Former classmate sentenced to life without parole in murder of gay teen Blaze Bernstein

November 15, 2024

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(SANTA ANA, Calif.) -- Samuel Woodward, a California man found guilty of murdering his former classmate in 2018 in a hate crime, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Friday.

Blaze Bernstein -- a 19-year-old gay, Jewish student at the University of Pennsylvania -- went missing while visiting his family in Newport Beach during winter break in January 2018. His body was found, following a dayslong search, buried in a park in Lake Forest he went to with Woodward the night he went missing, authorities said. He had been stabbed 28 times, prosecutors said.

Woodward, now 27, was charged with first-degree murder as a hate crime. Prosecutors had argued that Woodward murdered his high school classmate because Bernstein was gay.

In issuing the sentence during a lengthy hearing on Friday, Judge Kimberly Menninger said there was evidence that the defendant planned the murder, and that the jury found it true that the crime was committed because of Bernstein's sexual orientation.

Menninger also denied Woodward probation.

On whether the defendant is remorseful, Menninger said, "Unfortunately for the court and for the defendant, I've never seen any evidence of this up to this point in time."

Woodward was not present at his sentencing hearing due to an illness, according to Menninger.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.