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A 27-year-old man faces life in prison without the possibility of parole Friday for the hate crime killing of a gay former classmate at Foothill Ranch six years ago.
Samuel Lincoln Woodward was convicted in July of stabbing 19-year-old Blaze Bernstein to death on January 3, 2018.
The Hate Crimes Enhancement Act alleges that Woodward killed Bernstein because of the victim’s sexual orientation, not because she was Jewish, but jurors should not be exposed to a pattern of bias. Evidence of the defendant’s ties to a neo-Nazi organization known as the Atomwaffen Division was also presented for consideration.
Woodward and Bernstein attended Orange County School of the Arts together for four years. Bernstein graduated after six years at the school and became an associate medical student at the University of Pennsylvania.
Meanwhile, Woodward transferred to Corona del Mar High School, where he graduated, and went to California State Channel Islands, where he dropped out after two semesters.
Woodward testified for five days during the trial, often taking 30 seconds to answer “yes” or “no” questions. Ken Morrison, a Woodward attorney with the Orange County Public Defender’s Office, said he has evidence that his client has autism issues that make him so desperate for companionship that he is easily drawn into neo-Nazi groups. presented.
Woodward said she contacted Bernstein a few hours after having a long text exchange conversation with her brother’s best friend, Dylan Groenendyk, on New Year’s Day 2018.
Woodward complained that he was unable to form meaningful relationships and would even leave the house to go to the parking lot alone just to give the impression to his parents that he was out with friends. , Gronendijk returned to university and encouraged him not to give up on his efforts. To make friends.
Almost a day passed before Bernstein responded to Woodward, and the two agreed to meet on the evening of January 2, 2018. Woodward packed snacks, drinks and marijuana into a sleeping bag and picked up Bernstein, who led them to Borrego Park. The victim’s mother said she has many lifelong memories of him, including playing soccer as a boy.
Woodward testified that he smoked strong marijuana twice and felt himself nodding off, but then felt a strange sensation in his legs and quickly relaxed so much that he thought he had urinated like before. .
Woodward testified that when he got his attention, he noticed his pants had been removed and the victim had a hand on his groin. Bernstein also testified that he appeared to have photographed or videotaped the encounter.
This caused Mr Woodward to panic and said he would be “scared to death” if his family, who opposed homosexuality for religious reasons, found out. The defendant claimed Bernstein said something to the effect of “getting rid of” Woodward, who was known in high school for his homophobia, and said he had a hard time pulling the phone away from Bernstein.
When the phone went unanswered, Woodward said he stabbed Bernstein multiple times and then smashed the phone.
Woodward said he dug a shallow grave by hand and left the body in a park.
When Bernstein failed to show up for his dental appointment, which is unusual, and could not be reached, his worried parents began looking for clues and contacted authorities. The victim’s body was found on January 9, 2018, in an area of the park that had previously been searched, but recent rain made it easier to find, said Jennifer Walker, a senior deputy district attorney. Mr. said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison told jurors that evidence of his client’s autism was not meant to excuse the crime, but to help jurors understand his mental state and reject the hate crime claim and accept the lesser charge of murder. He said it was presented to help.
“Samuel Lincoln Woodward must be held accountable for what he did,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in his closing argument. “He shouldn’t be held responsible for something he didn’t do. This case was overcharged.”
Mr Morrison characterized his client as someone who struggled through life, not realizing he was autistic until he was 18 years old, when it was too late for normally prescribed interventions. The disorder made him difficult to communicate, leading to social awkwardness and feelings of isolation, and his late diagnosis made him particularly vulnerable to suitors from fringe extremist groups such as the Atomwaffen Division, his lawyers argued.
Morrison said Woodward became disillusioned with the group in the summer of 2017 after taking a two-month trip to Texas with a man who had invited her to join the group and running out of money for food and a motel.
Mr. Morrison said Mr. Woodward and Mr. Bernstein did not have much contact when they were classmates, but that they had worked on projects together and that Mr. Woodward considered Mr. Bernstein to be a “cold guy.” insisted. Mr Morrison said Mr Bernstein was surprised to learn that Mr Bernstein was gay when they met again on a dating app in June 2017, and Mr Woodward said Mr Woodward said Mr Bernstein was struggling with his sexual orientation. He said he became impressed by how the victim seemed comfortable with his sexual orientation.
Walker argued to the jury that evidence showed Woodward planned to attack Bernstein in a “ritual” killing to gain prestige for the neo-Nazi group. She said he wore a sweater with a picture of a skull on it to “instill fear” in his victims, and that Bernstein’s blood was splattered on the sweater after the attack.
Prosecutors said Bernstein’s parents panicked and scoured their missing son’s social media for clues, then called Woodward, who told them what happened to their son. He says he lied. Walker said that while the search for Bernstein was making headlines, Woodward also began researching DNA information and even got a haircut to change his appearance.
She dismissed Morrison’s claims that Bernstein betrayed Woodward’s request to keep quiet about their match on a dating app. Mr Walker said Mr Bernstein was understandably “shocked” to see Mr Woodward looking for men on a dating app and gave several art school classmates a link to his public profile. He said he sent it.
Walker said Bernstein kept his promise not to reveal details of the conversation to anyone.
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