More than 6 years after University of Pennsylvania trainee Blaze Bernstein was eliminated, the Southern California guy charged with stabbing him to death in an act of hate is anticipated to stand trial.
Opening declarations are set up for Tuesday in the murder case versus now-26-year-old Samuel Woodward from Newport Beach, California. He has actually pleaded innocent.
Woodward is charged with stabbing to death Bernstein, a 19-year-old gay, Jewish college sophomore who was home visiting his household on winter season break. The 2 boys had actually formerly gone to the very same high school in Orange County.
‘GENIUS’ PRE-MED STUDENT SEEN ON RING VIDEO HOLDING KNIFE SECONDS BEFORE ALLEGEDLY STABBING HIS MOM TO DEATH
Bernstein went missing out on after he went out with Woodward to a park in Lake Forest, California, in January 2018. Bernstein’s moms and dads discovered his glasses, wallet and charge card in his bed room the next day when he missed out on a dental expert consultation and wasn’t reacting to texts or calls, district attorneys composed in a trial short.
Days later on, Bernstein’s body was discovered buried at the park in a shallow tomb.
Woodward chose Bernstein up from his moms and dads’ home after getting in touch with him on Snapchat and stabbed him almost 20 times in the face and neck, authorities stated.
Samuel Woodward is seen after a court hearing at the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach, California, on Aug. 22, 2018. Opening declarations are arranged for April 9, 2024, in the trial of Woodward, who’s charged with stabbing University of Pennsylvania trainee Blaze Bernstein to death in an act of hate in 2018. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register/SCNG through AP, Pool, File)
DNA proof connected Woodward to the killing and his mobile phone included chests of anti-gay, antisemitic and dislike group products, authorities stated.
Woodward looked for to end up being a member of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division, which upheld white supremacy, a year previously, according to the district attorneys’ quick. He made journal entries, consisting of one entitled “journal of hate” that explained dangers he stated he had actually made to gay individuals online, the quick stated.
A folding knife with a bloodied blade was discovered in Woodward’s space at his moms and dads’ home in the high end neighborhood of Newport Beach, authorities stated. Woodward was detained 2 days later on.
Woodward has actually pleaded innocent to murder with an improvement for a hate criminal offense.
The case took years to go to trial after concerns occurred about Woodward’s frame of mind and following numerous modifications of defense lawyer. Woodward was considered skilled to stand trial in late 2022.
Among Woodward’s previous attorneys stated his customer has Asperger’s syndrome, a developmental condition that typically triggers trouble with social interactions, and dealt with his own sexuality.
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Ken Morrison, Woodward’s lawyer, advised the general public to prevent leaping to conclusions about the case.
“For the previous 6 years,
