A grieving mom, whose 19 year-old son was killed by a ‘closeted’ Neo-Nazi, fled a Santa Ana courtroom in tears because the killer went into graphic element as to how he carried out the homicide.
Samuel Woodward, now 26, gave the chilling account throughout his fourth day testifying in his trial on a cost of homicide with an enhancement for a hate crime within the loss of life of Blaze Bernstein.
Bernstein, who was Jewish and homosexual, was house visiting household in California on winter break six years in the past when he went out with Woodward and disappeared.
The physique of the College of Pennsylvania scholar was discovered days later, buried in a park.
The 2 males attended the identical highschool, the Orange County College of the Arts and reconnected on the relationship app Tinder solely months earlier than the assault whereas Bernstein was house, in keeping with testimony from the months-long trial.
Samuel Woodward testifies in Orange County Superior Courtroom in Santa Ana, California
Woodward is charged with killing a homosexual College of Pennsylvania scholar, Blaze Bernstein, pictured right here along with his father and mom, who mentioned their lives turned a waking nightmare after their son’s killing
At first informed Bernstein he was on the app on the lookout for a looking associate. Nonetheless, the dialog turned flirtatious, which at first scared Woodward off, however months later prompted him to inform Bernstein: ‘I would make an exception for you.’
‘I had been on the lookout for individuals for a very long time to spend time with or speak to,’ Woodward mentioned. Screenshots of their conversations have been proven through the trial.
The pair finally met up one evening in January 2018 and went to Borrego Park in Lake Forest, California in Orange County, after which Bernstein was by no means seen once more.
He informed how he had then repeatedly stabbed the faculty sophomore after attempting to seize a cellphone he feared had been used to {photograph} him.
Woodward, whose lengthy hair partly covers his face has been repeatedly requested by his lawyer to push it apart so jurors may see him correctly.
Sam Woodward brushes away the hair from his face after his lawyer Assistant Public Defender Ken Morrison requested him to take action throughout his testimony
Blaze Bernstein, 19, the homosexual, Jewish teen who was allegedly murdered in Southern California by his closeted neo-Nazi former classmate, was stabbed 28 instances within the head and neck
Taking lengthy pauses earlier than answering questions and sometimes sitting along with his eyes closed, in keeping with the Orange County Register, he testified how through the night he smoked marijuana and felt one thing on his leg as he was mendacity on a sleeping bag.
He mentioned that he noticed his pants had been unbuckled and that Bernstein had a cellphone.
Woodward mentioned he felt Bernstein get shut, however thought the 19-year-old was getting one thing from a bag.
He then informed how he started feeling one thing on his inside thigh and thought he had urinated himself due to the medicine.
Woodward then mentioned that he determined to lie nonetheless in an effort to not carry any consideration to himself.
Out of the blue, opened his eyes and was instantly in a state of terror after seeing his pants had been undone.
Considered one of Bernstein’s arms was touching him, whereas within the different, he held a cellphone.
Bernstein, pictured, was present in a shallow grave with 28 stab wounds days after disappearing from his mother and father home on an evening when Woodward picked him up their home
The alleged homicide weapon submitted to proof in Orange County Superior Courtroom. Woodward was arrested two days after it was present in his room
‘After I checked out him and I noticed him and I noticed the sunshine of the cellphone and I spotted what he had in his hand, I simply — I went and I simply — I simply got here undone,’ Woodward mentioned.
‘I went in a state of terror. I bear in mind simply asking, “What are you doing, what are you doing?” I simply bear in mind asking repeatedly, “What are you doing?”‘
‘I am unable to bear in mind if he mentioned one thing like “Relax” or “It is not a giant deal,”‘ Woodward went on.
Woodward mentioned Bernstein stored repeating the phrases, ‘I obtained you. I obtained you.’
Woodward mentioned he was nervous Bernstein might need despatched an express photograph of him to another person.
When requested what he was afraid of by his he protection lawyer, Woodward merely mentioned, ‘My father.’
‘There isn’t any method individuals like him, individuals in our group, individuals in our neighborhood — simply the look on his face if he heard about one thing like that, if it obtained out in some way,’ Woodward mentioned. ‘I couldn’t fathom one thing like that.’
Scenes from the alleged homicide have been offered to the jury through the trial. Bernstein’s shallow grave is seen right here
The teenagers are noticed on digital camera getting into the park the place Blaze’s physique was finally discovered
Woodward claimed he started yelling and tried to seize the cellphone however Bernstein pushed him again.
Woodward then took out a pocket knife he was carrying.
‘From that time I actually simply reached for the cellphone any method that I may. I could not cease going on the cellphone. I could not see what was occurring,’ Woodward mentioned on the stand.
‘At that time the cellphone wasn’t even in the best way anymore. Nothing was in the best way anymore. I simply stored driving and driving and driving the knife down,’ Woodward informed the court docket, including he felt ‘an anger like nothing I had ever felt in my entire life’ and later smashed the cellphone.
‘If you say driving the knife down, Sam, had been you stabbing Blaze?’ Assistant Public Defender Ken Morrison requested.
‘At that time, sure I used to be,’ Woodward answered.
Such was the extent of element in Woodward’s recounting of the assault, Bernstein’s mom may take no extra and rushed out of the court docket.
Different members of the family may very well be seen wiping away tears as they heard how their liked one was killed.
Woodward mentioned Bernstein tried to struggle again as he scratched and bit him.
‘I solely bear in mind attempting to get the cellphone and through that point and the following tumble I simply bear in mind I felt nothing aside from being clawed and bitten,’ Woodward mentioned.
Nevertheless it was all in useless as Woodward allegedly went on a frenzied knife assault, stabbing Bernstein 28 instances within the face and neck.
Woodward, who was 20 on the time of the homicide, mentioned he didn’t recall what number of instances he stabbed Bernstein.
‘What had been you considering?’ the protection lawyer requested. ‘Do you bear in mind what you had been considering if you had been driving the knife down repeatedly and once more?’
‘Anger like nothing I had ever felt in my entire life,’ Woodward mentioned.
Bernstein died quickly afterwards leaving Woodward to maneuver his physique throughout the park and bury him in a shallow grave with which he used his personal arms to dig out.
‘All the things was only one huge flood,’ Woodward mentioned. ‘I simply bear in mind shedding my thoughts. I bear in mind not understanding what to do.’
After Bernstein missed a dentist appointment the subsequent day, his mother and father discovered his glasses, pockets and bank cards in his bed room and tried reaching him however he did not reply to texts or calls.
Woodward was arrested two days after the folding knife with the bloody blade used was present in his room at his mother and father’ home within the upscale enclave of Newport Seaside.
Authorities launched an exhaustive search and mentioned that Bernstein’s household had scoured his social media and noticed he had communicated on Snapchat with Woodward.
Bernstein’s physique was discovered every week later.
DNA proof linked Woodward to the homicide, a concept bolstered by the trove of anti-gay, anti-Jewish materials discovered on his cellphone.
Blaze Bernstein (pictured) went lacking after a visit to a park in Lake Forest with Woodward. The pair had each attended the Orange County College of the Arts and linked through Snapchat
Blaze Bernstein’s mother and father learn an announcement at a press convention in entrance of the Orange County Sheriff’s division after their son’s physique was discovered every week after he had disappeared
Assistant Public Defender Ken Morrison questions Sam Woodward throughout his testimony in Orange County Superior Courtroom in Santa Ana, California
The query through the trial has not been whether or not Woodward killed Bernstein however the causes for the killing and circumstances beneath which it occurred.
Prosecutors allege that Woodward singled out the homosexual, Jewish faculty sophomore after becoming a member of the violent, anti-gay, antisemitic group often called Atomwaffen Division.
Woodward claims he was by no means a full-fledged member and easily joined as a result of he had a ‘want to type a significant reference to a gaggle.’
He mentioned he was on the lookout for ‘brotherhood.’
Throughout his testimony, nonetheless, Woodward acknowledged he had learn excerpts of the e-book ‘Siege’ – a textual content promoted by the far-right group – and had contacts with and met up with members of the group.
Protection lawyer Ken Morrison requested Woodward if he deliberate to kill him that evening or if he hated him as a result of he was homosexual or Jewish.
‘In no way’ Woodward responded.
The district lawyer claims Bernstein’s homicide was a hate crime as a result of he was homosexual.
Woodward’s lawyer had burdened he did not plan to kill anybody, nor did he hate Bernstein.
His protection have argued Woodward struggled to type private relationships as a result of a long-undiagnosed autism spectrum dysfunction and was questioning his personal sexuality whereas rising up in a religious, conservative Catholic household, the place his father brazenly criticized homosexuality.
Samuel Woodward, 26, enters court docket. He’s on trial in Orange County for the homicide of homosexual Jewish teen Blaze Bernstein again within the winter of 2018
Woodward will take the stand once more on Monday for cross-examination by prosecutors, who’ve alleged that he repeatedly focused homosexual males on-line by reaching out to them earlier than abruptly breaking off contact whereas holding a hateful, profanity-laced journal of his actions
The prosecution say it’s inside that household the place Woodward is alleged to have developed homophobic and antisemitic beliefs.
A few of the questions Woodward was made to reply throughout his 4 days of testimony beneath oath targeted on his sexuality.
He informed the court docket he’d had a short-term relationship with a girl however mentioned he had by no means experimented with males.
Protection attorneys requested their shopper about his web search historical past, which included visits to homosexual porn web sites in 2015 and 2016.
Woodward mentioned he had consulted the web sites for the only real objective of gathering photographs. He claimed meant to make use of the pictures to antagonize different customers in a web based group he was a member of.
Woodward’s testimony has moved slowly, with him taking lengthy pauses, typically so long as 30 seconds, earlier than answering his lawyer’s questions.
The trial has additionally concerned quite a few witnesses together with family members, mates and authorities.
The case has taken years to come back to court docket. Woodward is seen right here with a markedly completely different look at a court docket listening to in January 2018
Woodward is seen once more in a photograph from a court docket listening to in August 2018
The case took years to go to trial after questions arose about Woodward’s psychological state and following a number of adjustments in protection attorneys. Woodward was deemed competent to face trial in late 2022.
Woodward will take the stand once more on Monday for cross-examination by prosecutors, who’ve alleged that he repeatedly focused homosexual males on-line by reaching out to them earlier than abruptly breaking off contact whereas holding a hateful, profanity-laced journal of his actions.
Apart from the folding knife, prosecutors additionally mentioned they discovered hate group supplies amongst Woodward’s belongings together with a black Atomwaffen masks with traces of blood.
They’ve tried to painting Woodward as an indignant, homophobic teen with violent tendencies.
If convicted Woodward faces life in jail.
