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Speaker 1: Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. You know those people that

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Speaker 1: you meet that you instinctively know are going to do

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Speaker 1: wonderful things in life. They're the ones that walk in

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Speaker 1: the room and everybody wants to either be with them

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Speaker 1: or be them. This girl, Brianna Coope Fer twenty four

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Speaker 1: years old, gorgeous UCLA grad student in architectural design and

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Speaker 1: working at some high end furniture store. A guy comes

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Speaker 1: in with a rap sheet as long as I seventy

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Speaker 1: five stabs are dead and this and just calmly and

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Speaker 1: coolly walks out the door. Why is this happening? Why

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Speaker 1: did this beautiful, brilliant young girl have to die? What

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Speaker 1: is going on with? This guy is out walking free

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Speaker 1: to prey on innocent victims? And I gotta tell you

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Speaker 1: something that weighed on my shoulders so heavily as the prosecutor,

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Speaker 1: because I would get you know, just let's just say

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Speaker 1: tea times are that by receiving that means got a

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Speaker 1: guide in stolen car. Can't prove he took it, but

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Speaker 1: you know he received it because he's driving it. So

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Speaker 1: I get a team times are and I think, what's

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Speaker 1: he going to do next? If I let him off?

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Speaker 1: On theft by receiving. When he offends again, will it

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Speaker 1: be with a gun? Will it be my fault because

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Speaker 1: I wasn't harsh enough on a simple theft. The duty

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Speaker 1: of the district attorney and local law enforcement is staggering.

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Speaker 1: And you know what it's worth. It's worth somebody's life.

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Speaker 1: Because this guy, Sean laval Smith thirty one, had been

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Speaker 1: in and out and in and out of the penitentiary

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Speaker 1: and he was out January thirteen when he stabbed Brianna

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Speaker 1: Cooper dead then goes on the right by the way.

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Speaker 1: We've just in the last hours managed to catch him.

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Speaker 1: I mean, see Grace, this is Crime Stories. Thank you

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Speaker 1: for being with us here at Fox Nation and series

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Speaker 1: see eleven. And another thing, since nobody asked, nobody's talking

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Speaker 1: about this guy's rap sheet. Why do we want to

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Speaker 1: pretend that's not real? Have we gone so woke that

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Speaker 1: we don't look at reality? The risk it was? I

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Speaker 1: have this guy out walking free. Well, I'll tell you

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Speaker 1: one thing. I'm looking at it with me an all

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Speaker 1: star panel to trying to make sense of an illogical

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Speaker 1: situation choice lat high profile defense attorney joining me out

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Speaker 1: of LA This is at his backyard with Slayton Lawyers

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Speaker 1: and as his alma mater, you see La. Doctor Sherry Schwartz,

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Speaker 1: renowned forensic psychologists joining us capitalizing m criminal behavior. You

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Speaker 1: can find her at panther Mitigation dot com, author of

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Speaker 1: criminal behavior and where law and psychology intersect. I would

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Speaker 1: say ditter Sherry. They collided in this case. Karen Smith,

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Speaker 1: you know overwell, forensic expert, lecturer University Florida and host

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Speaker 1: of the highly popular Shattered Souls podcast at Barbones Forensic

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Speaker 1: dot com. Doctor Kendall Crown's esteemed chief and medical examiner,

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Speaker 1: Tyrant County. That's Fort Worth. Never a lack of business there,

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Speaker 1: lecturer University of Texas and Texas A and M and

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Speaker 1: University of Texas Medical School. But first I'm going to

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Speaker 1: go to a special guest joining us out of La

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Speaker 1: As Haley Winslow, TV reporter Foxy eleventh there in La Haley,

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Speaker 1: I just you know when I said, this girl is

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Speaker 1: gorgeous from what I understand, she's gorgeous on the inside

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Speaker 1: as well. It's the outside of me. When I first

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Speaker 1: saw the story break, I thought she was a model.

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Speaker 1: But you know, I've represented all sorts of victims the good,

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Speaker 1: the bad, and the ugly, the drunk, the stone, the

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Speaker 1: strung out, the evil. But a crime victim is a

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Speaker 1: crime victim. And I want to hear what happened to

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Speaker 1: Brianna Coopfrey hit me Nancia as you said she was sunshine,

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Speaker 1: her dad said, I mean she was the kind of

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Speaker 1: person who we needed on this earth. She was working

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Speaker 1: alone in this furniture store in the Fairfax District, which

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Speaker 1: is usually I let a guest at least get their

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Speaker 1: first three sentences out. But you said, you said her dad,

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Speaker 1: her father is breaking my heart, Hanley. When I lived

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Speaker 1: out in a la for a period of time, as

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Speaker 1: during Dancing with the Stars, and I will never forget

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Speaker 1: the first night, of course, I was held in jeopardy

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Speaker 1: with Metalworld Peace. I thought I was going to be

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Speaker 1: thrown off my very first night. My mother and father

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Speaker 1: had come all the way across the country and they

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Speaker 1: were living in the apartment of two doors down for

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Speaker 1: me to help me take care of the twins Hilly

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Speaker 1: and I remember getting in jeopardy that night and they

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Speaker 1: were about to throw me off. Luckily I made it

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Speaker 1: on to the nearly the very bitter end. But I

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Speaker 1: looked across that huge stage, and in the crowd, I

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Speaker 1: saw one face, my father's and from across that stage helly,

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Speaker 1: and it was big. It felt like a football fielder,

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Speaker 1: but it wasn't. He looked like he was about to well.

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Speaker 1: I think he was crying because he was embarrassed that

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Speaker 1: he thought I could be upset. Well as it was,

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Speaker 1: I didn't get thrown off, but I still remember that moment.

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Speaker 1: I looked out and I saw my father with me

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Speaker 1: through thick and thin. And when I hear Brianna's father talking,

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Speaker 1: it just it breaks my heart. Okay, go ahead. You

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Speaker 1: couldn't have said it any better. And I did talk

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Speaker 1: to Tud Cooper the morning after his daughter was murdered

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Speaker 1: for about an hour, and I can't even tell you

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Speaker 1: the pain that he and his family are going through.

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Speaker 1: Brianna was such a family person. She was extremely devoted

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Speaker 1: to her family, really close with her mom. Her best

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Speaker 1: friend was her sister. She had two brothers. I mean,

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Speaker 1: she was their sweet angel. As her dad put it,

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Speaker 1: I mean just tons of friends, her whole life ahead

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Speaker 1: of her big dreams. And she's working at this luxury

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Speaker 1: furniture store in the Fairfax district of La which is

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Speaker 1: pretty happy, Haley. Everything in la is luxury everything. But

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Speaker 1: I mean you do call Rodeo Drive Rodeo, right, Troice Lytton,

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Speaker 1: they do. I didn't name it Nancy, but yes, that

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Speaker 1: is the name. I mean, you got to be wearing

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Speaker 1: VERSACEI just to walk down Rodeo Drive. Okay, back to you,

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Speaker 1: he Aley, But yes, you're right, it was the Craft.

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Speaker 1: Isn't that the name of it? Like cr O f

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Speaker 1: T or kr FT Furniture store. It's not really a

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Speaker 1: place for the general public. Her dad kind of put

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Speaker 1: it this way. It's more for interior designers to go.

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Speaker 1: And we met a couple who were there visiting from

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Speaker 1: New York planning to go in the store and didn't

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Speaker 1: know about what had happened. So, yeah, it's a high

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Speaker 1: end store, but it's not something that you would generally

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Speaker 1: go in unless you were an interior designer. Normally she

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Speaker 1: would be working with somebody else. For whatever reason. She

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Speaker 1: was working in the store alone that day. It was

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Speaker 1: the middle of the afternoon, January thirteenth, about one thirty pm,

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Speaker 1: and this guy comes in Sean Laval Smiths thirty one.

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Speaker 1: Police say he's homeless. Definitely seems to have a lot

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Speaker 1: of mental problems, as we know, and for whatever reason,

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Speaker 1: police say, he pulled out a knife and stabbed this

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Speaker 1: poor girl to death. She falls on the floor, and

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Speaker 1: about twenty minutes later, they say, would be customer comes

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Speaker 1: in the store and finds her in a pool blood

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Speaker 1: on the floor, and he goes out the back of

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Speaker 1: the business, casually seen on surveillance walking down the alley

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Speaker 1: like nothing happens, goes into a seven to eleven twenty

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Speaker 1: minutes later and buys a vait pen. I mean, the

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Speaker 1: guy is out of his mind. He had also been

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Speaker 1: in other businesses earlier that dame just a man. It

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Speaker 1: did what Earlier that day he went into the chiropractor office,

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Speaker 1: which is right next door to the Croft House, and

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Speaker 1: asked about orthopedic procedures, what they did there was in

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Speaker 1: there just for a few minutes, and then he went

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Speaker 1: next door to the Croft House and killed Brianna. Can

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Speaker 1: I ask you, is it true that he has a

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Speaker 1: rap sheet as long as I seventy five and it

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Speaker 1: spanned two coasts? Is that correct? Yeah? He had a

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Speaker 1: Warren out for his arrest Davis. All happened, Yeah, he

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Speaker 1: had about twelve arrests, most of them in South Carolina.

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Speaker 1: He had been arrested, most recently for assaulting a cop,

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Speaker 1: for shooting into a car with a toddler, for trespassing,

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Speaker 1: for best I mean, you name it, and he's out

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Speaker 1: on the streets walking around and killed this innocent girl

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Speaker 1: with her whole life ahead of her crime stories with

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Speaker 1: Nancy Grace, you know, I want to talk about the

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Speaker 1: fact that no one seems concerned about his rap sheet

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Speaker 1: and why he was in and out and in and

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Speaker 1: out of jail on two coasts. Now, can I ask

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Speaker 1: you you said mental problem? To your knowledge, has he

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Speaker 1: been diagnosed with any sort of mental infirmity? If you

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Speaker 1: look at his rap sheet, it lists mental problems in

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Speaker 1: several of his prior arrest. Because I'm looking at his

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Speaker 1: charges and I don't say that he has ever been

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Speaker 1: put in a mental facility. I don't know that he's

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Speaker 1: on any types of drugs, but I do know this.

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Speaker 1: Take a listen to our cut double O Sandra Indo

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Speaker 1: Fox eleven Croft House. This is a high end furniture

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Speaker 1: store where twenty four year Brianna Kuffer was working by

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Speaker 1: herself on January thirteenth, when this suspect, who is not

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Speaker 1: known to Brianna, according to detectives, randomly walked into the store,

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Speaker 1: attacked her with a knife, and left through the back door.

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Speaker 1: Twenty minutes later, a customer walked in found her unresponsive

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Speaker 1: on the floor. It called nine one. According to detectives,

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Speaker 1: there's no motive or information on what led up to

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Speaker 1: the attack, and our cut three. This is Lieutenant John Racky, LPD.

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Speaker 1: At one thirty six pm in the afternoon, Brianna was

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Speaker 1: working in this store all by herself. She said a

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Speaker 1: text to a friend letting her know that there was

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Speaker 1: someone inside the location that was given her a bad vibe. Regrettably,

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Speaker 1: that person did not see the text immediately, and at

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Speaker 1: one fifty pm, a citizen who was coming into the

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Speaker 1: store a customer found Brianna lying on the ground, lifeless,

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Speaker 1: covered in blood. That person called nine one. Our officers

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Speaker 1: and paramedics arrived out here quickly, but regrettably, they determined

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Speaker 1: that she was dead. Suspect took off on foot and

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Speaker 1: he was last seen walking through the neighborhood. He walked

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Speaker 1: for miles both north, south, east, and west throughout this neighborhood.

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Speaker 1: Took off, took off why did he take off because

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Speaker 1: he knew what he had done was wrong? Auntie Donna

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Speaker 1: Sherry Schwartz, forensic psychologist joining us specializing in criminal behavior.

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Speaker 1: Doctor Sherry Schwartz, The definition of insanity in our jear'sprudence

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Speaker 1: is whether you know right or wrong at the time

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Speaker 1: of the incident, not whether you dreamed something up for trial,

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Speaker 1: but whether you knew right or wrong at the time

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Speaker 1: of the incident. And the fact that he took off

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Speaker 1: and hid out for days following Brianna's murder tells me

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Speaker 1: he knew what he did was wrong, absolutely right, Nancy.

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Speaker 1: And it's really hard for people to make sense of that.

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Speaker 1: This idea of insanity is a legal concept, not a

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Speaker 1: psychological concept. And he may be he may very well

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Speaker 1: be seriously mentally ill, but that doesn't mean he's legally insane.

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Speaker 1: I don't know. I'm not accepting that anybody is mentally ill.

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Speaker 1: That has to be proven to me before you can

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Speaker 1: tell me that you are not responsible for murdering someone

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Speaker 1: in cold blood. Take a listen to our cut five,

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Speaker 1: our friends at Fox eleven and Alasco's obviously as parents

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Speaker 1: and Brianna, I want to see this leader capture. That's

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Speaker 1: first and foremost. You know, I certainly want him off

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Speaker 1: the streets because he obviously appeared to not show much

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Speaker 1: from worse, and you're worry that he could, you know,

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Speaker 1: put somebody else in harm's way, the father of the victims,

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Speaker 1: speaking out earlier on Fox eleven. US this as brand

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Speaker 1: new video just outgives us a good look at the

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Speaker 1: suspected killer. Chilling video, investigators say, as it chose to

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Speaker 1: prime suspect shopping at a nearby seven eleven just minutes

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Speaker 1: after the killing. He was last seen walking through the neighborhood.

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Speaker 1: He walked for miles both north, south, east, and west

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Speaker 1: throughout this neighborhood. Someone out there knows this man, Someone

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Speaker 1: out there knows what he did. And now we know

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Speaker 1: Brianna felt something was terribly wrong, sending a text to

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Speaker 1: a friend just before the deadly attack quote can you

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Speaker 1: call me? There is someone in the store that is

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Speaker 1: giving me weird vibes. The text wasn't seen un till

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Speaker 1: after Brianna was dead, So got wrenching and obviously horrible.

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Speaker 1: Is her father and her mother and assubling staff go

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Speaker 1: through this. We just pray and hope that no one

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Speaker 1: else will have to straight out to doctor Kendall Crowns

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Speaker 1: joining us the chief medical Examiner Tarrant County. That's Houston.

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Speaker 1: Excuse me, fort Worth, Texas, Doctor Kendall Crowns, thank you

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Speaker 1: for being with us. What did Brianna endure before her death? Well,

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Speaker 1: usually with stab wounds, they often cannot kill the individual

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Speaker 1: with a single stab wound because there's a lot of

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Speaker 1: movement and the person doesn't die immediately from the wounds,

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Speaker 1: so they're usually stabbed multiple times. You get the pain

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Speaker 1: from being stabbed, of course, the fear et cetera, et cetera,

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Speaker 1: and then while you're you're going to take a time

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Speaker 1: period to bleed out, depending on what gets hit. If

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Speaker 1: it's a major vessel, it could take a few minutes.

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Speaker 1: If it's multiple minor stab wounds, it could take even longer.

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Speaker 1: So if she's stabbed in the chest, she'll be gasping

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Speaker 1: for air as she's slowly bleeding to death. So it's

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Speaker 1: not an easy way to go out, doctor channel Crowns.

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Speaker 1: If you're stabbed in the chest, is the blood go

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Speaker 1: into your lungs and make it difficult to breathe. So

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Speaker 1: what actually happens if you're stabbed in the chest. It

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Speaker 1: compromises your chest cavity where your lungs it, and it

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Speaker 1: introduces air into it, and it causes your lungs to collapse,

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Speaker 1: So it actually will make it hard for you to

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Speaker 1: breathe because of that. Also, your lungs, if they're stabbed,

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Speaker 1: you'll be the blood will get into your airway. You'll

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Speaker 1: be coughing up blood, swallowing it and then also bleeding

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Speaker 1: from that as well. And as the blood fills your

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Speaker 1: chest cavity, it'll again make it hard for you to breathe,

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Speaker 1: So you're basically drowning in your own blood. I'm just

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Speaker 1: thanking about this girl. She's twenty four years old. She

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Speaker 1: was a UCLA graduate student in architectural design, which is

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Speaker 1: certainly no easy thing. And I wonder what was going

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Speaker 1: through her mind? Is she lie there on the floor

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Speaker 1: of croft furniture. I wonder if she knew that she

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Speaker 1: was dying. To doctor Kendall Crown's you've worked with so

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Speaker 1: many people when people are dying, do you believe that

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Speaker 1: they know they're dying? I think in certain situations you know,

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Speaker 1: you realize that you are dying. So yes, I mean

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Speaker 1: if you've had a massive stroke or something like that. No,

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Speaker 1: you probably don't realize that you're dying. But I think individuals,

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Speaker 1: and especially in this situation, know that they're dying and

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Speaker 1: there's really nothing they can do because you can't get help.

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Speaker 1: I was just thinking about the logistics of what happened,

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Speaker 1: Karen el Smith, for this guy to be browsing around shopping,

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Speaker 1: going in and out of areas, stores, on video in

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Speaker 1: other places. In after he stabs somebody, he runs then

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Speaker 1: wants to vape and goes into another store to get vape. Well,

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Speaker 1: Karen Smith, hey want to tell you? And also what

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Speaker 1: in the world how did it happen that this guy

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Speaker 1: manages to go on the lamb and out smart at

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Speaker 1: the LAPD for so long? Lots of different questions, Nancy,

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Speaker 1: you know, going into a seven eleven and getting a

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Speaker 1: vape after you've just committed first degree murder. And I

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Speaker 1: say that because it was premeditated. He had the knife

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Speaker 1: with him, He didn't find it at the furniture store,

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Speaker 1: he had it on his person, So that to me

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Speaker 1: is premeditation why he would go in and buy a vape.

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Speaker 1: You know, this goes to a complete psychopath and I'm

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Speaker 1: not saying he's insane as far as the criminal courts

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Speaker 1: are concerned. What I'm saying is is he has no

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Speaker 1: human feeling. He is a monster. He's an absolute. He

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Speaker 1: had a rap sheet from North Carolina to South Carolina

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Speaker 1: to here in California. He fell through the cracks. This

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Speaker 1: is a systemic failure, and it makes me so angry,

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Speaker 1: so angry to know that this young woman's life was

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Speaker 1: snuffed out at the hands of somebody who should have

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Speaker 1: been in prison, and it could happen to anyone, and

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Speaker 1: it should put the fear of God into every single

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Speaker 1: person on this planet. That this young woman was working

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Speaker 1: at a furniture store, trying to better her life and

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Speaker 1: this man comes in and takes her life that quickly.

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Speaker 1: That should put the fear of God in everyone, and

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Speaker 1: everyone should rally around and ask for change, because falling

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Speaker 1: through the cracks like this is inexcusable. This man should

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Speaker 1: have been in prison a long time ago. Prime Stories

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Speaker 1: with Nancy Grace, a lengthy criminal history spanning two coasts.

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Speaker 1: Somehow this guy manages to elude police. Take a listen

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Speaker 1: to our cut six. This is our framp or Thomas

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Speaker 1: at Guma Police say. The suspect, identified last night as

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Speaker 1: Sean Lavelle Smith, can be seen here in the surveillance

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Speaker 1: video casually shopping in a city store. Authority's saying he's

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Speaker 1: wanted in connection with the murder of Brianna Cooper. Police

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Speaker 1: say he should be considered armed and dangerous, is highly

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Speaker 1: likely to be using public transportation, and if spotted, should

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Speaker 1: not be approached. We are topping over two hundred and

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Speaker 1: fifty thousand dollars for the capture and conviction of the suspects.

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Speaker 1: This is important to bring more intention to this crime

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Speaker 1: and to get more public response. The reward coming after

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Speaker 1: a tragic case of stranger violence. UCLA grad student was

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Speaker 1: working by herself in the middle of the afternoon at

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Speaker 1: this high end furniture store in Los Angeles. Authorities say

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Speaker 1: the suspect, believed to be homeless and seeing here on

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Speaker 1: surveillance footage, walked in and stabbed her and then left

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Speaker 1: to a backdoor. Cooper's father speaking with us overnight, it's

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Speaker 1: the worst feeling I've ever had in my life. She

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Speaker 1: was genuine, and she was hearing. She's loving, and she

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Speaker 1: wanted things to be better. You were also hearing her

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Speaker 1: father speaking right there, and I also want you to

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Speaker 1: hear our friend Gg Graciet at Fox eleven La R

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Speaker 1: Cut seven. Police believe this was a random murder and

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Speaker 1: that is just another disturbing a fact to this case,

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Speaker 1: and that is why they're desperate to catch this guy.

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Speaker 1: Take a look. They say he's armed, dangerous, and a murderer.

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Speaker 1: Thirty one year old Sean Laval Smith now wanted for

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Speaker 1: the murder of Brianna Coopfer, a young woman police say

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Speaker 1: he didn't even know. Smith a career criminal with arrest

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Speaker 1: spanning the country. He was out on bail on a

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Speaker 1: misdemean or arrest in Los Angeles in twenty twenty. He's

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Speaker 1: also reportedly on bail from a crime he's accused of

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Speaker 1: committing in South Carolina, where in twenty nineteen he was

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Speaker 1: arrested on suspicion of firing a gun into a car.

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Speaker 1: His most recent charges include assaulting a police officer in

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Speaker 1: San Mateo. Police say that Smith entered the Croft House,

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Speaker 1: a high end furniture store on Labria last Thursday, where

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Speaker 1: he stabbed to death as a designer and sole employee inside,

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Speaker 1: twenty four year old Brianna. The murder, police say random,

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Speaker 1: you know, to Troy Slayton joining US high profile lawyer

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Speaker 1: out of LA with the Slayton Lawyers, Troy, there's something

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Speaker 1: about the word random that should strike fear into everybody's heart.

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Speaker 1: For me, it's because I can make sense and connect

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Speaker 1: the dots and analyze other murders. A random murders where

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Speaker 1: there's no pattern, where there's no connection between the victim

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Speaker 1: and the defendant, those are much harder to solve and

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Speaker 1: much harder to make sense of. Of course, try You

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Speaker 1: and I both know that you don't have to make

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Speaker 1: sense of it to prosecute it, to put the bag

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Speaker 1: guye behind bars. It doesn't have to make sense. You

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Speaker 1: don't have to prove motive. There doesn't have to even

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Speaker 1: be a motive. But random acts of such horrible violence

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Speaker 1: to me or even more troubling than when I can

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Speaker 1: figure out on my own two plus twoagles for who

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Speaker 1: did it. This is one of the more gut wrenching

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Speaker 1: cases because the victim here was the definition of southern

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Speaker 1: California beauty, and the suspect here is likely to be

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Speaker 1: represented by the public defenders in Los Angeles County. And

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Speaker 1: when you think about you know, oh boy, a public

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Speaker 1: defender may not be the best lawyer. It's a government lawyer.

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Speaker 1: Oh No, The public defenders here in Los Angeles County

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Speaker 1: that would represent a murder case a murder suspect are

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Speaker 1: some of the absolute best in the country. And we've

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Speaker 1: talked about his insanity or possible mental issues me very well,

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Speaker 1: that may very well be one of his defenses. In

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Speaker 1: California follows the McNaughton rule, which means that they only

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Speaker 1: have to show by preponderance of the evidence. Where a

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Speaker 1: prosecutor normally has to prove things beyond a reasonable doubt,

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Speaker 1: all that he has to show is that it's more

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Speaker 1: likely than not that he either didn't understand the nature

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Speaker 1: of what he did or didn't understand that what he

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Speaker 1: was doing was morally wrong at that moment. And the

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Speaker 1: fact that he just casually walked in to a seven

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Speaker 1: to eleven right after buys a vaypen, uses the change

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Speaker 1: from the leave a penny, take a penny thing that

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Speaker 1: to pay for it, and walks out to his next

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Speaker 1: thing shows that he wasn't in his right mind. Wow,

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Speaker 1: I hear an echo in this room. Oh it's you,

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Speaker 1: because I just said the old McNaughton rule, which is

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Speaker 1: the legal definition of insanity in our country is whether

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Speaker 1: you know right or wrong at the time of the incident.

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Speaker 1: And we call the old McNaughton rule because it's really old.

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Speaker 1: It came over from Great Britain, from whence we took

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Speaker 1: our common law. Common law is case law as opposed

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Speaker 1: to statute, which is codified passed by all these legislatures

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Speaker 1: and assemblies that suck up all our money and do

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Speaker 1: what you can tell me. Don't know, but common law

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Speaker 1: is based on case law, and McNaughton was actually a defendant.

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Speaker 1: They tried to raise insanity and way back when it

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Speaker 1: was determined right from wrong. If you know the difference

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Speaker 1: between right and wrong, then you are not insane at

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Speaker 1: the time of the act now and guarantee you In California,

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Speaker 1: I'm sure they've managed to somehow muddy that definition. But

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Speaker 1: that is the definition of the old McNaughton rule. You

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Speaker 1: know what, Google it while you're listening to reporter Leanne

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Speaker 1: Suitor and our cut eight. This is ABC seven. Go

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Speaker 1: ahead and pull out your phone and google that. TROYE.

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Speaker 1: Layton police know what that suspect looks like. They know

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Speaker 1: his name. Now they are trying to find him. They

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Speaker 1: of course say he is armed and obviously dangerous. Here

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Speaker 1: at the scene of the crime. Take a look a

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Speaker 1: growing memorial to that twenty four year old student. All

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Speaker 1: of these flowers and candles left and tribute. But it

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Speaker 1: is this poster that is the focus tonight at two

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Speaker 1: hundred and fifty thousand dollar reward for the man unwanted

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Speaker 1: for her murder. He's a wanted killer on the loose,

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Speaker 1: so cold and callous. He was seen casually shopping at

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Speaker 1: a nearby seven to eleven just thirty minutes after police

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Speaker 1: say he brutally murdered twenty four year old Brianna Cooper.

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Speaker 1: This individual responsible for this vicious, senseless and brutal crime,

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Speaker 1: It walks amongst us. I'm convinced to that police now

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Speaker 1: know his name, Sean Laval Smith, but not as whereabouts.

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Speaker 1: Investigators say the thirty one year old is homeless and

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Speaker 1: has likely been using public transportation, traveling the state from

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Speaker 1: San Francisco to San Diego, Pasadena to La five days ago,

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Speaker 1: walking into the Hancock Park furniture store where the young

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Speaker 1: UCLA student was working. Speaking of Hancock Park, that's a

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Speaker 1: pretty high end area choice. Late because I remember when

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Speaker 1: we lived in LA Let's say, the children were on

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Speaker 1: Westside the United Methodist Church preschool, and we looked at

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Speaker 1: apartments to stay in for that duration in Hancock Park,

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Speaker 1: and I'm like, WHOA, that's expensive. It's a pretty ritzy area, right, Troy.

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Speaker 1: It's a beautiful area right in the center of LA

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Speaker 1: It's called mid Wilshire. It's got big, old, beautiful homes

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Speaker 1: built in the early nineteen hundreds, mansions, huge estates. It

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Speaker 1: was like the it was like Beverly Hills before there

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Speaker 1: was Beverly Hills. And it borders Koreatown and several Consulates

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Speaker 1: General have their their offices there. It's it's a beautiful place.

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Speaker 1: But what I wanted to say earlier, Nancy No, the

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Speaker 1: victim's father here brings up a very good point, and

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Speaker 1: it's about the prosecutions in Los Angeles. Right now, there's

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Speaker 1: a revolt inside the La County DA office where they

428
00:29:01,920 --> 00:29:08,080
Speaker 1: recently elected. George Gascone put in certain directives to his

429
00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:14,160
Speaker 1: deputy district attorneys who are suing him in court because

430
00:29:14,360 --> 00:29:18,480
Speaker 1: they didn't like the directives that he was giving them

431
00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:26,120
Speaker 1: regarding bail, regarding their prosecutions in the office, and what

432
00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:32,680
Speaker 1: are gascons directives? They were to not seek bail in

433
00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:37,840
Speaker 1: many cases that would allow somebody like this who's charged

434
00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:43,960
Speaker 1: on lesser offenses to be out without having to post bail,

435
00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:50,320
Speaker 1: and other directives like not seeking the death penalty even

436
00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:52,520
Speaker 1: though the death penalty is the law on the state

437
00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:55,560
Speaker 1: of California. He made the directive that we will no

438
00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:58,120
Speaker 1: longer seek the death penalty. We're not going to seek

439
00:29:58,160 --> 00:30:01,640
Speaker 1: life without possibility of parole. What is wrong with him?

440
00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:05,800
Speaker 1: And I'm not getting into an argument about the death penalty, Okay,

441
00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:09,040
Speaker 1: I'll leave that to juries. Where the death penalty is

442
00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:11,560
Speaker 1: presented to them, they can struggle with it. But I

443
00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:14,680
Speaker 1: am a little concerned about a top prosecutor and a

444
00:30:14,720 --> 00:30:18,840
Speaker 1: death penalty jurisdiction who doesn't want to seek the death penalty. Okay,

445
00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:21,280
Speaker 1: say you're morally posed to the death penalty, and I

446
00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:25,240
Speaker 1: understand that. I get that. What about life without the

447
00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:28,520
Speaker 1: possibility of parole? He doesn't think that's okay either, Troy,

448
00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:31,760
Speaker 1: that's right? And what is wrong with him? That's why

449
00:30:32,040 --> 00:30:34,840
Speaker 1: certain How did he get to be the DA anyway?

450
00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:41,920
Speaker 1: He's elected, Maybe some daughtering politician named him or appointed

451
00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:44,800
Speaker 1: him for an interim district attorney. No, he's a former

452
00:30:44,840 --> 00:30:49,600
Speaker 1: police chief from Los Angeles, he and San Francisco. He

453
00:30:49,720 --> 00:30:52,600
Speaker 1: was a DA in San Francisco and then came down

454
00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:56,560
Speaker 1: to LA a couple of years ago and was elected

455
00:30:56,560 --> 00:31:01,800
Speaker 1: and ousted the long time district attorney of La Jackie Easy. Okay,

456
00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:03,959
Speaker 1: So you're telling me more than I really wanted to

457
00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:07,840
Speaker 1: know about Gasca and the current district attorney there, who

458
00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:12,680
Speaker 1: is known as being weak. And I can tell you

459
00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:15,760
Speaker 1: this much when you have been a crime victim of

460
00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:21,080
Speaker 1: victim of violent crime like myself, I mean some people

461
00:31:21,120 --> 00:31:24,080
Speaker 1: I guess are out for revenge. I was never out

462
00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:29,320
Speaker 1: for revenge. I wanted the bad guy, whoever she or

463
00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:33,280
Speaker 1: he may be, to be put behind bars for as

464
00:31:33,360 --> 00:31:40,840
Speaker 1: long as humanly possible so another innocent victim would not

465
00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:58,240
Speaker 1: fall prey to a predator like this guy. Crime Stories

466
00:31:58,280 --> 00:32:02,920
Speaker 1: with Nancy Grace. Let me ask our special guest joining us,

467
00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:06,760
Speaker 1: Heley wins Life from Fox eleven LA. Why was this

468
00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:10,200
Speaker 1: guy out? Didn't he just fire into a car where

469
00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:13,600
Speaker 1: people were in there, including a tot. That's what everybody

470
00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:15,720
Speaker 1: wants to know. Why was this guy out on the street?

471
00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:17,800
Speaker 1: There was a warrant out for his arrest at the

472
00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:23,240
Speaker 1: time for violating probation. But as mister Cooper says, street

473
00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:28,920
Speaker 1: criminals better than law abiding citizens sometimes, and he says

474
00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:31,000
Speaker 1: that Bessy said, we need a champion Brianna as a

475
00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:33,920
Speaker 1: beacon of what's wrong and make sure people recognize that

476
00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:36,920
Speaker 1: because it could be your child next and it is

477
00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:42,400
Speaker 1: an impossible price to pay. And then amazingly Karen el

478
00:32:42,480 --> 00:32:46,520
Speaker 1: Smith joined me forensic expert. He goes on the run.

479
00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:49,240
Speaker 1: How do they figure out who he was first of all,

480
00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:52,360
Speaker 1: to start searching for him from that seven to eleven video?

481
00:32:52,560 --> 00:32:57,360
Speaker 1: Or did he touch a glass door at the furniture store?

482
00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:00,600
Speaker 1: How do you think they figure out? Yeah, it's Shawn

483
00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:03,840
Speaker 1: of Al Smith, age thirty one. How they figure that out? Well,

484
00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:06,080
Speaker 1: they have the surveillance video from the seven to eleven

485
00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:09,000
Speaker 1: as well as from the streets outside. So they were

486
00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:11,480
Speaker 1: asking all of the citizens, if you know, somebody knows

487
00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:14,480
Speaker 1: this man, somebody recognizes him. So I don't know if

488
00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:17,080
Speaker 1: it was a an ID from someone who called in

489
00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:19,480
Speaker 1: or if it was forensics. As far as fingerprints, you know,

490
00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:21,320
Speaker 1: you go to a seven to eleven, everybody and their

491
00:33:21,320 --> 00:33:24,960
Speaker 1: mothers touched that counter. Gosh, you're so right, Karen el Smith.

492
00:33:25,040 --> 00:33:28,360
Speaker 1: Of course you're right, And you know what we see things,

493
00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:32,440
Speaker 1: Doctor Kendel Crown's chief medical examiner and esteemed lecturer at

494
00:33:32,520 --> 00:33:34,960
Speaker 1: so many universities. It just takes up this whole piece

495
00:33:34,960 --> 00:33:40,040
Speaker 1: of paper, doctor Kennel Crowns. The public things that law

496
00:33:40,160 --> 00:33:43,280
Speaker 1: enforcement is like in the movies, like in James Bond

497
00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:47,880
Speaker 1: or Born Identity. It's not like that. It is not

498
00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:51,680
Speaker 1: that advanced. And don't trick yourself about the FBI and

499
00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:55,960
Speaker 1: the CIA. They are a bunch of former investigators and

500
00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:59,520
Speaker 1: detectives and cops who's made it to the fens and

501
00:33:59,560 --> 00:34:04,360
Speaker 1: we're all just struggling. We don't have face recognition and

502
00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:10,080
Speaker 1: everything that the public thinks we've got. Yeah, that is

503
00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:14,560
Speaker 1: a problem. Often the TV and movies give a perception

504
00:34:14,640 --> 00:34:18,319
Speaker 1: that law enforcement and medical examiners can solve all these

505
00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:22,440
Speaker 1: cases and in a heartbeat, and we really can't. It

506
00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:26,320
Speaker 1: is based on very detailed, in best of gat of

507
00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:30,239
Speaker 1: work by the law enforcement and the death investigators and

508
00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:34,160
Speaker 1: then the medical examiners doing their their job as well.

509
00:34:34,320 --> 00:34:37,560
Speaker 1: So it takes a big team to actually get the

510
00:34:37,600 --> 00:34:40,600
Speaker 1: cases done. And it's never as pretty and as clean

511
00:34:40,640 --> 00:34:43,040
Speaker 1: as it is in the movie, and I'm sure you're

512
00:34:43,080 --> 00:34:46,000
Speaker 1: well aware of the boy. Am I am I Doctor

513
00:34:46,080 --> 00:34:49,120
Speaker 1: Kendall Crowns, because when you see goes us all in,

514
00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:51,880
Speaker 1: when you see the cops on TV begging for the

515
00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:56,440
Speaker 1: public's assistance, I'm like, oh no, they don't have anything. Guys.

516
00:34:56,480 --> 00:34:59,680
Speaker 1: Take a listen to our cut fifteen. This is Susan.

517
00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:03,640
Speaker 1: You're a Suna at Fox in La. Today, a man

518
00:35:03,760 --> 00:35:07,000
Speaker 1: waiting at a bus stop in Pasadena recognized Smith and

519
00:35:07,040 --> 00:35:11,120
Speaker 1: called police. Our bus are kind of was just just

520
00:35:11,120 --> 00:35:13,520
Speaker 1: a little bit like that was weird. A busy waitress

521
00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:15,960
Speaker 1: captured on video the suspect and the stabbing depth of

522
00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:19,440
Speaker 1: Brianna coop Fur in Pasadena police custody. She worked at

523
00:35:19,480 --> 00:35:22,480
Speaker 1: this restaurant across the street from the arrest site. Just

524
00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:25,239
Speaker 1: minutes prior, the suspect had asked to use the restroom.

525
00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:28,080
Speaker 1: He left the building and crossed the street. He was

526
00:35:28,120 --> 00:35:31,040
Speaker 1: sitting on this bus bench when the bartender recognized him.

527
00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:34,040
Speaker 1: That's when everybody just felt like, really like uncomfortable and

528
00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:35,879
Speaker 1: just a little bit scared, just because of that person.

529
00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:39,520
Speaker 1: I had just been inside of our workplace, like inches

530
00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:42,360
Speaker 1: from all of us. I certainly hope it is because

531
00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:47,160
Speaker 1: that guy neasy to be captured. That was Charlie Selina's's

532
00:35:47,200 --> 00:35:50,480
Speaker 1: reaction when he stumbled upon the arrest a thirty one

533
00:35:50,560 --> 00:35:53,279
Speaker 1: year old Shan l All Smith. I was very unsettling,

534
00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:57,880
Speaker 1: you know. I was, yeah, it's just evil that was

535
00:35:57,920 --> 00:36:02,239
Speaker 1: just caught from you know that. But and he sensed that, Yeah,

536
00:36:02,239 --> 00:36:05,520
Speaker 1: it just he had this cold look in his face

537
00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:09,840
Speaker 1: to you. Hailey Winslow Special Guests joining us from Fox

538
00:36:09,960 --> 00:36:14,640
Speaker 1: eleven LA. When I hear that witness describe a sense

539
00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:19,640
Speaker 1: of evil, I wonder if that's what Brianna Cutfer failed

540
00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:22,959
Speaker 1: when she was all alone in the Croft Furniture store,

541
00:36:23,320 --> 00:36:26,880
Speaker 1: texting her friend, this guy's given me the worst vibe exactly.

542
00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:29,720
Speaker 1: That's exactly what the police said that she he creeped

543
00:36:29,719 --> 00:36:31,839
Speaker 1: her out, and he creeped out everybody who was at

544
00:36:31,840 --> 00:36:36,080
Speaker 1: the cheesecake factory when they, you know, thankfully caught this guy.

545
00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:39,480
Speaker 1: There was a guy who was in slacks and a

546
00:36:39,640 --> 00:36:44,640
Speaker 1: tie about a week after Cooper was murdered who recognized

547
00:36:45,080 --> 00:36:48,040
Speaker 1: Smith on a bus bench right after he had gone

548
00:36:48,080 --> 00:36:51,719
Speaker 1: into cheesecake factory to go to the bathroom, recognized him

549
00:36:51,719 --> 00:36:55,160
Speaker 1: from the news and called police. There is a two

550
00:36:55,280 --> 00:36:59,880
Speaker 1: or fifty thousand dollars reward out for his arrest, So

551
00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:02,440
Speaker 1: hopefully this guy gets it. But he just happened to

552
00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:05,200
Speaker 1: recognize him at the at the bus stop and called

553
00:37:05,239 --> 00:37:07,879
Speaker 1: it in and after say, Nancy talking to the lead

554
00:37:07,960 --> 00:37:12,000
Speaker 1: homicide detective on us case yesterday, this guy Smith is

555
00:37:12,040 --> 00:37:15,719
Speaker 1: so violent that even with him in handcuffs with his

556
00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:18,680
Speaker 1: rap sheet, they didn't want anyone near him. They didn't

557
00:37:18,719 --> 00:37:20,319
Speaker 1: want the news near him, They didn't want the general

558
00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:21,960
Speaker 1: public near him because they didn't know what he was

559
00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:26,440
Speaker 1: going to do, even in handcuffs, Haley, even in handcuffs

560
00:37:26,560 --> 00:37:28,880
Speaker 1: jumping Karen Smith. That's the kind of person we're dealing with.

561
00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:30,920
Speaker 1: What I was going to tell you, Nancy is I'm

562
00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:33,640
Speaker 1: so glad that the citizens got involved. And that's what

563
00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:36,800
Speaker 1: the police need. We need the citizens. If you see something,

564
00:37:37,360 --> 00:37:40,440
Speaker 1: say something, let us know we are cops are a

565
00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:44,080
Speaker 1: reactive force for the most part, so when citizens get involved.

566
00:37:44,120 --> 00:37:47,720
Speaker 1: This gentleman recognized him from the wanted posters. He said something.

567
00:37:47,960 --> 00:37:51,239
Speaker 1: He's in custody, so great work. Take a listen to

568
00:37:51,239 --> 00:37:55,760
Speaker 1: our cut seventeen Christie biharda Fox eleven. We have since

569
00:37:55,880 --> 00:37:58,840
Speaker 1: learned that he has an outstanding warrant for his arrest

570
00:37:58,880 --> 00:38:02,640
Speaker 1: in northern California and an outstanding case against him in

571
00:38:02,680 --> 00:38:06,680
Speaker 1: South Carolina. As for the case in San Mateo, according

572
00:38:06,719 --> 00:38:09,720
Speaker 1: to Fox News, court documents show that he was arrested

573
00:38:09,920 --> 00:38:15,800
Speaker 1: last year. All of those your stations and more failed.

574
00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:21,000
Speaker 1: They failed to keep this guy behind bars. He walked free,

575
00:38:21,320 --> 00:38:24,680
Speaker 1: He crossed the country and turns up at the Croft

576
00:38:25,040 --> 00:38:31,480
Speaker 1: furniture store where he murders innocent Brianna Coopefer. Take a

577
00:38:31,480 --> 00:38:36,040
Speaker 1: listen again to our cut fourteen Fox eleven. This is

578
00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:38,759
Speaker 1: a story that has just really rocked the world. And

579
00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:41,840
Speaker 1: it's such a cygh of release to know that it

580
00:38:41,920 --> 00:38:46,080
Speaker 1: sounds like police have captured resuspected murderer. I just got

581
00:38:46,120 --> 00:38:49,560
Speaker 1: word from a police officer in Pasadena and the homicide

582
00:38:49,560 --> 00:38:53,160
Speaker 1: detective on Brianna cup first case has confirmed that they

583
00:38:53,200 --> 00:38:56,759
Speaker 1: do believe they've arrested the man who killed Brianna. Do

584
00:38:56,840 --> 00:39:00,359
Speaker 1: you Troice Layton, high profile criminal defense attorney joining us

585
00:39:00,360 --> 00:39:07,239
Speaker 1: out of LA. I'm concerned with the elected DA in charge. Yes, Gown,

586
00:39:07,560 --> 00:39:10,440
Speaker 1: what's going to happen to this case? I'm gonna let

587
00:39:10,520 --> 00:39:14,960
Speaker 1: him out for what probation? Do a little community service.

588
00:39:15,080 --> 00:39:17,800
Speaker 1: I don't think so. In this case, Nancy, the entire

589
00:39:17,840 --> 00:39:22,680
Speaker 1: world is watching, and he's obviously going to be arraigned

590
00:39:23,080 --> 00:39:28,560
Speaker 1: on the murder charge. His attorneys will likely raise the

591
00:39:28,680 --> 00:39:33,680
Speaker 1: issue of his mental status. You're the I'm only one

592
00:39:33,800 --> 00:39:39,480
Speaker 1: talking about that, and so he'll be evaluated. I believe

593
00:39:39,600 --> 00:39:46,279
Speaker 1: that bail will be set bail. The court has the

594
00:39:46,360 --> 00:39:50,359
Speaker 1: ultimate discretion, and I believe the court will set high bail.

595
00:39:50,440 --> 00:39:53,360
Speaker 1: This is a murder charge. Getting out before no bond,

596
00:39:53,600 --> 00:39:56,719
Speaker 1: r O R released own recognisis blah blah blah. What

597
00:39:56,840 --> 00:40:00,880
Speaker 1: he's not likely to face is any enhancement because this

598
00:40:01,040 --> 00:40:05,239
Speaker 1: DA has said that he's will his winning. He needs

599
00:40:05,239 --> 00:40:08,000
Speaker 1: to go. He's not representing crime victims. I don't know.

600
00:40:08,120 --> 00:40:10,160
Speaker 1: He must be trying to run for governor. I don't

601
00:40:10,160 --> 00:40:12,839
Speaker 1: know what he's trying to do, Doctor Crowns. I've seen

602
00:40:12,920 --> 00:40:18,360
Speaker 1: this throughout my career, individuals being murdered randomly by homeless people.

603
00:40:18,960 --> 00:40:22,080
Speaker 1: It's not the first time that this has happened. I agree.

604
00:40:22,200 --> 00:40:25,400
Speaker 1: I's in when I worked in Travis County, there was

605
00:40:25,440 --> 00:40:29,400
Speaker 1: a University of Texas college student that was kidnapped off campus,

606
00:40:29,480 --> 00:40:34,400
Speaker 1: murdered and raped. In Chicago, I saw a young lawyer

607
00:40:34,480 --> 00:40:39,239
Speaker 1: that was kidnapped by a homeless man, murdered, almost beheaded,

608
00:40:39,360 --> 00:40:43,800
Speaker 1: and then he pawned her VHS machine to buy lottery tickets.

609
00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:47,760
Speaker 1: So it's it's a very common thing, and it's often

610
00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:50,560
Speaker 1: very brutal and very random, and you just can't predict it,

611
00:40:50,640 --> 00:40:57,200
Speaker 1: but it's it's constant. We now wait as justice, God

612
00:40:57,280 --> 00:41:01,560
Speaker 1: willing unfolds to see your ice cream story. Signing off,

613
00:41:01,920 --> 00:41:02,640
Speaker 1: goodbye friend,