A man from California was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole after being found guilty of murdering a former classmate in a crime motivated by hate, according to authorities.

This sentence follows Samuel Lincoln Woodward’s conviction for first-degree murder, which included enhancements for a hate crime and the use of a knife, over four months ago. Prosecutors stated Woodward killed Blaze Bernstein, a 19-year-old, after reconnecting through a dating app for gay men in 2018.

Bernstein, a Jewish gay student at the University of Pennsylvania, was visiting his family over winter break when he vanished on the evening of January 2, 2018. His body was discovered about a week later in a park located in Lake Forest, California.

Investigations revealed that Bernstein had been stabbed 28 times before being concealed in a shallow grave in the park. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department took Woodward into custody at his Newport Beach home on January 12, 2018.

Woodward’s trial faced delays that lasted several years due to assessments regarding his mental health until he was deemed fit for trial in late 2022, as reported by The Los Angeles Times. During the sentencing, Judge Kimberly Menninger stated that Woodward acted out of “pure hate and rage because of Bernstein’s sexual orientation and religious beliefs,” according to the Times.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer remarked, “Each hateful stab of his knife went against the very heart of our community. To hate someone simply for being who they are seeks to undermine our identity and self-worth, attempting to make us feel worthless. However, we all possess worth and significance, contributing value to our communal identity.”

What transpired with Blaze Bernstein?

On January 2, 2018, Bernstein had dinner with his family before Woodward picked him up close to his parents’ house just after 11 p.m., leaving behind his glasses, keys, and wallet.

Initially, authorities claimed Woodward directed Bernstein to a shopping center parking lot before heading to a park in Lake Forest, where Bernstein thought he was meeting Woodward for a romantic encounter.

Less than two hours post pickup, Bernstein was buried in a shallow grave in the park after being stabbed 28 times, authorities stated. Following the murder, Woodward supposedly cleaned the crime scene and texted a friend, saying “Hey man, life is good,” prosecutors reported.

When Bernstein failed to show up for a dentist appointment the next day, his parents reported him missing. His unexpected disappearance led to an intense eight-day search, involving local residents, a search and rescue team of 25 deputies, police K-9 units, helicopters, and drones.

The authorities found Bernstein’s body on January 9, 2018, in a shallow grave at the park, which had been partially uncovered due to heavy rain eroding the dirt covering it, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors allege Samuel Woodward had connections to a neo-Nazi, homophobic organization

While Bernstein was missing, his parents reviewed his online interactions and discovered that Woodward was the last person he had communicated with. Both Bernstein and Woodward previously attended the Orange County School of the Arts, a middle and high school in Santa Ana, California.

“Woodward informed the Bernsteins that he had met their son but claimed he left the park with an unidentified person and never saw Blaze after that,” prosecutors noted.

Investigators found Bernstein’s blood on a knife owned by Woodward, which had his father’s name inscribed on it. They also discovered blood on a skull mask, which prosecutors argued Woodward wore to demonstrate his allegiance to the Atomwaffen Division.

The Atomwaffen Division is a neo-Nazi and homophobic group that formed in 2016 by members of the now-defunct Iron March white supremacist online forum, as noted by prosecutors and the Anti-Defamation League.

Prosecutors stated Woodward had traveled to Texas to undergo training with the Atomwaffen Division after studying their ideology. Post his arrest for Bernstein’s murder, he continued to draw illustrations related to the group’s beliefs.

Additionally, investigators uncovered what prosecutors labeled a ‘hate diary,’ detailing Woodward’s online conduct attempting to entice gay men and boys into thinking he was ‘bi-curious’ and subsequently unfriending them. This diary included numerous derogatory terms for gay men, as reported by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. According to the Times, Judge Menninger described Bernstein and Woodward as representatives of opposing sides of a cultural conflict, noting Bernstein’s openness about his gay identity against Woodward’s conservative upbringing and struggles with his sexuality.