Samuel Woodward Convicted of Hate Crime Murder

Samuel Woodward, 26, was convicted of first-degree murder with a hate crime enhancement for the 2018 stabbing death of Blaze Bernstein, a gay and Jewish University of Pennsylvania student. The prosecution argued that Woodward, affiliated with the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division, targeted Bernstein due to his sexual orientation. Woodward's defense claimed the killing was a result of provocation and his own internal conflicts with his sexuality. Bernstein was stabbed 28 times and found in a shallow grave at a park in Lake Forest, California. The hate crime enhancement could result in a life sentence without parole. Bernstein's family expressed grief over their loss and the long wait for justice.