Samuel Woodward, 26, is currently charged with the murder of Blaze Bernstein, 19, in Orange County in January 2018. For the civil parties, it is clear that it was a “hate crime” linked to the religion and sexual orientation of the victim.
Was the murder of Blaze Bernstein a premeditated act? Did Samuel Woodward kill his mate because of his sexual orientation? This is the question that jurors in the trial of Samuel Woodward, 26, must answer in the following days, after three months of hearings.
On Jan. 2, 2018, Blaze Bernstein, 19, got into the car with his former Orange County art classmate, Samuel Woodward, to head to Borrego Park, an exotic desert location. With no news of him after this outing, his family reported him missing.
And after seven long days of searching, the lifeless body of Blaze Bernstein was found buried in this park. He bore marks from 28 stab wounds. The investigation quickly turned to Samuel Woodward, particularly because of his membership of the neo-Nazi terrorist group Atomwaffen Division.
Justice believes it was a “hate crime”
The two boys, who had been in the same class, had found each other on Tinder six months before the tragedy. Samuel Woodward “super liked” Blaze Bernstein’s profile, telling him he was here to “find black women to go out and men to go hunting”. But throughout the discussions, Samuel Woodward didn’t seem completely closed to his mate’s sexual suggestions, going so far as to say he could “make an exception” for him.
Then the messages suddenly stopped before resuming six months later, in late December 2023, on Snapchat. Unfortunately, given how this message works, it’s impossible to know what the two men said to each other, but it appears that Blaze Bernstein voluntarily got into his buddy’s car on the evening of January 2, 2018. Then bump two versions together: for the victim’s camp and the deputy prosecutor, it was a “hate crime” and a premeditated act. Samuel Woodward allegedly killed his companion because of his homosexuality and his membership of the Jewish community.
During his hearing, Samuel Woodward gave a different version of the facts, reports ABC News. The neo-Nazi twilight member explained that on the night of the murder he had smoked a heavy joint with his mate and was totally “disconnected” when he felt something unusual in his crotch pants. He said he thought he had urinated on himself because of the drugs, but discovered to his “horror” that his pants were unzipped and that his friend was touching his penis with one hand and filming with the other . Blaze Bernstein then tells him, “I got you. I got you,” which infuriates Samuel Woodward.
He faces life in prison
A fight then broke out between the two men and Samuel Woodward grabbed a knife he had taken “to open a container” before attacking his victim, who tried to defend himself by scratching and biting his aggressor. The neo-Nazi then allegedly moved his still-living body to a more discreet location, where he dug a hole with his bare hands before dumping his victim’s body there. A chain of violence that took place in less than 1 hour and 30 minutes.
A version of the facts that the victim’s family and Principal Assistant Prosecutor Jennifer Walker do not adhere to, reports ABC News. “He had packed his bags and told the people at the Atomwaffen division that he would be leaving for a while at the time of the murder,” she said. He thought he would get through this. » Answer from Samuel Woodward: “I will not be crushed. I will get out of this trial.” A verdict is expected next week. If convicted, he faces life in prison.
