Years after college student is stabbed to death, California man goes on trial in alleged hate case

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — The killing of a gay University of Pennsylvania student in Southern California more than six years ago was a hate crime, a prosecutor said Tuesday in opening statements of a murder trial.

The defendant, 26-year-old Samuel Woodward of Newport Beach, is accused of stabbing to death Blaze Bernstein, a 19-year-old gay, Jewish college sophomore who was home visiting family on winter break. The two had previously attended the same high school in Orange County.

Prosecutor Jennifer Walker said Woodward had joined a violent, anti-gay, antisemitic group known as Atomwaffen Division and repeatedly targeted gay men online by reaching out to them and then abruptly broke off contact while keeping a hateful, profanity-laced journal of his actions.

Weeks before the killing, Woodward showed an interest in moving from words to violent actions, she said, and he then contacted Bernstein online.

“The defendant is guilty of killing Blaze Bernstein because he was gay,” she told jurors, adding that the victim was stabbed 28 times. “You will see that Blaze fought for his life as best he could.”

Woodward has pleaded not guilty to murder with an enhancement for a hate crime.

Defense attorney Ken Morrison did not dispute that his client carried out the fatal attack but said Woodward didn’t plan to kill anyone and didn’t hate Bernstein, and particularly not because he was gay.

Morrison said his client faced challenges in personal relationships due to a long-undiagnosed autism spectrum disorder and was confused about his own sexuality. He grew up in a politically conservative and devout Catholic family where his father criticized homosexuality, Morrison said. But Woodward had sent sexual messages to a former high school classmate.

“We agree the evidence will show that Samuel Woodward is guilty of homicide,” Morrison told jurors, adding later that “what happened that night, plain and simple, was not a hate crime.”

Woodward sat in the courtroom wearing a suit jacket, his shoulder-length hair almost completely covering his face.

Morrison said he believes Woodward will testify during the trial, which is expected to last months.

Bernstein disappeared in January 2018 after he went with Woodward to a park in Lake Forest, about 45 miles (70 km) southeast of Los Angeles. After Bernstein missed a dentist appointment the next day, his parents found his glasses, wallet and credit cards in his bedroom and tried reaching him but he didn't respond to texts or calls, prosecutors wrote in a trial brief.

Authorities and community members launched an exhaustive search for Bernstein in the days that followed. Bernstein's father scoured his son's social media and saw he had communicated on Snapchat with Woodward, so he reached out and Woodward told him that Bernstein had gone to meet a friend in the park and hadn't come back, Walker said.

Days later, Bernstein's body was found buried in a shallow grave at the park. He had been repeatedly stabbed in the face and neck, his shoes were between his legs and his jacket was covering him, Walker said.

Authorities searched Woodward's family home in Newport Beach and found a folding knife with a bloodied blade in his room, authorities said. They also found a black Atomwaffen mask with traces of blood, Walker said.

Authorities also found a host of anti-gay, antisemitic and hate group materials and learned that Woodward had traveled to meet a leader of the group, she said.

The case took years to go to trial after questions arose about Woodward's mental state and following multiple changes of defense attorneys. Woodward was deemed competent to stand trial in late 2022.

Opening statements were expected to continue on Wednesday.

CORRECTS SOURCE - Orange County Deputy Sheriffs escort Samuel Woodward into Orange County Superior Court for opening statements of the murder trial for the stabbing death of Blaze Bernstein on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Santa Ana, Calif. (Frederick M. Brown via The Orange County Register, Pool)

CORRECTS SOURCE - Orange County Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Walker speaks during opening statements of Samuel Woodward's murder trial for the stabbing death of Blaze Bernstein, Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at Orange County Superior Court, in Santa Ana, Calif. Walker told jurors that the killing of the gay University of Pennsylvania student in Southern California more than six years ago was a hate crime. (Frederick M. Brown via The Orange County Register, Pool)

CORRECTS SOURCE - Orange County Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Walker speaks during opening statements of Samuel Woodward's murder trial for the stabbing death of Blaze Bernstein, Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at Orange County Superior Court, in Santa Ana, Calif. Walker told jurors that the killing of the gay University of Pennsylvania student in Southern California more than six years ago was a hate crime. (Frederick M. Brown via The Orange County Register, Pool)

CORRECTS SOURCE - Defense attorney Kenneth S. Morrison speaks during opening statements of Samuel Woodward's murder trial for the stabbing death of Blaze Bernstein, Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at Orange County Superior Court, in Santa Ana, Calif. A prosecutor told jurors that the killing of the gay University of Pennsylvania student in Southern California more than six years ago was a hate crime. (Frederick M. Brown via The Orange County Register, Pool)

CORRECTS SOURCE - Orange County Deputy Sheriffs escort Samuel Woodward into Orange County Superior Court for opening statements of the murder trial for the stabbing death of Blaze Bernstein on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Santa Ana, Calif. The killing of a gay University of Pennsylvania student in Southern California more than six years ago was a hate crime, a prosecutor said Tuesday in opening statements of a murder trial. (Frederick M. Brown via The Orange County Register, Pool)

CORRECTS SOURCE - Orange County Deputy Sheriffs escort Samuel Woodward into Orange County Superior Court for opening statements of his murder trial for the stabbing death of Blaze Bernstein on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Santa Ana, Calif. A prosecutor has told jurors that the killing of the gay University of Pennsylvania student in Southern California more than six years ago was a hate crime. (Frederick M. Brown via The Orange County Register, Pool)

CORRECTS SOURCE - Orange County Deputy Sheriffs escort Samuel Woodward into Orange County Superior Court for opening statements of his murder trial for the stabbing death of Blaze Bernstein on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Santa Ana, Calif. A prosecutor has told jurors that the killing of the gay University of Pennsylvania student in Southern California more than six years ago was a hate crime. (Frederick M. Brown via The Orange County Register, Pool)

FILE - Samuel Woodward leaves a court hearing at the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach, Calif., Aug. 22, 2018. Opening statements are scheduled Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in the trial of Woodward, who's charged with stabbing University of Pennsylvania student Blaze Bernstein to death in an act of hate more than six years earlier. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register/SCNG via AP, Pool, File)

DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — Kylian Mbappé was to lead an attacking trio including Ousmane Dembelé and Bradley Barcola for Paris Saint-Germain as the French champions had a full-strength squad for the Champions League semifinal first leg at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.

Mbappé scored twice in both of his last two away games in the competition and was bidding to add to his 15 knockout-stage goals in away matches. Only Cristiano Ronaldo (23) has more.

Dembelé is returning to face the club he scored 10 goals in 50 games in one season for before a big-money move to Barcelona in 2017.

Right back Achraf Hakimi was also making his return Wednesday. The Morocco star played for Dortmund from 2018-20.

Dortmund’s injury worries eased before its first Champions League semifinal since 2013 with Austria midfielder Marcel Sabitzer recovering from illness to start alongside Julian Brandt in midfield.

Dortmund coach Edin Terzić opted for Niclas Füllkrug up front, with Karim Adeyemi and Jadon Sancho on either side. Ivory Coast forward Sébastien Haller, who has dealt with a persistent left ankle injury, was among the substitutes.

Experienced central defender Mats Hummels recovered from a knock sustained in the 4-1 loss at Leipzig over the weekend and was able to start beside Nico Schlotterbeck.

The winners of the two-leg tie will play either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the final in London on June 1. The old rivals drew 2-2 in their semifinal first leg in Munich on Tuesday.

Dortmund, which knocked out Atlético Madrid to reach the final four, already faced PSG in the group stage, losing 2-0 in Paris before drawing 1-1 at home and topping the group.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Supporters cheer before the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Supporters cheer before the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Supporters cheer before the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Supporters cheer before the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

PSG's Kylian Mbappe warms up before the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

The trophy is displayed before the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)