A California man has been found guilty of murdering University of Pennsylvania student, Blaze Bernstein, in a January 2018 hate-fueled stabbing.
Samuel Woodward, 26, was convicted of first-degree murder with a hate crime enhancement for the killing of Blaze Bernstein, according to the Orange County Register. An Orange County Superior Court jury deliberated for around eight hours before reaching the verdict Wednesday.
Bernstein, a gay and Jewish college sophomore, was home in Foothill Ranch, California, visiting his family during winter break when he disappeared. After an extensive search, police discovered his body a week later.
Throughout the three-month trial, the central issue was not whether Woodward killed Bernstein, but rather the motives and circumstances surrounding the murder.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Woodward, who attended high school with Bernstein, attacked him in Foothill Ranch’s Borrego Park, stabbing him multiple times in the face and neck before dumping his body in a shallow grave.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Walker argued that Woodward bought into a terroristic neo-Nazi organization’s extremist ideology, with thousands of anti-Semitic and anti-gay images found in his phone.
“The defendant, on Jan. 2 or in the early morning hours of Jan. 3, killed Blaze Bernstein because he was gay,” Walker told the jury.
Jurors were shown emails that Woodward had written to himself, filled with slurs that detailed how he would connect with “sodomites” online, lure them in, and then either ghost them, prank them, or make them think they would become victims of a hate crime.
The prosecution argued that Woodward derived pleasure from frightening gay men and eventually targeted his former classmate.
The defense argued that Woodward came from a restrictive upbringing, which led him to struggle with his own sexuality. They suggested that his emails were crafted as a cover in case Atomwaffen members discovered his interactions with gay men online.
According to the prosecution, Bernstein came across a Tinder profile created by Woodward in June 2017. The pair began exchanges messages, which showed Woodward oscillating between defensiveness and flirtation.
When Bernstein eventually declined to meet up, Woodward denied being gay and pleaded with Bernstein not to disclose their online interactions. However, Bernstein had already shared Woodward’s Tinder profile information with several friends.
Woodward admitted that eh connected with Bernstein on the dating app, and that they met up while Bernstein was home on winter break. Woodward testified that after they met up in the park, Bernstein began to touch him in a sexual way.
The defendant claimed he was gripped by “mortal terror” when he noticed the light from Bernstein’s cell phone, fearing that Bernstein was taking photos or recording him to share with others.
Woodward then recounted how he was filled with rage while he stabbed Bernstein.
“This is a great relief that justice is served, and this despicable human who murdered our son will no longer be a threat to the public,” Bernstein’s mother, Jeanne Pepper Bernstein, said after hearing the verdict.
A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. Check back for updates.
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[Featured Image: Blaze Bernstein/Family Handout]
