Murder of Blaze Bernstein

On January 10, 2018, 19-year-old University of Pennsylvania sophomore Blaze Bernstein was found dead in a park in Orange County, California, eight days after having been reported missing. He was visiting his family in Lake Forest, California, when he was killed.[1][2] He had been stabbed twenty times. Two days later, Samuel Woodward, one of Bernstein's former high school classmates and a member of neo-Nazi terrorist group Atomwaffen Division, was arrested and charged with murdering Bernstein.[3] As Bernstein was both openly gay and Jewish, authorities declared that Bernstein was a victim of a hate crime.[4] Five deaths had links to the Atomwaffen Division over eight months from 2017 to early 2018.[5]

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Blaze Bernstein

Bernstein was born on April 27, 1998, in South Orange County, California, to Gideon Bernstein, an equity partner at Leisure Capital Management,[6] and Jeanne Pepper, a former lawyer who retired from law in 2000 to raise their three children. Before beginning classes at the University of Pennsylvania, Blaze graduated from Orange County School of the Arts.[7]

The presiding judge initially charged Woodward with murder and personal use of a deadly weapon.[5] In August 2018, two charges of committing a hate crime were added because of the Bernstein's sexual orientation and religion.[5][8] Woodward, who has been linked to the murder by DNA evidence, pled not guilty.[9][10] A pretrial hearing was held in January 2019.[11]

Woodward, who was 20 at the time of the crime, faces a sentence of life without parole if found guilty.[5] Woodward had initially faced a maximum sentence of twenty-six years in prison prior to the addition of the hate crime enhancements. Woodward‘s bail was initially set at $5 million but at hearing in November 2018, the judge decided to deny Woodward bail altogether, remanding him to custody pending trial.[12]

Due to the Covid crisis, Woodward has remained in confinement since his last court appearance in 2018., his trial is tentatively scheduled to begin sometime in 2021.[13]

See also

References
  1. "Blaze Bernstein killing: Suspect pleads not guilty, judge sets bail at $5M". NBC News. Associated Press. 2018-02-02. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  2. JTA (2018-02-05). "Blaze Bernstein's high school classmate pleads not guilty to murder". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  3. Olmstead, Molly (2018-01-31). "The Man Suspected of Killing Blaze Bernstein Attended a Three-Day Nazi "Hate Camp"". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  4. Dedaj, Paulina (August 2, 2018). "Suspect in Blaze Bernstein murder is charged with hate crime". Fox News. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  5. Boghani, Priyanka; Robiou, Marcia; Trautwein, Catherine (June 18, 2019). "Three Murder Suspects Linked to Atomwaffen: Where Their Cases Stand". PBS. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  6. Leisure Capital Management
  7. "A Life Too Short: Blaze Bernstein Obituary". Lake Forest, CA Patch. 2018-01-16. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  8. "Blaze Bernstein murder suspect charged with targeting him because he was gay". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  9. "Alleged killer of Jewish college student Blaze Bernstein pleads not guilty". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 11 November 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  10. Smith, Tracy. (21 July 2019). 'In the Name of Hate'. 48 Hours (TV program). CBS News. USA
  11. Madeleine Lamon (January 28, 2019). "Man accused of murdering Blaze Bernstein set to appear in court again in August". www.thedp.com. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  12. Sclafani, Julia, “Judge orders no bail for Newport man accused of murdering Blaze Bernstein in hate crime”, The Los Angeles Times, (November 9, 2018). www.google.com/amp/s/www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-woodward-arraignment-20181109-story.html%3f_amp=true , Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  13. Emery, Sean, “After pandemic related delays, high-profile Orange County court cases looming in 2021”, The Orange County Register (December 30, 2020, updated December 31, 2020). www.google.com/amp/s/www.ocregister.com/2020/12/30/after-pandemic-related-delays-high-profile-orange-county-court-cases-looming-in-2021/amp/ Retrieved February 4, 2021.
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