Closing arguments in the Blaze Bernstein murder trial began Friday in a Santa Ana courtroom, two and a half months after the lawsuit started.
Sam Woodward is accused of stabbing Bernstein to death just over six years ago, as an act of hate, as Bernstein was a 19-year-old gay Jewish man. The Newport Beach man admitted to stabbing Bernstein multiple times in 2018, but has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder for a hate crime.
Orange County District Attorney Jennifer Walker insisted to the jury Friday that Woodward stabbed his former high school classmate, Blaze Bernstein, because he was gay and buried his body in Borrego Park in Foothill Ranch.
“To dig a grave on that property and bury, clean up and kill someone within an hour and a half. That’s not someone who just goes, oh… something happened and I have to find out. That’s for sure, Walker said.
Bernstein was a college sophomore visiting his family over winter break. The two young men had previously attended the same high school in Orange County.
Bernstein has disappeared after going to a park in Lake Forest, California, with Woodward in January 2018. Woodward picked up Bernstein from his parents after reaching out to him on social media.
Bernstein’s parents found his glasses, wallet and credit cards in his bedroom the next day when he missed a dentist appointment and did not respond to texts or phone calls, prosecutors wrote in a court filing.
Several days later, Bernstein’s body was found in a shallow grave in the park.
Sam Woodward’s attorney told jurors on opening day that the question is not who is responsible, but why. That is the more important issue, according to Assistant Public Defender Ken Morrison, who denies the killing was motivated by hate.
Wooward testified before the jury several days and admitted to stabbing Blaze Bernstein multiple times after claiming Berstein had sexually assaulted him.
Woodward described being in a “state of fear” after fearing Bernstein would send photos of the meeting via text message.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Walker argued that Woodward is lying and that the story he told during the deposition is not the story he originally told investigators.
DNA evidence linked Woodward to the murder and his cell phone trove of anti-gay, anti-Semitic and hate group materialsauthorities said.
The defense will begin its closing arguments on Monday afternoon. The jury is expected to begin deliberations sometime next week
