Verdict reached in Blaze Bernstein murder trial – NBC Los Angeles

Jurors have reached a verdict in the case of a Newport Beach man accused of a hate crime in the stabbing death of a gay former high school classmate in 2018.

Live Video: Coverage will be provided above when the verdict is read.

Samuel Woodward is accused of killing 19-year-old Blaze Bernstein and leaving his body in a shallow grave at Borrego park in Lake Forest. The prosecution alleged during the trial that Woodward, who had joined an anti-gay and anti-Semitic group, targeted gay men online and reached out to them before abruptly cutting off communication.

The murder charge against Woodward included sentencing enhancements for a hate crime and the personal use of a deadly weapon. He faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole, if he is convicted.

“The defendant on Jan. 2 or in the early morning hours of Jan. 3, killed Blaze Bernstein because he was gay,” Senior Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Walker told jurors. Bernstein had been repeatedly stabbed in the face and neck.

But Woodward’s defense attorney said Woodward did not hate Bernstein and did not plan to kill him when the two met up, instead saying Woodward was conflicted by his own sexuality and acted in a fit of rage. 

The defense also argued Woodward’s long undiagnosed issues with autism left him vulnerable to recruitment by the white supremacist groups that target individuals like the defendant, who sought “acceptance and validation.” Woodward also had an “obsession” with gay men and gay porn sites, his defense attorney said.

Woodward had admitted during the trial that he had matched with Bernstein on a dating app, and the two met up when Bernstein was home during his winter break white attending the University of Pennsylvania. 

Woodward testified while he and Bernstein were laying in the park together that Bernstein started to touch him in a sexual manner.

He said he was in “mortal terror” after seeing the light on Bernstein’s cell phone. He was afraid Bernstein was recording and sending photos out to others. 

Woodward then testified that he stabbed Bernstein and felt an anger like he’d never felt in his whole life. 

The trial has involved numerous witnesses including relatives, friends and authorities. Woodward’s testimony has moved slowly, with him taking long pauses before answering his attorney’s questions.