By then, Brianna was
already gone, fighting back tears. Carrie described her as very
smart and praised her professionalism, staring she was easy to
talk to and easy to interact with. She was good
at getting tasks done. She did not require a lot
of oversight. Detective Tyler Adams testified about the DNA evidence

(40:01):
that played a crucial role in the case. He explained
how the digital recorder left on the condor was swapped
for DNA, particularly the microphone screen, which was most likely
to contain trace evidence. The DNA on the recorder matched
Smith's and the knife founded the crime scene had DNA
from both Smith and Brianna. Detective day of Vinton further

(40:24):
solidified the case by identifying Smith's voice on the audio
recording of the murder. The forensic evidence, paired with the
recording left little room for doubt. The prosecution concluded its
case swiftly, presenting an overwhelming array of evidence against Smith.
When it was time for the defense to present their case,

(40:46):
Attorney Robert Herbier made a surprising decision. The defense rested
without offering an opening statement, presenting witnesses, or providing any
substantiative arguments. During closing arguments, district Attorney Habibe Baalian painted
Smith as a predator who had meticulously hunted for a
vulnerable woman that morning. He described how Smith exploited Brianna's

(41:11):
kindness to lure her into a false sense of safety
before striking with shocking brutality.

Speaker 2 (41:17):
She's comfortable, her arms slung over her chair, her hair
is tied up in her bond.

Speaker 1 (41:22):
She's acting professional, she's acting welcoming. She's answering his questions.
She has no idea the death and destruction that is
about to be wrought upon her.

Speaker 4 (41:36):
He continued, telling the jury. Her guard was down. He
was lying in wait for his perfect target. She had
no idea what he planned to do to her. He
used her kindness against her. He then slaid her. When
he was close and he was safe and her guard
was down, he left her body on the floor. The

(41:57):
defense's closing comments were brief and contentious. A bearer, in
what seemed like a reluctant acknowledgment of guilt, argued that
the attack was spontaneous, not premeditated. He said, the decision
to attack Brianna Cooper happened in an instant. This wasn't
planned in any way. However, his arguments took a divisive

(42:20):
turn when he questioned why this particular case had garnered
so much attention. He invoked rachel undertones by pointing out
the large courtroom photos of Brianna, who was white, and Smith,
who was black. In rebuttal, prosecutor Balian dismissed the notion
that race played any role in the case, asserting this

(42:40):
is not about race. Brianna Cooper could have been black, white, hispanic, anything,
it doesn't change what he did. The prosecutor's words reminded
the jury of the brutal and senseless crime at the
heart of the case, urging them to focus on the
evidence and not be swayed by irrelevant distractions. After that,

(43:02):
the jury were sent off to deliberate. The jury deliberated
for just one hour before everybody was called back to
the courtroom they had reached a verdict. They found Sean
the Wall Smith guilty of the first degree murder of
Brianna Cooper with a special circumstance of lying in wait.

(43:26):
This paved the way for the sanity phase of the trial.
Following the verdict, Todd and Laurie said that they felt
an overwhelming sense of relief. Laurie stated, justice will naverb
served because our daughter's not alive. But the DA did
a wonderful job and the jury really listened to the evidence.
That they heard, and we are very very happy that

(43:47):
they understood the law and made the correct decisions. As
I said, it's not just, but it will protect the public,
which is what I think it's meant to do. Todd
then added, at the end of the day, it got
a lot of attention because it was basically good versus evil,
and something very evil that happened to somebody, very very good.

(44:09):
The next phase of the trial began on the second
of October twenty twenty four. The decision on whether or
not Smith was saying at the time would be up
to the judge, not the jury. During the court hearing,
emotional victim impact statements were presented by Brianna's loved ones.
Todd described Smith as beyond evil and said not a

(44:30):
day went past when he didn't think about his daughter.
He continued saying, through tears, Brianna gave the world kindness
and laughter. The loss of a child haunts you to
the core. I believe she's in heaven with the angels.
Laurie said that Brianna was a beautiful person inside and
out who'd been trying to make the world a better place.

(44:54):
She said they would never get to hear Brianna's laughter again,
or have her on hand for more holiday gathering. She
then added, forty six stab wounds took that away. Laurie
continued telling the courtroom how Brianna had wanted to marry
and have children. One day, the prosecution and defense had

(45:14):
psychiatrists examined Smith, and the judge read both of the reports.
The first psychiatrists found that Smith could be bipolar, but
said that he didn't exhibit signs of depression. However, he
noted that the diagnosis was not applicable to an insanity defense.
The second psychiatrists found that there were no discernible signs

(45:36):
of mental illness. He said that Smith had a pattern
of aggressive and violent behavior towards others, but was never
given consequences. Judge Escobedo then spoke in court about recorded
jail conversations they had been between Smith and a friend
and a family member over several months in twenty twenty two.

(46:00):
One of the calls, Smith had said, all I got
to do is go to competency court. All I've got
to do is play crazy. In another phone call, he said,
I just go to the hospital and play retarded. I'll
be in the state hospital for five years. In a third,
the caller told him that they had his DNA, and
he replied, they're letting me out on the insanity pleabro

(46:24):
The judge then addressed Smith. She said that there was
absolutely no evidence whatsoever to show that he was insane.
She cited the brutality that was shown to Brianna and
said she would not consider any sentence other than life
in prison without the possibility of parole. She completely rejected
the insanity defense. After that, the judge told Smith that

(46:48):
there was a flurry of new laws that are allowing
for early release of inmates. However, she said that the
facts of the case were so heinous that it would
be clear to the appellate court and should remain life
without parole. She then ordered that Smith be remanded to
the Department of Corrections to begin his new life behind bars. Well,

(47:37):
Bess sees that is it for this episode of Morbidology.
As always, thank you so much for listening, and I'd
like to say a massive thank you to my new
supporters up on Patreon, Ashley and Deleen. Morbidology is just
a one woman podcast, so the support up on Patreon
seriously seriously goes such a long way, especially during those
quiet months when sponsorships are few and between. It helps

(48:02):
to defray the costs of hosting subscription services and freedom
of information requests, and I genuinely do appreciate the support.
In exchange for your support upon Patreon, I upload ad
free and early release episodes behind the Scenes, which includes
bonus video, audio, and case files, and I also send

(48:22):
out a handwritten thank you card along with some cool
Patreon exclusive merch which includes stickers, pins, badges, fridge magnets,
and even T shirts. I also upload bonus episodes of
Morbidology plus that aren't on the regular podcast platforms, and
I'm hoping to post them more frequently once I get
into your routine as a new mother. If you didn't know,

(48:45):
Morbidology is also naie up on YouTube and the episodes
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dot com for more information about this episode and to

(49:07):
read some trick Grime articles. Until next time, take care
of yourselves, stay safe, and have an amazing week,