Naman Shrestha
When the body of 19-year-old Blaze Bernstein was found in a park a week after his disappearance, it sent shockwaves across the entire community. The fact that he was an out-and-proud gay and Jewish teenager allegedly became the primary reason he got brutally murdered in early 2018. CBS’ ’48 Hours: The Life and Death of Blaze Bernstein’ sheds light on the entire case and provides a detailed account of the investigation that led the police to the killer — Samuel Woodward, a former schoolmate of the victim.
Samuel Woodward’s Criminal Actions Were Fueled By Hate
Born and brought up in Newport Beach, California, Samuel Lincoln Woodward was a schoolmate of Blaze Bernstein, a Jewish gay teen, at the Orange County School of the Arts for four years. Accompanied by his elder brother, he was raised in a conservative household and grew up to become a member of a neo-Nazi group called the Atomwaffen Division. Moreover, reports suggested that he was disowned by his father and kicked out of the house during his junior year at school because he had allegedly turned into a homophobe. To complete the rest of his schooling, he joined the Corona Del Mar High School.
Samuel later attended California State University Channel Islands but dropped out during the second semester. Although he and Blaze went their separate ways after school, they connected again through a dating app sometime in 2017. As per Samuel’s claims, he and his former schoolmate decided to catch up and meet each other on January 2, 2018. With snacks, drinks, and marijuana in his sleeping bag, Samuel said he took Blaze to Borrego Park. According to him, he took two hits of marijuana before he felt Blaze’s hands on his body and made sexual moves towards him. He claimed that Blaze was also taking photos or videos of the entire situation and threatening to out him to others.
As per Samuel’s account, when he could not take away the phone from Blaze’s hands, he snapped and began stabbing him repeatedly, 28 times to be precise. After breaking the phone, Samuel allegedly buried the victim’s body in a shallow grave in the same park. A week after the murder, on January 9, the 19-year-old’s body came to the surface after some heavy rainfall. When DNA evidence found at the crime scene connected Samuel Woodward to the murder, he was arrested and charged with the killing a couple of days later.
Samuel Woodward is a Convicted Killer Awaiting Sentencing
After his arrest, Samuel Woodward pleaded not guilty to the murder charge against him in connection to the January 2018 killing of Blaze Bernstein. In the pre-trial hearing in November 2018, he was denied bail, resulting in him staying in custody until the trial. Initially, his trial was scheduled to commence in 2021, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other unexpected circumstances, it was postponed to July 2022. However, the trial got pushed further back when Samuel’s defense attorney claimed that he had Asperger’s syndrome and Obsessive-compulsive Disorder, making him incompetent to stand trial. However, in October 2022, mental health experts deemed him fit to face the court.
Finally, after years of postponement, Samuel Woodward’s trial commenced in April 2024. Although the defense admitted that the defendant was guilty of murder, they argued that it was not a result of his homophobia or antisemitism. They also claimed it was not premeditated. Shedding light on Samuel’s autism diagnosis, the defense attorney tried to make the jurors understand his state of mind, claiming that it aggravated his social issues. On the other hand, the prosecution argued that Samuel’s conservative upbringing turned into extremism as he grew older, making him commit a brutal hate crime against Blaze. The court was also presented with photos of the defendant with other extremists and informed about his association with the neo-Nazi Atomwaffen Division in Texas.
After about three months of hearing, on July 3, 2024, the jury returned with a guilty verdict and convicted Samuel Woodward of the first-degree murder of Blaze Bernstein, ascertaining their judgment that it was a hate crime using a deadly weapon. Blaze’s mother, Jeanne Pepper Bernstein, addressed the court after the conviction. She stated, “This is a great relief that justice was served and this despicable human who murdered our son will no longer be a threat to the public.” As of today, Samuel Woodward is awaiting his sentencing, which is scheduled for October 25, 2024, as he faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Read More: Blaze Bernstein Murder: How Did He Die? Who Killed Him?
