Ex-classmate says he received ‘sexually charged’ messages from accused murderer Samuel Woodward – Orange County Register

Orange County Sheriff’s deputies accompany defendant Samuel Woodward to Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana on April 9, where he opens statements. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown, Daily Mail, Pool)

A former Orange County School of the Arts student testified this week that he received “sexually charged” messages from a teenager named Samuel Woodward, the man currently on trial for the killing of his former classmate Blaze Bernstein. The killing was a hate crime, according to prosecutors.

Since Woodward’s attorney admitted early in his murder trial that then-20-year-old Woodward killed 19-year-old Bernstein in 2018, the key question for jurors will be whether Woodward was driven by anti-gay and anti-Semitic beliefs in the killing, as prosecutors allege , or whether Woodward was struggling with his own sexuality and the murder had nothing to do with deep-seated hatred, as the defense counters.

If Bernstein’s killing were found to be a hate crime, Woodward would receive a much longer prison sentence.

When Woodward, now 26, and Bernstein went to school together a few years earlier, Woodward was considered an antisocial outsider whose conservative beliefs – and at times homophobic and anti-Semitic comments – did not match those of his classmates, according to court testimony.

During his testimony on Wednesday and Thursday, Gabriel Garcia Combs Morris – a former classmate of Woodward and Bernstein – described Woodward as a “pretty antisocial” person who seemed to enjoy upsetting others during classroom discussions.

“OCSA was an extremely tolerant queer haven, and Sam seemed to be against it and clearly expressed his distaste for it,” Morris said.

As someone who was openly gay from a young age, Morris said he was often contacted by fellow students who were struggling or confused about their own sexuality. Despite his reputation on campus, Woodward, then 13, was one of the people who reached out to him, Morris said, leading to online communication that continued on and off for about three years.

“There was a clear difference between how we communicated online and the way he behaved and presented himself in person,” Morris said.

“I felt sorry for him,” Morris added. “I felt like he was obviously struggling and being excluded. I wanted to help him in any way I could.”

Woodward’s online messages, first sent via Facebook and later Snapchat, were initially curious before eventually becoming “sexually charged,” Morris testified. Woodward sent several explicit nude photos of himself, Morris said. Morris, who was with other people, said he did not retaliate by sending explicit photos of himself, adding that Woodward did not acknowledge their communications when they were together in person.

“Would you see Mr. Woodward at school then?” asked Assistant Public Defender Ken Morrison.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Morris replied.

“Was it uncomfortable for you?” Morrison asked.

“Absolutely,” Morris said.

Morris said he eventually ended communications and blocked Woodward’s online accounts.

“You were comfortable with your sexuality, but the defendant’s actions made you uncomfortable?” asked Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Walker.

“Yes,” Morris replied.

Morris admitted that he told other friends, including Bernstein, about his sexually charged conversations with Woodward.

Both the prosecution and defense have described Woodward as growing up in a conservative, religious family that did not accept homosexuality. Both sides also admit that he later dropped out of college to join the Atom Waffen Division, a racially motivated violent extremist group.

The prosecution has drawn a direct connection between Woodward’s public statements in high school and his decision to join Atom Waffen and, ultimately, his murder of Bernstein.

“You found him to be homophobic?” Walker asked Morris

“Yes,” Morris replied.

“And you found him anti-Semitic?” asked the prosecutor.

“Yes,” said Morris.

“And these were opinions that he openly shared in school?” Walker said.

“Yes,” Morris replied.

The defense has described Woodward as a young man on the autism spectrum who struggled with his own sexuality and was drawn to nuclear weapons through online communications with members who knew they were targeting outcasts.

Woodward kept what prosecutors described as a “hate diary” in which he wrote explicit entries that appeared to involve meeting gay men on dating websites and “ghosting” or scaring them. At one point, according to testimony, he wrote, “They believe they are at risk of a hate crime and that scares them (expletive).” In another entry, Woodward apparently referred to “Gabriel” – whom he called a homophobic slur referred to – made him believe that he was interested in him while they were at school.

Jurors were also shown, at times, apparently flirtatious online messages between Woodward and Bernstein, details of which Bernstein allegedly shared with other friends despite telling Woodward he would keep it secret.

Woodward is accused of killing Bernstein while Bernstein, a University of Pennsylvania student, was visiting his parents at home during a winter break and buried his body in a shallow grave on the edge of a Lake Forest park. Various forensic evidence — including a knife found in Woodward’s room with blood that matched Bernstein through DNA — helped investigators link Woodward to the murder.

Recent testimony from police officers called as prosecution witnesses touched on various parts of the investigation into Bernstein’s murder. Morris was called as a defense witness.

Testimony in the trial is expected to last until the end of June.