Years after college student is stabbed to death, California man goes on trial in alleged hate case

By AMY TAXIN
Associated Press

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A prosecutor has told jurors that the killing of a gay University of Pennsylvania student in Southern California more than six years ago was a hate crime. The long-delayed trial of 26-year-old Samuel Woodward began Tuesday with opening statements. Woodward is accused of stabbing to death Blaze Bernstein, a 19-year-old gay, Jewish college sophomore who was visiting family on winter break. Prosecutor Jennifer Walker said Woodward joined a violent, anti-gay, antisemitic hate group and repeatedly targeted gay men online. Defense attorney Ken Morrison did not dispute that Woodward carried out the fatal attack but said his client didn’t plan to kill anyone and didn’t hate Bernstein.