Samuel Woodward has been convicted of first-degree murder and hate crimes for the 2018 stabbing of Blaze Bernstein, a Jewish and gay college student. Bernstein, who had been visiting family in Southern California, reconnected with Woodward, his former high school classmate, through Tinder before the tragic incident.
Woodward, who was a member of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division, was found to have been motivated by homophobia and antisemitism when he murdered Bernstein. The group, known for its advocacy of violence against black people, Jews, and other minorities, has been identified as one of the most potentially violent neo-Nazi organizations in the U.S.
Prosecutor Jennifer Walker underscored the influence of Woodward’s extremist beliefs on the crime, stating, “This is a person focused on hate. Not following, not being led by, influenced by, victimized by Atomwaffen — seeking it out.” Evidence presented during the trial revealed that Woodward had been radicalized online as a teenager and joined the Atomwaffen Division, a group that holds extreme beliefs about Jews and “the white race.”
Woodward’s conviction brings some closure to the parents of Blaze Bernstein, who had spent over six years waiting for justice. The trial, which had been delayed by the pandemic and Woodward’s changes in legal representation, finally ended with the guilty verdict. Bernstein’s mother, Jeanne Pepper, spoke to the press after the verdict, saying, “The verdict brings a measure of closure to a six-and-a-half-year chapter, but it cannot erase the pain of losing our son and the agony of waiting all of these years without resolution.”
Woodward was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the harshest sentence allowed under California law.