20-year-old Samuel Woodward, the man charged with stabbing and murdering Blaze Bernstein, was a member of a neo-Nazi group, according to ProPublica.
The site reports three people who knew Samuel Woodward say the Newport Beach man belonged to the Atomwaffen Division, a Fascist group aspiring to overthrow the American government with weaponry and acts of terrorism.
Related: Suspect in brutal murder of college student thought victim was hitting on him: report
ProPublica said two of their sources were personal friends of Woodward’s. The third was an ex-member of the Fascist group, who said Woodward was active in both combat and firearm training.
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No word from officials about Woodward’s alleged affiliation with Atomwaffen Division.
Sam Woodward, the alleged killer of Blaze Bernstein, with members of Atomwaffen, violent neo-Nazi organization in Texas this past summer. pic.twitter.com/qYCtMpOkJ8
— A.C. Thompson (@ACInvestigates) January 27, 2018
Talking to Los Angeles Times, Jeanne Pepper Bernstein said she’d worried her son would be a victim.
“I’m concerned about the fact that he is Jewish,” she told the paper. “I’m concerned with the fact that he is gay or the fact that he is small.”
The body of 19-year-old Blaze Bernstein was discovered in a shallow grave in Borrego Park, a week after the Woodwards reported him missing on January 3rd.
Bernstein was a pre-med student at University of Pennsylvania, and had been visiting his parents between semesters.
The student been stabbed more than 20 times. DNA evidence at the murder scene and in Woodward’s automobile led to Woodward’s arrest on January 12.
Samuel Woodward is scheduled to be arraigned February 2.
h/t: Los Angeles Times
ChrisK
Well, definitely a first degree kind of Murder.
Juanjo
Cue up the usual trolls who will blame the victim for being murdered by this Nazi scum.
ChrisK
I’d love to hear the back story on this. I mean how did he miss the clues that Woodward wasn’t right in the head. My thinking is that Woodward freaked out after the act was done. Guilt for what he just did. Only way to explain the viscous killing.
tjr101
He was a 19 year old kid that was enamored with his eventual killer and you miss a lot of things. Unfortunately it happens quite often.
Kangol
Horrific, but not surprising news. I feel so bad for Blaze Bernstein and his family and friends.
White supremacist/racist nutcases like Samuel Woodward are no friend of LGBTQ people. The teenager who killed two parents in Virginia who’d warned their daughter about dating him allegedly belongs to that neo-Nazi gruop Woodward is part of.
NateOcean
Ok, confused here.
Third paragraph from the end, it says the victim (Bernsteiin) was reported missing by “the Woodwards”.
Isn’t Woodward the killer?
tjr101
This is a story written on Queerty of course there must be an error somewhere.
Kangol
It’s a gross error. But as usual, Queerty may or may not correct it. I hope they will, for the Bernstein family’s sake.
I’m kind of amazed they at ran the story at all, though. They still haven’t touched the story about the white gay landscaper who murdered at least two and possible five gay men, several of them Middle Eastern Canadians, chopping up their bodies and burying them in planters.
Harley
1300cc brain. protruding supraorbital ridges. Definitely a Neanderthal.
Bob LaBlah
Anyone else notice ol’ mhoffman’s dead silence on this one? As long as the victim is gay jews don’t care.
mhoffman953
@BobLaBlah
I just happen to click this article and read it. Saw most of the comments and agreed with them, so didn’t feel a need to respond, until I read your comment.
Also, I’m not Jewish. I’m German and Irish
Kangol
Bob, that’s a pretty inflammatory statement to make about Jewish people. Let’s curb the anti-Semitism. Not good, man, it’s beneath you.
Donston
mhoffman and his alternate handles has proven to be a lying, small-minded person who contends with a decent amount of internalized homophobia. But this was a completely unnecessary and inflammatory thing to randomly throw out there.
mhoffman953
@Donston
>Accuses me of lying
>Proceeds to lie about me having multiple accounts
The lies about me just keep growing in this comment chain
Bob LaBlah
@Kangol…………….come back with the reason as to why the Israeli’s haven’t caught nor a looking for the killer of three gay jewish kids outside of a gay youth center in Tel Aviv a fews years back and we will talk. Stick with your middle of the road comments and be sure not to rock the boat as you do PERFECTLY.
mhoffman953
@BobLaBlah
Many parts of the Middle East don’t like gays, but I’m not entirely sure about the details of that particular story since I don’t remember seeing it being reported.
However, if you’re concerned about Jews, then you should be more concerned about the high proportions of Jewish people in prominent roles in media, politics, banking, finance, entertainment, etc. I think that’s more concerning
Also, again for the record, I’m not Jewish and don’t have multiple accounts