Blaze Bernstein Update: Murder Suspect Samuel Woodward To Appear In Court

The man accused of killing University of Pennsylvania student Blaze Bernstein was scheduled to appear in court Friday for an arraignment. Samuel Woodward, 20, could face life in prison should he be convicted.

Woodward was accused of killing Bernstein, 19, and burying his body in a California park in January. He was charged with felony murder and was being held without bail, according to KNBC-TV.

Bernstein went missing Jan. 3 while visiting his family in California on break. After more than a week, authorities discovered his body in a shallow grave in Borrego Park

Woodward and Bernstein were high school classmates at the Orange County School of the Arts, authorities confirmed. Authorities questioned Woodward after Bernstein’s body was found and arrested him after DNA evidence was found linking him to Bernstein’s death.

Bernstein’s family said they believed their son, who was gay, may have been the victim of a hate crime. Authorities said they were investigating the possibility. Woodward, who was likely the last person to see Bernstein alive, told officials he was angry that Bernstein tried to kiss him on the night they went to the park together, according to court filings obtained by the Orange County Register.

“A hate crime or special circumstance allegation requires that level of proof, so we’re looking for that evidence,” said Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, according to KABC-TV. “If and when we find it, we will amend the charges and file that.”

In the wake of Woodward’s arrest, reports surfaced that Woodward may have been part of a neo-Nazi group known as the Atomwaffen Division. Woodward referred to himself as a Nazi on social media and to others, ProPublica reported.

It remained unclear when and where the killing occurred, though authorities said they believed Bernstein was murdered on the night he went missing Jan. 3. Officials also had not yet released a cause of death, though sources revealed Bernstein may have been stabbed at least 20 times.

Bernstein’s parents have called on the public to spread love in the wake of their son’s death.

“We want this to be more than a moment, we want this to be a movement,” his father, Gideon Bernstein, told “Good Day L.A.” “A movement of optimism, getting people to look at how many good things they can do to change the world.”