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Woodward, now 27, is accused of focusing on his former classmate over Bernstein’s sexuality, with Senior Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Walker flatly stating to an Orange County Superior Court jury that Woodward killed Blaze Bernstein “as a result of he was homosexual.”
The prosecutor centered a lot of her opening statements in a Santa Ana courtroom on Woodward’s ties to a neo-Nazi militia group and on a “hate diary” through which he appeared to specific an express hatred of homosexual and Jewish individuals. Among the objects proven to the jury have been emails through which Woodward wrote about “sodomites” needing to die, in addition to {a photograph} in his possession of a serviette drawing of a knife dripping with blood together with the phrase “texting is boring however homicide isn’t.”
“He was doing his analysis,” Walker stated of Woodward’s on-line interactions with homosexual people. “He was investigating his prey.”
Assistant Public Defender Ken Morrison countered by acknowledging that Woodward killed Bernstein, however denying that it had something to do with Bernstein’s sexuality or his Jewish heritage.
The protection lawyer attacked what he described because the “hyperbolic, sensationalized narrative of ‘Nazi kills homosexual Jew’ ” surrounding the case.
“Sam Woodward by no means deliberate to kill Blaze Bernstein or anybody else,” Morrison instructed jurors. “What occurred that evening, plain and easy, was not a hate crime.”
Morrison throughout his remarks to the jury on Tuesday morning and afternoon didn’t say what he believed occurred between Woodward and Bernstein the evening of the killing. But the protection lawyer is scheduled to proceed his opening statements on Wednesday morning.
Both Woodward and Bernstein have been Orange County natives who met one another whereas going to high school on the Orange County School of the Arts in Santa Ana. They apparently agreed to satisfy up when Bernstein — on the time a pre-med pupil in his sophomore yr on the University of Pennsylvania — was staying at his household’s Lake Forest residence over winter break.
What began as a headline-grabbing group seek for a lacking Bernstein ended with the invention of his physique in a shallow grave on the fringe of Borrego Park within the Foothill Ranch space of Lake Forest. He had been stabbed greater than 20 instances, primarily within the neck. Suspicion rapidly turned to Woodward, the final individual recognized to have seen Bernstein alive.
In the midst of the search, Woodward had instructed legislation enforcement and Bernstein’s household that Bernstein had walked off into the park, telling Woodward that he was going to satisfy another person however by no means returning. He additionally instructed police at one level that Bernstein tried to kiss him, however that he pushed Bernstein away, main Bernstein to apologize.
Among the forensic proof tying Woodward to Bernstein’s killing was a knife with blood on the tip and deal with that was matched by means of DNA to Bernstein present in Woodward’s bed room and blood stains matched to each males in Woodward’s automobile.
During his college days, Woodward — who’s on the Autism spectrum — was an outcast and a loner who was recognized by different college students for his conservative views, each the prosecutor and protection lawyer instructed jurors. He grew up in a conservative, non secular household with unaccepting views towards homosexuality, the attorneys stated.
After two semesters at school, they stated, Woodward dropped out of college and briefly moved to Texas to affix the Atomwaffen Division, an armed fascist group who he had linked with on-line.
Walker, the prosecutor, described Woodward’s choice to affix Atomwaffen as an outgrowth of his present anti-gay and antisemitic views. She alleged that Woodward’s interactions on social media with homosexual people, together with Bernstein, have been meant to analysis individuals he wished to focus on.
Data from Woodward’s cellphone from the evening of the killing confirmed him leaving the suspected crime scene, driving again to his Newport Beach residence for round an hour, then driving again to the crime scene and spending one other hour within the space, the prosecutor added.
“You will see that Blaze fought for his life as greatest he might,” Walker instructed jurors, citing obvious defensive wounds on his physique.
Morrison, the protection lawyer, painted Woodward as a way more conflicted younger man, who he argued was wrestling together with his personal sexual identification.
Woodward’s dad and mom enrolled him on the Orange County School of the Arts after he confirmed a expertise for performing, Morrison stated, however his father nervous that the “homosexuals” on the campus would “reel him in.”
Woodward throughout his time on the campus typically messaged with an overtly homosexual pupil, Morrisons stated. In these messages, Woodward talked about struggling together with his sexuality and at instances despatched nude images of himself, the protection Morrison stated. The different pupil finally minimize off the communication, feeling conflicted by Woodward’s public conservative views and homophobic feedback, the protection lawyer added.
Morrison stated an Atomwaffen member recruited Woodward on-line by making him imagine he had discovered a real buddy and group that may settle for him. Such teams typically focus their outreach efforts on younger males who’ve been bullied and ostracized and are perceived to be simply swayed, the protection lawyer instructed jurors.
“These are guys who evoked some energy and confidence and objective in life,” Morrison stated of Woodward’s view of the Atomwaffen members.
Woodward is predicted to testify throughout his trial, his lawyer instructed jurors. But the lawyer added that Woodward’s psychological situation has undergone “dramatic adjustments” since his arrest six years in the past.
When he talked to police again then, he was “lucid and articulate,” Morrison stated, however he’s “under no circumstances in the present day.”
