Blaze Bernstein was a 19-year-old pre-med pupil at the College of Pennsylvania in January 2018. Throughout winter season break from university, satisfying a previous secondary school schoolmate finished in a harmful experience.
In July 2024, Samuel Lincoln Woodward, 27, was founded guilty of first-degree murder with a hate criminal activity improvement for the murder of Bernstein, that was gay and Jewish, in Foothill Cattle Ranch, The Golden State. In November, he was punished to life behind bars without the opportunity of parole.
A brand new “20/20” episode, “The Last Text,” which broadcasts Friday, Jan. 3, at 9 p.m. on ABC and streams the following day on Hulu, includes special meetings with the Bernstein family members and investigators associated with the instance.
Woodward’s moms and dads, Blake and Michele, did not reply to a meeting demand from ABC Information. Nevertheless, they sent a letter to the court at sentencing.
Blaze Bernstein was an intense pupil, faithful pal and enthusiastic cooking connoisseur that invested the loss of 2017 as a student taking pre-med programs at the College of Pennsylvania and functioning as a handling editor of the institution’s cooking publication, loved ones remembered.
Gideon Bernstein
” In the past, you might check into Sam’s eyes and be stunned at the degree of level of sensitivity and heat– it is among his ideal qualities,” the letter checked out, partly. “Currently …, he’s also susceptible to allow you look him in the eyes … He devoted a criminal activity, however he is not an individual without worth, not worthy of regard …”
Blaze matured in Lake Woodland, an upper-middle-class area of around 90,000 situated regarding an hour south of Los Angeles. According to pals, Blaze was innovative, thoughtful and passionate. He was intense and curious about every little thing, they claimed.
” A Renaissance boy,” Arnie Rachlis, rabbi emeritus at College Synagogue that has actually recognized the Bernstein family members for years, informed “20/20.”
The 19-year-old pre-med university student participated in the College of Pennsylvania and returned home to Southern The golden state for winter season break ecstatic to see his family members. Unfortunately, the get-together would certainly leave the Bernstein family members with enduring injuries and sadness. On Jan. 3, 2018, prior to Blaze was because of go back to institution, he went missing out on.
” My father called me and resembled, ‘Hey, have you listened to anything from Blaze? He’s not getting the phone,'” Beaue Bernstein, Blaze’s sibling, informed “20/20.”” ‘It’s actually odd. Like, we– simply allow us understand if you listen to anything.'” And I resemble, ‘That does not appear right.’ “
Blaze left his glasses, pocketbook, tricks and bags loaded for his go back to university. Worried and perplexed, the Bernsteins informed “20/20” they called everybody they might consider to see if any individual had actually seen or spoken with Blaze in the previous 12 hours. Regrettably, no one recognized where he was.
Among the very first points the Bernsteins took into consideration was making use of the apple iphone “Locate My” application, which enables customers to share their area with others. Nevertheless, according to Blaze’s mom Jeanne Pepper Bernstein, the area solutions were switched off.
Jeanne Pepper Bernstein, Blaze Bernstein’s mom, checks out a letter left at her kid’s memorial at Borrego Park in Foothill Cattle Ranch, The Golden State.
ABC Information
The Bernsteins validated with Verizon that Blaze had not made any type of current telephone call. A fast look at his computer system disclosed no messages on iMessage or Facebook.
The family members after that transformed to the Orange Region Constable’s Division and claims a policeman originally attempted to assure them.
” He was determined that 100% of the moment, these youngsters are out on a ‘booty phone call,’ or doing something,” Jeanne Pepper Bernstein informed “20/20.”
Determined for any type of details, the Bernsteins chose to browse Blaze’s social media sites represent any type of feasible leads.
” I informed my moms and dads, I resemble, ‘I can attempt and assist you discover every little thing that you require,'” Beaue, that was 14 at the time, informed “20/20.” “I am actually great with Snapchat. I recognized the names of a great deal of his pals, so I had the ability to, like, message them and inquire if they recognized what was taking place.”
Snapchat is a complimentary mobile messaging application that enables customers to share pictures, video clips and sms message. What establishes the application apart is that every little thing shared, consisting of sms message, vanishes from the recipient’s display after simply a couple of secs.
Beaue Bernstein, Blaze Bernstein’s sibling, claimed she recuperated her sibling’s sweatshirt from his college house after his fatality. The tee shirt reveals a cooking whisk, which signifies Blaze Bernstein’s enthusiasm for food preparation.
ABC Information
The Bernsteins were lucky since Blaze’s username and password were saved money on their iCloud keychain. While discovering his Snapchat account, the family members uncovered that Blaze had actually sent his address to a person. They really did not understand he or she, however uncovering his name on Blaze’s Snapchat account would certainly transform their determined look for their kid upside-down.
Gideon Bernstein, Blaze’s daddy, sent out a straight message to Samuel Woodward, asking that Sam call him.
When Woodward called Gideon Bernstein, his child Beaue, videotaped the discussion. “20/20” gotten a duplicate of the recording from the Orange Region Superior Court.
” We have not spoken with him all the time,” Gideon Bernstein informed Woodward on the phone. “He missed out on a consultation today, and afterwards we began obtaining worried, and I have actually been attempting to figure points out. So, you’re the very first actual hint to the challenge below.”
Woodward’s action originally made him appear thoughtful to the Bernsteins’ predicament.
” Yeah, I seem like [expletive] … truthfully, I’m sorry,” he claimed. “I wish to discover Blaze as long as you do.”
Throughout that phone call, Woodward informed Gideon Bernstein that Blaze recommended they drive to a close-by park to satisfy yet one more among his pals, however never ever stated that pal by name.
” He left the automobile, and I ventured out the automobile also, and I simply asked him, you understand, ‘That is this individual?'” Woodward claimed. “And he was much like, you understand, ‘You’ll discover in a bit, you understand. He’s a close friend of mine.’ And afterwards so I was much like, ‘OK, Blaze.’ And I simply waited there by the washroom, and he, I really did not see where he went.”
It was a troubling telephone call that developed much more concerns than solutions for the Bernsteins. The family members learnt that Woodward briefly participated in secondary school with Blaze and matured just thirty minutes away in the rich seaside community of Newport Coastline. With this details, the Bernsteins mosted likely to the cops, that after that checked into Woodward.
On Jan. 4, 2018, Orange Region Constable’s Division detectives brought Woodward in for examining. Throughout his meeting with cops, Woodward claimed that after he selected Blaze up at his home, they drove about for some time and at some point quit at Borrego Park.
Woodward informed policemans that Blaze was satisfying one more pal at the park that evening, claiming he remained behind as Blaze left and went away from view. After a number of hours of examining, Woodward was not billed and permitted to leave.
The cops stayed dubious, so they chose to place Woodward under monitoring.
Gideon Bernstein and Jeanne Pepper Bernstein consult with ABC Information’ Matt Gutman regarding their kid, Blaze Bernstein.
ABC Information
” There was a huge group that was released right into the area,” Sgt. Dylan Jantzen informed 20/20. “And we followed him anywhere that he went.”
As problem for Blaze expanded, the media looked out and the general public familiarized his loss.
” There was a prompt firestorm of interest to this instance,” Jantzen claimed. “We were definitely flooded with pointers from the general public. There were hundreds in the very first week, which expanded significantly.”
There was enormous stress for detectives to make development on the instance, according to Jantzen. On Jan. 9, when Blaze had actually been missing out on for 7 days, detectives went back to Borrego Park after acquiring cellular phone information revealing that he and Woodward existed with each other.
” There was a torrential rainstorm,” Jantzen claimed. “It was cool, it was drizzling, every little thing was damp, every little thing was sloppy.”
Authorities discovered Blaze’s body covered with dust and a tree branch. They additionally situated a damaged cellular phone around 6 to 8 inches listed below the body.
In this Jan. 17, 2018, documents picture, Samuel Lincoln Woodward, 20, of Newport Coastline, a suspect in the murder of 19-year-old Blaze Bernstein, shows up in court at the Orange Region Central Justice Facility, in Santa Ana, Calif.
Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times using Getty Images, DOCUMENTS
” The postmortem examination disclosed injuries, which I think were an outcome of a very terrible experience,” Jantzen claimed. “Blaze was stabbed 14 times in the left side of his neck and 5 times in the appropriate side of his neck. He was stabbed in the knee. He had protective injuries throughout his fingers.”
After additional examination, cops had adequate proof to figure out Woodward acted alone.
When Woodward was butted in 2018, the Orange Region Area Lawyer’s workplace examined the proof versus him and chose to bill Woodward for a hate criminal activity since Blaze was gay, however not since he was Jewish. Woodward begged blameless to the fees.
At test, district attorneys suggested that Woodward fatally stabbed Blaze while they were alone in Borrego Park since Woodward was driven by a disgust for gay individuals. They pointed out proof that Woodward was associated with an anti-gay, neo-Nazi extremist team, and they claimed he enticed Blaze to a park and stabbed him to fatality in a conscious act of hate.
In a surprising spin, Woodward’s defense lawyer yielded that his customer eliminated Blaze, however claimed that it was not a conscious hate criminal activity. Woodward’s lawyer asserted he signed up with the extremist team due to seclusion and solitude.
The protection claimed that Woodward himself was battling with his sexuality, although Woodward rejected that characterization when he took the stand to affirm in his very own protection. Woodward asserted that he slept while at the park with Blaze and declared that he woke up to find Blaze photographing or video clip taping their experience with his cellular phone.
Woodward asserted that he was alarmed at the concept that Blaze could openly share an endangering photo of him which this supposed exploration prompted him to stab Blaze consistently. Nevertheless, detectives from the Orange Region Constable’s Division informed “20/20” that they discovered no pictures or video clips from that evening on Blaze’s phone.
At the verdict of the test, Jeanne Pepper Bernstein made a declaration to the constructed media.
” We are delighted with the judgment, which holds Samuel Woodward answerable for the harsh, terrible, unpleasant murder of our kid,” she claimed, partly. “Justice has actually been offered.”
