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Samuel Woodward is an American man who murdered 19-year old Blaze Bernstein on January 10, 2018. Bernstein was both Jewish and openly gay, and Woodward was a member of Atomwaffen Division, a Neo-Nazi terrorist group, so the murder was declared to be a hate crime by authorities.
Biography
Prosecutors allege that Woodward picked up Bernstein from his parent’s Lake Forest home around 11 p.m. on Jan. 10, driving him to a shopping center in Foothill Ranch and then to Borrego Park. According to an affidavit filed by detectives, Woodward told investigators that he and Bernstein met up that night to catch up, and that Bernstein kissed him on the lips while the two were sitting in a parked car. Woodward told the investigators that he pushed Bernstein away, and that Bernstein exited the car and walked alone into the park. Prosecutors allege that Woodward stabbed Bernstein to death and then buried his body in the dirt. The next day, Bernstein was declared missing by his parents.
Bernstein's body was found in a shallow grave in a park in Orange County, California, eight days after having been reported missing. Two days later, Woodward, one of Bernstein's former high school classmates, was arrested and charged with murdering Bernstein.
In addition to his Neo-Nazi connections, Woodward reportedly has struggled with mental illness.
On February 2, 2018, Woodward pleaded not guilty to murder charges in Bernstein's death. In August Woodward was further charged with committing a hate crime against Bernstein because of the latter's sexual orientation and religion. Woodward, who has been linked to the murder by DNA evidence, pled not guilty. He currently faces the possibility of receiving life in prison if convicted of the charges filed against him.
Other information
A strikingly similar crime occurred in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma only one day before the murder of Bernstein: a 24-year old man named Isaac Herrera was murdered by a man named Brandon Newell. Like Bernstein, Herrera was openly gay and was also stabbed to death. Also, like Woodward, Newell was 19 years old.