Samuel Lincoln Woodward (26) was convicted of murdering Blaze Bernstein, a 19-year-old gay and Jewish student, in January 2018.
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| Blaze Bernstein - Getty Images |
Bernstein was a student at the University of Pennsylvania at the time and was visiting his family during the winter break when he went missing. His body was later discovered in a shallow grave in Lake Forest, California. Woodward, who went to high school with Bernstein, was charged and found guilty of first-degree murder and a hate crime.
Samuel Lincoln Woodward, who attended the Orange County School of the Arts with Blaze, quickly became a suspect. Suspicions in his alibi and the presence of Blaze's blood in Woodward's room raised red flags. The investigation uncovered a troubling link – Woodward's association with the Atomwaffen Division, a known neo-Nazi group. This fueled assumptions about a possible hate crime motive.
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| Samuel Woodward - Getty Images |
During the trial, which began in February 2024, revealed disturbing details. Woodward admitted to killing Bernstein but claimed it wasn't planned and happened in a panic when he thought Bernstein was recording him during a sexual encounter. In his panic, he pulled out a knife and stabbed Bernstein 28 times, according to the prosecutors.
Authorities conducted a thorough search and said Bernstein’s family checked his social media, finding messages between him and Woodward on Snapchat. Woodward had told the family that Bernstein had met a friend in the park that night and never returned.
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| Samuel Woodward was arrested in 2018. Getty Images |
However, prosecutors argued that Woodward's hatred for gay people and his association with a neo-Nazi group, Atomwaffen Division, were the real motivations behind the murder.
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Woodward's defense tried to explain his actions by highlighting his struggles with autism and his confusion about his sexuality, suggesting that he was influenced by extremist groups due to his social isolation. Despite these arguments, in June 2024, the jury found Woodward guilty of first-degree murder and a hate crime.
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Blaze Bernstein's family, especially his mother Jeanne Pepper, expressed relief at the verdict but admitted that it doesn't erase the pain of losing their son. The sentencing is set for October 25, with Woodward facing life in prison without parole.