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The latest episode of 48 Hours on CBS, which aired on September 21, 2024, revisited the case of Samuel Woodward, the convicted murderer of Blaze Bernstein. The episode featured the aftermath of the trial, exploring the consequences that Woodward faces today.
It showed the key moments and evidence that led to his conviction, providing viewers with an up-to-date look at Woodward’s current circumstances following one of the most publicized hate crime trials in recent years.
As of now, Samuel Woodward is incarcerated, serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Following his conviction for the first-degree murder of Blaze Bernstein, along with a hate crime enhancement, Woodward was remanded to state custody.
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His trial concluded in early 2024, finding him guilty of fatally stabbing Bernstein in a case that garnered national attention due to its brutal nature and the underlying hate crime elements.
Woodward is currently held at a state prison in California, where he was transferred after his sentencing. The specific facility is designed to handle long-term inmates serving similar sentences. Within the prison, Woodward is subject to the standard regulations and routines that govern the lives of inmates serving life sentences.
His day-to-day life includes limited recreational time, meal times, and the opportunity for educational or therapeutic programs available to long-term inmates.
His incarceration status is regularly reviewed, but given the nature of his sentence, it is unlikely that there will be any significant change in his situation. Woodward's case continues to be a point of discussion in legal studies and criminal justice reform debates, particularly concerning hate crimes and mental health defenses in court proceedings.
How did Samuel Woodward murder Blaze Bernstein?
Samuel Woodward's murder of Blaze Bernstein was a calculated and brutal act that concluded a series of events filled with deceit and hate. The details of the murder begin with the reunion of the two former high school classmates.
Samuel Woodward and Bernstein attended the Orange County School of the Arts together. Though they weren't close friends at the time, they later reconnected through social media. Their communication led to a plan to meet on January 2, 2018 when Bernstein was visiting his family in Lake Forest, California, during a college winter break.
The two met late at night with Woodward driving them to the remote Borrego Park. According to Woodward's later statements to the police, once at the park he claimed that Bernstein made sexual advances towards him which he said prompted a violent reaction.
Samuel Woodward who was secretly carrying a knife used it to stab Bernstein a total of 28 times in a severe and fatal attack. After the murder, Woodward attempted to conceal his crime by burying Bernstein's body in a shallow grave within the park itself.
Bernstein's body was discovered after a week of intense searching, when heavy rains exposed the shallow grave. The investigation quickly focused on Woodward due to digital evidence and his last known interactions with Bernstein. DNA evidence found under Bernstein’s fingernails and in the grave soil as well as blood found in Woodward's car, linked him directly to the murder.
Samuel Woodward was found to have ties to the Atomwaffen Division, which is a neo-Nazi group, and had expressed violent and extremist views online. The backdrop of hate-filled ideology played a major role in the prosecution’s case during his trial showing a premeditated hate crime against Bernstein, who was both Jewish and openly homosexual.
Samuel Woodward’s defense argued that his actions were not premeditated and were instead a panicked reaction to unwanted sexual advances. They also presented mental health defenses citing his diagnoses of Asperger's syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder. But these claims were not sufficient to sway the jury in light of the overwhelming evidence of his premeditated actions and hate-driven motives.
The trial which was delayed multiple times due to various factors including Samuel Woodward’s mental health evaluations and the COVID-19 pandemic eventually concluded in 2024.
Woodward was found guilty of first-degree murder with a hate crime enhancement showing the jury’s acceptance of the hate crime as a major factor in Bernstein’s murder.
Samuel Woodward is now serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole housed in a state prison in California.
