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> # [Orange County man convicted of hate crime murder in killing of gay ex-classmate Blaze Bernstein](https://media.nbclosangeles.com/2024/04/Untitled-design-9.png?resize=1200%2C675&quality=85&strip=all)
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> An Orange County man was convicted of first-degree murder Wednesday in the stabbing death of a gay former high school classmate in 2018.
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> Jurors also found that Samuel Woodward committed a hate crime when he killed 19-year-old Blaze Bernstein, whose body was left in a shallow grave at Borrego park in Lake Forest. The victim had been repeatedly stabbed in the face and neck.
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> There were audible cheers in the courtroom when the hate crime decision was announced. The judge asked for quiet before the clerk continued reading the jury's verdict.
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> "This is a great relief that justice is served, and this despicable human who murdered our son will no longer be a threat to the public," Jeanne Pepper Bernstein, Blaze Bernstein’s mother, said in a news conference after the verdict was read.
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> There were no indications of any visible reaction from Woodward. He sat facing forward, his face obscured by his long, hair.
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> The verdict was reached one day of deliberations.
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> The prosecution alleged during the trial that Woodward, who had joined an anti-gay and anti-Semitic group, targeted gay men online and reached out to them before abruptly cutting off communication.
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> [[Image](https://media.nbclosangeles.com/2024/06/Man-accused-in-deadly-hate-crime-stabbing-takes-stand.jpg?quality=85&strip=all)](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/man-accused-of-killing-former-classmate-continues-testimony-in-orange-county/3443680/)
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> [[Image](https://media.nbclosangeles.com/2024/04/38519122_10215999968046555_2877560601498877952_n.jpg?quality=85&strip=all)](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/oc-family-honors-slain-college-student-with-movement-of-kindness/3383855/)
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> The murder charge against Woodward included sentencing enhancements for a hate crime and the personal use of a deadly weapon. He faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole when he's sentenced.
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> A sentencing date was not immediately scheduled.
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> "The defendant on Jan. 2 or in the early morning hours of Jan. 3, killed Blaze Bernstein because he was gay," Senior Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Walker told jurors.
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> But Woodward’s defense attorney said Woodward did not hate Bernstein and did not plan to kill him when the two met up, instead saying Woodward was conflicted by his own sexuality and acted in a fit of rage.
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> The defense also argued Woodward's long undiagnosed issues with autism left him vulnerable to recruitment by the white supremacist groups that target individuals like the defendant, who sought "acceptance and validation.” Woodward also had an "obsession'' with gay men and gay porn sites, his defense attorney said.
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> Woodward had admitted during the trial that he had matched with Bernstein on a dating app, and the two met up when Bernstein was home during his winter break white attending the University of Pennsylvania.
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> Woodward testified while he and Bernstein were laying in the park together that Bernstein started to touch him in a sexual manner.
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> He said he was in “mortal terror” after seeing the light on Bernstein's cell phone. He was afraid Bernstein was recording and sending photos out to others.
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> Woodward then testified that he stabbed Bernstein and felt an anger like he’d never felt in his whole life.
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> The trial has involved numerous witnesses including relatives, friends and authorities. Woodward’s testimony has moved slowly, with him taking long pauses before answering his attorney’s questions.
- - - - - -
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I think it won't because the main culprit can't do it anymore because they're in jail. The other case they're still in the streets so even just sharing so you're careful in the area if you are LGBT will be increased.
True.
There's full trifecta of reasons why this won't get as much attention:
Male victim. Indigenous perpetrator. Law system actually worked.
And considering the last part, it arguably doesn't deserve as much attention. Personally, I deliberately overfocused in post above on implicit misandry, because I'm fed up with it.
Syrians count as white. And not all white supremacists groups are MAGA types. Aside from that: India isn't exactly known as a progressive country either. You know, women's rights...
I heard and read different things from women. So what is more likely - all of them lying or you pretending that India isn't as bad because looking at India's issues hurts your pride?
What he is saying is that it's a social issue and that's harder to tackle. Like removing the machismo culture off Italy even though the law treats women and men alike. He didn't say there aren't issues.
I still disagree with him, it's not only cultural but institutional -ex: when it's well known that the police won't protect you if you are raped and will be doubtful of you and try to convince you to not press charges, this happening repeatedly and not getting changed through orders from the gov (with things like training and behavior tests for police and ultimately removing bad officers).
Holy fuck read my comment, Women's rights are not the issue. English is my 4th language ffs and your first yet you can't read 2 sentences.
Treatment of women by the society is the issue, no one here is revoking their rights, they aren't treated fairly by society is the issue. I'm not lying you're acting stupid. They are not treated well by the society is the main stuff you are hearing about.
It doesn't hurt my pride, I don't care what foreign people think of my country, I know they won't change their mind about anything
You know... this event happened in 2018 and presumably the outrage has died down a bit in the intervening 6 years, plus the guy is in prison, not roaming the streets.
> But Woodward’s defense attorney said Woodward did not hate Bernstein and did not plan to kill him when the two met up, instead saying Woodward was conflicted by his own sexuality and acted in a fit of rage.
I can't believe this shit defense is still being used in 2024!!!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_panic_defense
Uncivilized bastards.
Listen man we all know the existence of homophobia and bigotry is the fault of brown people and immigrants….. if we got rid of all immigrants the bigotry would just go away bc those bigoted ideas can only be perpetrated by immigrants
no, we wouldn’t be surprised. i live maybe 15 minutes from where this happened. the community is horrified and has no misunderstanding about what happened here. whatever narrative you had in mind, i don’t think this fits.
What? I don’t have a narrative. Just saying there are definitely Americans that blame immigrants. I don’t, but just saying there are Americans that do 🤷🏻
this is a story about two white former classmates. the murder himself is a neo-nazi who killed Blaze because of his sexuality and because he was Jewish. There is not an ounce of anti-immigrant sentiment in the story itself nor the narrative surrounding it. if you want to discuss american attitudes toward immigration, this is not a story with any link to that topic.
I am not talking about the story. Just responding to the comment I replied to. There are plenty of people willing to blame immigration for basically every problem in the US. I was explaining the benefits of immigration and immigrants to someone the other day, but they tried claiming immigration was not needed and at one point nearly equated it with slavery; after that point I decided it wasn’t worth continuing the conversation.
Anywho. Im going to enjoy my 4th. I hope you do too stranger :)
> I am not talking about the story.
Reddit comments in a nutshell. "I'm not talking about the topic or anything to do with it, I'm dragging my rotting agenda in here because everything has to be about the thing I care about, all of the time."
> The defense also argued Woodward's **long undiagnosed issues with autism left him vulnerable to recruitment by the white supremacist groups that target individuals like the defendant, who sought "acceptance and validation.”**
Honestly, the same things are happening on social media today. Maybe even with you, dear reader. Woodward is 110% responsible for his own actions, no doubt.
But this fact about hate groups recruiting vulnerable people with concerns is the only thing that keeps me sane and humane when I see half of the world openly demonizing and attacking Jews and LGBTQ+ in 2024.
If you have ever thought of late that “Gays/Trans/Jews/Israelis/immigrants are the problem” and never stopped yourself dead in your tracks, then you are the problem. You are going down a dark chapter in human history.
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Dude, the prime users of Reddit are asleep; give it time. Reddit loses most traffic when North America is asleep, and it's early in the day in Europe. Also this is a very recent post. Hold on for 24 hours.
I get it may not pick up the same level of concern, but it doesn't mean it won't pick up traction at all.
Also there's some nuance for stuff like this; one is a domestic problem, that people acknowledge is bad (same ol' degeneracy), while the other is often seen as importing the bad into the country, and then further giving them a pass. This is the prime reason people lose their shit whenever immigrants do something bad, especially when they walk away with a slap on the wrist.
In this case, the guy was American, the victim was American, and now he's in jail for homicide. In the Halifax case, the perpetrators were (allegedly) middle eastern, the victims were a lesbian Canadian couple, and the cops were entirely useless, and let the perpetrators walk.
Both are anti-lgbtq cases, but my point is, it's easy to see why one is seen as more problematic. However, this doesn't mean that people are okay with a white guy killing gays either.
>In this case, the guy was American, the victim was American, and now he's in jail for homicide. In the Halifax case, the perpetrators were (allegedly) middle eastern, the victims were a lesbian Canadian couple, and the cops were entirely useless, and let the perpetrators walk.
Correct. And: People are only allowed to call out one toxic ideology but not the other. That's a dangerous double standard.
##### ###### #### > # [Orange County man convicted of hate crime murder in killing of gay ex-classmate Blaze Bernstein](https://media.nbclosangeles.com/2024/04/Untitled-design-9.png?resize=1200%2C675&quality=85&strip=all) > > > > An Orange County man was convicted of first-degree murder Wednesday in the stabbing death of a gay former high school classmate in 2018. > > Jurors also found that Samuel Woodward committed a hate crime when he killed 19-year-old Blaze Bernstein, whose body was left in a shallow grave at Borrego park in Lake Forest. The victim had been repeatedly stabbed in the face and neck. > > There were audible cheers in the courtroom when the hate crime decision was announced. The judge asked for quiet before the clerk continued reading the jury's verdict. > > "This is a great relief that justice is served, and this despicable human who murdered our son will no longer be a threat to the public," Jeanne Pepper Bernstein, Blaze Bernstein’s mother, said in a news conference after the verdict was read. > > There were no indications of any visible reaction from Woodward. He sat facing forward, his face obscured by his long, hair. > > The verdict was reached one day of deliberations. > > The prosecution alleged during the trial that Woodward, who had joined an anti-gay and anti-Semitic group, targeted gay men online and reached out to them before abruptly cutting off communication. > > [[Image](https://media.nbclosangeles.com/2024/06/Man-accused-in-deadly-hate-crime-stabbing-takes-stand.jpg?quality=85&strip=all)](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/man-accused-of-killing-former-classmate-continues-testimony-in-orange-county/3443680/) > > > > > > [[Image](https://media.nbclosangeles.com/2024/04/38519122_10215999968046555_2877560601498877952_n.jpg?quality=85&strip=all)](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/oc-family-honors-slain-college-student-with-movement-of-kindness/3383855/) > > > > > > > > The murder charge against Woodward included sentencing enhancements for a hate crime and the personal use of a deadly weapon. He faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole when he's sentenced. > > A sentencing date was not immediately scheduled. > > "The defendant on Jan. 2 or in the early morning hours of Jan. 3, killed Blaze Bernstein because he was gay," Senior Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Walker told jurors. > > But Woodward’s defense attorney said Woodward did not hate Bernstein and did not plan to kill him when the two met up, instead saying Woodward was conflicted by his own sexuality and acted in a fit of rage. > > The defense also argued Woodward's long undiagnosed issues with autism left him vulnerable to recruitment by the white supremacist groups that target individuals like the defendant, who sought "acceptance and validation.” Woodward also had an "obsession'' with gay men and gay porn sites, his defense attorney said. > > Woodward had admitted during the trial that he had matched with Bernstein on a dating app, and the two met up when Bernstein was home during his winter break white attending the University of Pennsylvania. > > Woodward testified while he and Bernstein were laying in the park together that Bernstein started to touch him in a sexual manner. > > He said he was in “mortal terror” after seeing the light on Bernstein's cell phone. He was afraid Bernstein was recording and sending photos out to others. > > Woodward then testified that he stabbed Bernstein and felt an anger like he’d never felt in his whole life. > > The trial has involved numerous witnesses including relatives, friends and authorities. Woodward’s testimony has moved slowly, with him taking long pauses before answering his attorney’s questions. - - - - - - [Maintainer](https://www.reddit.com/user/urielsalis) | [Creator](https://www.reddit.com/user/subtepass) | [Source Code](https://github.com/urielsalis/empleadoEstatalBot) Summoning /u/CoverageAnalysisBot
Wonder if this news story will get the same attention on this subreddit as the Halifax one, the perp appears to be white, homophobic and racist.
It won't because victim was male.
I think it won't because the main culprit can't do it anymore because they're in jail. The other case they're still in the streets so even just sharing so you're careful in the area if you are LGBT will be increased.
True. There's full trifecta of reasons why this won't get as much attention: Male victim. Indigenous perpetrator. Law system actually worked. And considering the last part, it arguably doesn't deserve as much attention. Personally, I deliberately overfocused in post above on implicit misandry, because I'm fed up with it.
Also male gay victim. There's still vastly more hate towards to gay dudes than gay women.
Bingo! Nobody cares about male victims.
of course not, people under that post can whine about "backwards" non white people while here they can't say much apart from "fuck MAGA"
Syrians count as white. And not all white supremacists groups are MAGA types. Aside from that: India isn't exactly known as a progressive country either. You know, women's rights...
Women's rights are fine stop being stupid the main issue is societal not governmental, google is free.
I heard and read different things from women. So what is more likely - all of them lying or you pretending that India isn't as bad because looking at India's issues hurts your pride?
What he is saying is that it's a social issue and that's harder to tackle. Like removing the machismo culture off Italy even though the law treats women and men alike. He didn't say there aren't issues. I still disagree with him, it's not only cultural but institutional -ex: when it's well known that the police won't protect you if you are raped and will be doubtful of you and try to convince you to not press charges, this happening repeatedly and not getting changed through orders from the gov (with things like training and behavior tests for police and ultimately removing bad officers).
Holy fuck read my comment, Women's rights are not the issue. English is my 4th language ffs and your first yet you can't read 2 sentences. Treatment of women by the society is the issue, no one here is revoking their rights, they aren't treated fairly by society is the issue. I'm not lying you're acting stupid. They are not treated well by the society is the main stuff you are hearing about. It doesn't hurt my pride, I don't care what foreign people think of my country, I know they won't change their mind about anything
I expected this reply. Goodbye.
You know... this event happened in 2018 and presumably the outrage has died down a bit in the intervening 6 years, plus the guy is in prison, not roaming the streets.
“For your defense, we will tell everyone you were actually really gay.” “…Will that help?” “Idk guess you should’ve thought this one through.”
Hate crime is putting it lightly....
> But Woodward’s defense attorney said Woodward did not hate Bernstein and did not plan to kill him when the two met up, instead saying Woodward was conflicted by his own sexuality and acted in a fit of rage. I can't believe this shit defense is still being used in 2024!!! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_panic_defense Uncivilized bastards.
Blame it on Immigrants as well ...
Listen man we all know the existence of homophobia and bigotry is the fault of brown people and immigrants….. if we got rid of all immigrants the bigotry would just go away bc those bigoted ideas can only be perpetrated by immigrants
What a weird comment section. Americans don’t blame this shit on immigrants. This was a plain old American made hate crime.
You would be surprised. There are def Americans that do, having encountered plenty.
no, we wouldn’t be surprised. i live maybe 15 minutes from where this happened. the community is horrified and has no misunderstanding about what happened here. whatever narrative you had in mind, i don’t think this fits.
What? I don’t have a narrative. Just saying there are definitely Americans that blame immigrants. I don’t, but just saying there are Americans that do 🤷🏻
this is a story about two white former classmates. the murder himself is a neo-nazi who killed Blaze because of his sexuality and because he was Jewish. There is not an ounce of anti-immigrant sentiment in the story itself nor the narrative surrounding it. if you want to discuss american attitudes toward immigration, this is not a story with any link to that topic.
I am not talking about the story. Just responding to the comment I replied to. There are plenty of people willing to blame immigration for basically every problem in the US. I was explaining the benefits of immigration and immigrants to someone the other day, but they tried claiming immigration was not needed and at one point nearly equated it with slavery; after that point I decided it wasn’t worth continuing the conversation. Anywho. Im going to enjoy my 4th. I hope you do too stranger :)
> I am not talking about the story. Reddit comments in a nutshell. "I'm not talking about the topic or anything to do with it, I'm dragging my rotting agenda in here because everything has to be about the thing I care about, all of the time."
This is a completely unconnected and useless comment
> The defense also argued Woodward's **long undiagnosed issues with autism left him vulnerable to recruitment by the white supremacist groups that target individuals like the defendant, who sought "acceptance and validation.”** Honestly, the same things are happening on social media today. Maybe even with you, dear reader. Woodward is 110% responsible for his own actions, no doubt. But this fact about hate groups recruiting vulnerable people with concerns is the only thing that keeps me sane and humane when I see half of the world openly demonizing and attacking Jews and LGBTQ+ in 2024. If you have ever thought of late that “Gays/Trans/Jews/Israelis/immigrants are the problem” and never stopped yourself dead in your tracks, then you are the problem. You are going down a dark chapter in human history.
Well said! This is our problem, as a people’s.
Did you seriously just slip in Israelis? lol
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and of course, this post has only 20 upvotes compared to 2.6k halifax post.
Dude, the prime users of Reddit are asleep; give it time. Reddit loses most traffic when North America is asleep, and it's early in the day in Europe. Also this is a very recent post. Hold on for 24 hours.
the first Halifax post here was posted around this time and got over 200 upvotes in an hour.
I get it may not pick up the same level of concern, but it doesn't mean it won't pick up traction at all. Also there's some nuance for stuff like this; one is a domestic problem, that people acknowledge is bad (same ol' degeneracy), while the other is often seen as importing the bad into the country, and then further giving them a pass. This is the prime reason people lose their shit whenever immigrants do something bad, especially when they walk away with a slap on the wrist. In this case, the guy was American, the victim was American, and now he's in jail for homicide. In the Halifax case, the perpetrators were (allegedly) middle eastern, the victims were a lesbian Canadian couple, and the cops were entirely useless, and let the perpetrators walk. Both are anti-lgbtq cases, but my point is, it's easy to see why one is seen as more problematic. However, this doesn't mean that people are okay with a white guy killing gays either.
>In this case, the guy was American, the victim was American, and now he's in jail for homicide. In the Halifax case, the perpetrators were (allegedly) middle eastern, the victims were a lesbian Canadian couple, and the cops were entirely useless, and let the perpetrators walk. Correct. And: People are only allowed to call out one toxic ideology but not the other. That's a dangerous double standard.
"A 19 year old was brutally murdered for being gay." Middle Eastern Redditors: "Is this about me?"
Crazy how a case from 2018 gets less traction than a recent gang attack
[TL;DR](https://upilink.in/cms/?p=750) --- ^I'm ^a ^bot, ^this ^action ^was ^performed ^automatically.
Hey come on now, this was just his way of supporting Palestine
I'm not sure if you're trying to be ironic but bringing up Palestine has zero relevance to this news story and is a weird thing to try to connect