Man, 27, stabbed teen to death so his family would not find out about his double-life

Samuel Lincoln Woodward was sentenced to walk the remainder of his beingness successful prison, without the anticipation of parole, for the hate-fuelled stabbing of 18-year-old Blaze Bernstein

A 27-year-old antheral has been handed a life sentence with nary accidental of parole for the hateful execution of a erstwhile schoolmate successful a horrific crime, which occurred six years ago. The perpetrator, Samuel Lincoln Woodward, was yet convicted successful July implicit the fatal stabbing of Blaze Bernstein, who was conscionable 18 astatine the clip of his decease successful 2018.

During the sentencing connected Friday, an affectional connection was delivered to the tribunal by the victim's grieving mother, Jeanne Pepper Bernstein, successful the beingness of Woodward. Speaking to the court, she said: "This calm and earnest-sounding young antheral lied to us, the emphatic parents of the young antheral helium had, little than 24 hours before, stabbed 28 times with a 6-inch leaf and buried successful a parkland by our home, helium misled america to judge that Blaze had wandered disconnected into a acheronian and immense parkland by our location that leads into the wilderness down our house."

Woodward had studied astatine the aforesaid California schoolhouse arsenic his unfortunate but had been radicalised by online neo-nazis into a unsafe and hate-filled ideology. One which was astatine likelihood with his individuality and his desires, and yet triggered the horrific violence against cheery Jewish 18-year-old Bernstein - an enactment that volition spot Woodward walk the remainder of his beingness down bars.

Bernstein's interaction connection continued: "As the hunt began the adjacent time tremendous instrumentality enforcement and resources came to our assistance to hunt the forest, the park, and the net for clues. His slayer besides showed up that time astatine the parkland and past went location to cleanable his car of immoderate evidence...I'm truthful frightened reasoning that my kid is injured, mislaid successful the woods, oregon being held by an extremist neonazi group. Then we got the telephone telephone connected January 10, my father's birthday, they recovered my son's assemblage successful the mud successful the park," she added, laying bare the grade of her family's ordeal.

"How could this beryllium happening? No parent should person to hide her child... my bosom was truthful breached and yet incapable to judge the world that helium was nary longer portion of our world. I was not told the details of however helium was killed due to the fact that I was having occupation coping with the world of his death.

"I volition ne'er hide proceeding for the archetypal clip that Blaze had been stabbed 28 times portion I was listening to the quality portion I was successful the parkland wherever his assemblage was found. I collapsed connected the crushed screaming. That was 1 of the galore panic attacks I would person that archetypal year."

Pepper added, "After my son's death, I thought I would ne'er beryllium blessed again, but knowing the suspect volition ne'er beryllium capable to harm anyone again makes maine happy.

"While Sam rots successful situation we volition beryllium present connected the extracurricular celebrating the beingness of Blaze, and continuing to bash bully with others who enactment each time to marque this satellite much caring, kind, and harmless for the Jewish and LGBTQ communities," said Pepper.

The enhanced hatred transgression charges were based connected allegations that Woodward murdered Bernstein owed to his intersexual predisposition and Jewish heritage.

Evidence presented astatine proceedings showed Woodward's ties to a neo-Nazi faction called the Atomwaffen Division. Both the unfortunate and the perpetrator had been students astatine the Orange County School of the Arts for 4 years. Bernstein, aft graduating successful six years, pursued pre-med studies astatine the University of Pennsylvania.

Prosecutors contended successful tribunal that Woodward murdered Bernstein to summation notoriety wrong a neo-Nazi faction. Bernstein's defence squad countered, suggesting the client's autism influenced the incidental and claimed helium was "over-charged."

"Samuel Lincoln Woodward should beryllium held accountable for what helium did," Ken Morrison, his lawyer, argued. "He should not beryllium held accountable for what helium did not do. This lawsuit was over-charged."

Woodward had reconnected with Bernstein aft a agelong play of silence. On January 2, 2018, they acceptable retired for a camping travel wherever cannabis was consumed and Woodward began dozing off. He reported feeling an unusual sensation successful his legs and initially thought he'd bedewed himself, helium testified successful court.

Waking up fully, helium recovered his trousers unfastened and Bernstein touching his groyne portion appearing to grounds the interaction, helium claimed. Panicked astir his family, who disapprove of homosexuality, discovering the encounter, Woodward said helium attempted to snatch the telephone from Bernstein, who helium alleged was attempting to "out" him.

Unable to retrieve the phone, helium purportedly stabbed Bernstein repeatedly and destroyed the device.

The accused reportedly dug a shallow sedate with his bare hands and near the assemblage successful the parkland wherever they were camping. His parents alerted the authorities astir their son's disappearance erstwhile helium didn't crook up for a dentist appointment.

Bernstein's assemblage was discovered a week later.