20 20 2025 S01 E03
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00:00Tonight, Blaise Bernstein, the name in the headlines so many of you will recognize.
00:00:04The massive search triggered by celebrities and social media.
00:00:08But now the chilling new details you may not have heard about this missing college student.
00:00:12The all new 2020 starts right now.
00:00:17Who leaves their house without any of their items at night and doesn't show back up again?
00:00:22This isn't just anybody, this is an Ivy League college student with his whole life in front
00:00:26of him.
00:00:27Did he run away?
00:00:28Was he injured?
00:00:29Was he abducted?
00:00:31Blaise Bernstein disappeared one week ago, missing while home for winter break.
00:00:35My dad was just like, when we have each other, it's going to be okay.
00:00:41And there was an immediate firestorm of attention to this case.
00:00:46Charlie Puth, who put it out there, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
00:00:50This is the period in which begins your amateur investigation.
00:00:52This is where we're trying to figure out what's going on.
00:00:53You become a sleuth.
00:00:54We would not have been able to figure it out without the help of kids his age.
00:00:58I remember showing the police, like, look what I have.
00:01:03And that's when the whole evening changed.
00:01:05Blaise Bernstein's phone, at that point in time, turned off and I had no more records.
00:01:08So they've been together, together, together, and suddenly Blaise goes dark.
00:01:12I heard voices raised in the distance somewhere, screaming, like.
00:01:17Blaise's best friend received a text message.
00:01:19I did something really horrible for this story.
00:01:22No one can ever know.
00:01:24So, you know, you're dealing with a situation like this, you don't want the person who you're
00:01:29hunting to know that you're on to them.
00:01:31Just help us find my brother.
00:01:39Well, the search wrapping up today for a Lake Forest teen who disappeared while visiting
00:01:43his family over the holidays.
00:01:46Blaise Bernstein has been missing since Tuesday night.
00:01:51He's searching by ground with canines and by air with helicopters.
00:01:55We're hoping that he's just incapacitated in need of some medical assistance.
00:01:58Anyone with information should contact the Orange County Sheriff's Department.
00:02:02Blaise Bernstein.
00:02:03Blaise Bernstein.
00:02:04Blaise Bernstein.
00:02:15What are your favorite pictures here?
00:02:16The kids like to goof off a lot and we would, he would dress up, they loved to dress up,
00:02:21they loved to do puppet shows and this is him in a school play when he was little.
00:02:26And we spent a lot of time at Disneyland, because it's right here in our backyard.
00:02:29Yeah.
00:02:30That's us sitting there.
00:02:31It was a great day.
00:02:33Memories of much happier times for parents, Gideon and Jeannie Bernstein married in 1992.
00:02:40They moved from Los Angeles to Orange County to raise a family.
00:02:44They have three kids.
00:02:46The youngest is daughter Bowie, Jay in the middle and Blaise, the oldest.
00:02:51We had a lot of fun raising the kids together.
00:02:54It was fun and no one can take that away from us, so we still own that.
00:03:08Blaise Bernstein grew up here in the city of Lake Forest.
00:03:13An upper middle class bedroom community about an hour south of Los Angeles, home to about
00:03:1890,000 people.
00:03:20Growing up in Lake Forest was really nice.
00:03:22It was kind of inland from the coast, like 30 minute drive from the beach.
00:03:28It was actually a pretty, really quiet residential area.
00:03:33Houses were beautiful.
00:03:34A lot of families there.
00:03:37When we wanted to start a family, we left Los Angeles with the idea that we'd be moving
00:03:41to a safe suburbia, one of the safest places in the country.
00:03:49And by all accounts, Blaise is this bright, gifted teenager with a sharp wit and a warm
00:03:55heart.
00:03:56I've known Blaise since we were babies.
00:04:00Blaise as a kid, besides being very high energy, he was really creative.
00:04:05He was very thoughtful.
00:04:09Blaise was incredibly bright, curious.
00:04:12He was really a renaissance young man.
00:04:14I mean, he was interested in everything.
00:04:17Surrounded by family and friends, Blaise was bar mitzvahed in 2011.
00:04:21That's a Jewish celebration of adulthood on a boy's 13th birthday.
00:04:28It was an occasion especially meaningful to his grandmother.
00:04:31I did know that his grandmother was from Romania and survived the Holocaust.
00:04:36I really think that Blaise got it.
00:04:38He was proud to be a Jew, humanistic philosophy, caring about the world and understanding the
00:04:43world's only going to change if human beings change it.
00:04:47But even though Blaise possessed that understanding, it offered no protection from becoming a target
00:04:52of frequent bullying.
00:04:55Growing up in Lake Forest was not super easy for him.
00:04:59He was bullied every single day on the bus.
00:05:02He just wanted to get out of the public school system.
00:05:06And it wasn't just the bullying.
00:05:08Even though Blaise is a good student, he longs for something more.
00:05:12Go man, go!
00:05:16Something that challenged him, not just intellectually, but creatively.
00:05:22And he would find it at OSHA.
00:05:24OSHA is the Orange County School of the Arts.
00:05:26It is a 7th through 12th charter art school.
00:05:31In order to get into that school, you have to audition.
00:05:33And about 1 in 10 students who audition actually get into this school.
00:05:37So it's very competitive.
00:05:38Blaise auditioned for OSHA.
00:05:40He was artistic in every single way possible.
00:05:43He was very creative.
00:05:44His talents going in were performing arts and writing.
00:05:48And he wanted to move into the creative writing department.
00:05:51We've had students who wound up professional actors, designers, you know, writers, the
00:05:55whole thing, musicians.
00:05:56Among the more famous OSHA alumni are actors Pedro Pascal, class of 1993, who starred in
00:06:02the HBO hit, The Last of Us, and Matthew Morrison, a 1997 graduate and star in Fox's popular
00:06:09TV series, Glee.
00:06:11I want you to listen very closely to the lyrics because I really mean what I'm singing.
00:06:16Once Blaise got to OSHA, he felt like there was a community there for him.
00:06:22He had a lot of friends, he was very social.
00:06:25I met Blaise when he was a senior in high school.
00:06:29He shared some of his writing with me, and I wrote a letter of advocacy for his application
00:06:36when he applied early decision to Penn because he was a brilliant writer.
00:06:43Blaise's exceptional talents got him into the University of Pennsylvania, and he moved
00:06:47across the country to Philadelphia as a pre-med freshman in the class of 2020.
00:06:54Was he homesick at the start?
00:06:56I think that the first semester at school was difficult for him in terms of his social
00:07:02life there.
00:07:03He was used to being in a small school.
00:07:05You know, now he's a little fish in a big sea, and I think that he had to come to grips
00:07:10with that.
00:07:13When I found out that he was going to an Ivy League, I was like, oh, you know, that makes
00:07:17sense.
00:07:18At Penn, Blaise got involved in Penn Appetit.
00:07:22Penn Appetit is a student-run magazine for people who are interested in writing and also
00:07:28interested in food.
00:07:29He knew that those would be his people.
00:07:31Our photographer for Penn Appetit, he held a photo shoot where we dressed up in our chef's
00:07:36whites and aprons.
00:07:37We brought whisks and knives.
00:07:38We have photos of him, you know, holding the whisk, being surprised.
00:07:42I mean, he was so helpful, and we're so fortunate to have these photos of him.
00:07:53It was a Tuesday in January, and 19-year-old Blaise was home for winter break.
00:07:59He was in a really good place and looking forward to the second semester of his sophomore
00:08:03year, but not before he treated his family to a special meal.
00:08:08He was baking butternut squash with, you know, sprigs of thyme that were inside them, and
00:08:14he made a...
00:08:15He took over my job, more or less.
00:08:17I was on vacation, and he was here.
00:08:19So dinner broke up, I guess, absolutely normally.
00:08:22It was a quiet night.
00:08:24Didn't hear anything unusual.
00:08:28I woke up the next day, and it was a normal morning.
00:08:34A normal day, until it wasn't.
00:08:40I got up, and Blaise's door was closed, and the housekeeper said, oh, don't wake him,
00:08:44let him sleep in.
00:08:45And I said, okay.
00:08:47I knew I had a dental appointment with him that day, so I decided I'd wait until my yoga
00:08:51class was over to try to contact him, so I wouldn't wake him.
00:08:54And I tried getting a hold of him, and he wasn't picking up, he wasn't returning my
00:08:58texts.
00:08:59But I went to the dental appointment thinking he would show up, and I immediately called
00:09:03Gideon, and I said, he never showed up for his appointment.
00:09:05And he said, well, are you sure?
00:09:07He slept at the house last night.
00:09:08And that's when I...
00:09:09That's when we both kind of freaked out.
00:09:10I yelled.
00:09:11Oh my God.
00:09:1219-year-old Blaise Bernstein was last seen Tuesday night.
00:09:16We're hoping to find him and bring him home safely.
00:09:29My dad called me and was like, hey, like, have you heard anything from Blaise?
00:09:33He's not picking up the phone.
00:09:35It's really weird.
00:09:36Like, just let us know if you hear anything.
00:09:38And I'm like, that doesn't sound right.
00:09:41I was at work, so I'd basically run out of my office and jump in the car and drive home
00:09:49as quickly as I can and just go run upstairs, and his glasses are there, his wallet's there,
00:09:58his keys are there.
00:09:59Panicked and confused, the Bernsteins were calling everyone they could think of to see
00:10:03whether anyone had seen or heard from Blaise in the last 12 hours.
00:10:10And what were they saying?
00:10:11They didn't know anything.
00:10:12Nobody knew, you know, where his location was.
00:10:16I found out that Blaise was missing, and it was just really shocking to me because I was
00:10:21like, there was no way that he could have, like, run away.
00:10:23He wasn't that kind of person.
00:10:25So this is the period in which begins your amateur investigation.
00:10:29This is when we're trying to figure out what's going on.
00:10:30You become a sleuth.
00:10:31Yeah.
00:10:32Well, we had no idea what was going on.
00:10:35He hadn't slept in the bed.
00:10:37And, you know, his bags for going back to school were already packed.
00:10:41You think, well, just hanging out with some kids, you know, other teenagers, and forgot
00:10:46to call home.
00:10:47You just, you have to believe that's defense against the most awful.
00:10:52When it became dark outside, I think that's when we started to really be super concerned.
00:10:59One of the first things the Bernsteins thought of is using the Find My app, which allows
00:11:05users to share their location with others.
00:11:08So did you have, like, a Follow My Friend on the iPhone?
00:11:11Yes.
00:11:12Yes, we did.
00:11:13We had that, and I saw that the location services were turned off.
00:11:17So we called the Sheriff's Department.
00:11:21They came, and they were really downplaying it, like, oh, you know, 19-year-olds, they
00:11:26run away sometimes, but they'll be back.
00:11:29He was adamant that 100% of the time that these kids are out on a booty call or doing
00:11:34something with, yeah, he told me.
00:11:36Of course, we explained that there were some, you know, unique circumstances with regards
00:11:40to, you know, his personal belongings still being here.
00:11:43And so they offered to do a missing persons report.
00:11:48So a kid disappears without his glasses, his wallet, or his keys.
00:11:52There were people who actually told me about it just in the couple of days after he went
00:11:56missing who suggested that maybe this was suicide.
00:12:00Did you ever contemplate that?
00:12:02Never.
00:12:03Not even close.
00:12:04He was so happy.
00:12:05He was in a great place.
00:12:07He was in one of the best places I had ever seen him before.
00:12:11That week, he was so happy.
00:12:13He was so excited to go back to school.
00:12:15He was so excited to, like, just have the rest of his life.
00:12:19And so at that point, there was no doubt in my mind, like, he would never have done that.
00:12:25Gideon and Jeannie confirmed with Verizon that Blaze hadn't made any recent phone calls.
00:12:30A quick check of his computer revealed no exchanges on iMessage or Facebook DMs.
00:12:36And so with virtually no solid information to go on, the Bernsteins, along with help
00:12:40from their 14-year-old daughter, Bowie, began dipping deeper into Blaze's social media.
00:12:47We would not have been able to figure it out without the help of kids his age.
00:12:51That he grew up with.
00:12:53And our daughter, yes.
00:12:55I told my parents, I'm like, I can try and help you, like, find everything that, like,
00:12:58you need. I'm really good with Snapchat.
00:13:01I knew the names of a lot of his friends, so I was able to, like, text them and ask
00:13:05them if they knew what was going on.
00:13:08And that's when the whole evening changed.
00:13:10Yeah.
00:13:11When they said, well, what about Snapchat? That's when the light bulb went on.
00:13:14I mean, we were exhausted, but I said, OK, let's try and figure out how to get in.
00:13:18Snapchat is a free mobile messaging application used to share photos, videos, text.
00:13:24But what's different about the app is that whatever is shared, including text messages,
00:13:29disappears from the recipient's screen after just a few seconds.
00:13:34We were lucky because we knew his username because he was connected with our daughter.
00:13:39And the password ended up being one of the ones that we had on our iCloud keychain.
00:13:46So we typed the username, and then we tried that password in, and boom, we're in.
00:13:51Still, getting into Blaze's Snapchat account was only half the battle.
00:13:55Yes, it might contain a critical record of who Blaze may have been in contact with the night he disappeared.
00:14:02But as the Bernsteins discovered, simply viewing the message might also trigger it to vanish.
00:14:09At the time, Snapchat worked.
00:14:12If you sent a message, it could only be saved if you purposefully saved it.
00:14:17And it could be deleted by the person who sent it, and it only lasts 24 hours if you don't save it.
00:14:24And there were so many other pitfalls with this.
00:14:27I mean, if you take a screenshot of these communications because you think you're saving them,
00:14:31well, that alerts the person that sent it to you.
00:14:34So if you're dealing with a situation like this,
00:14:37you don't want the person who you're hunting to know that you're on to them.
00:14:41What you're describing is basically dealing with this digital nitroglycerin
00:14:46that at any moment could just blow up in your face.
00:14:50And this is the most important thing in your lives right now.
00:14:52I had my daughter next to me, and I said,
00:14:55OK, I need you to save, because I know there's a way that you can save it, but I didn't really know how.
00:14:59What time is it by now?
00:15:01I don't know, it's close to 10 o'clock at night, like 9.30, 10 o'clock.
00:15:03And we saw that Blaze gave our address out to somebody.
00:15:06Did you know who?
00:15:08We didn't know at the time who it was. We saw the name.
00:15:11I had absolutely no idea who he was.
00:15:13I was so happy that there was somebody who we could talk to
00:15:17that could just help us find my brother.
00:15:19Bernsteins didn't know the person Blaze sent his address to,
00:15:22but in the hours ahead, the discovery of that person's identity
00:15:27would turn the desperate search for their son upside down.
00:15:32Hi, this is Blaze's dad.
00:15:34We really need to know what you know. We can't find him.
00:15:37This is becoming an urgent issue with trying to figure out what really happened to him,
00:15:41and we're going to really need your help.
00:15:43Because you're the last person that probably saw him.
00:15:45That was not the person that I really expected him to be with.
00:15:56Who leaves their house without any of their items?
00:15:59You know, at night, and doesn't show back up again?
00:16:02This isn't just anybody. This is an Ivy League college student
00:16:05with his whole life in front of him.
00:16:07A beautiful life waiting for him.
00:16:08Hours had passed since anyone had heard or seen Blaze.
00:16:12Did he run away? Was he injured? Had he been abducted?
00:16:15There was no sign of him anywhere.
00:16:18Now, as darkness fell, there was finally a glimmer of hope.
00:16:23We wanted to make sure that if there was any chance that Blaze was still alive,
00:16:28that we took it.
00:16:30I wanted to ensure that not one second was wasted.
00:16:33And the Bernsteins' dad was there.
00:16:36And the Bernsteins discovered something else.
00:16:38It was a final text message sent to Blaze
00:16:41at 3 p.m. from his best friend.
00:16:44Hey, I'm really worried about you.
00:16:47Please text me.
00:16:49There was no reply.
00:16:51The Bernsteins frantically reached out to that best friend
00:16:54who told them Blaze did exchange messages with someone else overnight.
00:16:59Now it seemed that person was their best hope of finding Blaze.
00:17:03We don't know what the conversations were that led up to his disappearance,
00:17:07so we want that information.
00:17:10Gideon Bernstein, through his own investigation,
00:17:13found out that there was communication on the Snapchat application.
00:17:18And so he was able to message, through direct messaging, Sam Woodward.
00:17:24We didn't know who he was.
00:17:26I was like, oh, we should call him.
00:17:29He definitely knows what's going on.
00:17:31And so I encouraged my dad to call him,
00:17:35and we recorded a call.
00:17:39We haven't heard from him all day.
00:17:41He missed an appointment today,
00:17:43and then we started getting concerned,
00:17:45and I've been trying to figure things out.
00:17:47So you're the first real clue to the puzzle here.
00:17:51Yeah, I...
00:17:53S***.
00:17:55Honestly, I...
00:17:57You know, I'm sorry.
00:17:58I don't know if my dad told me to record it,
00:18:00or if I just had the thought
00:18:02that maybe having any sort of evidence
00:18:05that we could hold on to would be able to help us.
00:18:08I don't mean to put any pressure on you.
00:18:10I know you're a nice young man.
00:18:12But I'm asking you for help on this if you can,
00:18:18if you've got the ability to do that.
00:18:20Absolutely.
00:18:22This is...
00:18:24You know, I want to find Blaze as much as you do.
00:18:25Yeah, I want to find Blaze as much as you do.
00:18:27During that call,
00:18:29Sam Woodward told Gideon
00:18:31that Blaze suggested they drive to a nearby park
00:18:33to meet yet another one of his friends,
00:18:35but never mentioned that friend by name.
00:18:38And he said he invited a third friend to come along.
00:18:41So I said, okay.
00:18:44I didn't want to speak
00:18:46because I didn't want to, like, get involved.
00:18:48But I was listening to my dad
00:18:51just ask him questions and go back and forth.
00:18:54And then did he get out of the car?
00:18:56Or what happened?
00:18:58Yeah, he got out of the car.
00:19:00And I got out of the car, too.
00:19:02And I just asked him, you know,
00:19:04who is this guy?
00:19:06And he's just like, you know,
00:19:08you'll find out in a little bit, you know.
00:19:10He's a friend of mine.
00:19:12And then so I'm just like, okay, Blaze.
00:19:14And I just waited there by the bathroom.
00:19:16And he...
00:19:18I didn't see where he went.
00:19:20I was just thinking to myself,
00:19:21what's maybe weirdest, like, situation
00:19:24that we could be in at this moment?
00:19:27And I remember that phone call went on for a while, too.
00:19:30I guess I realized, you know,
00:19:32did something happen to him?
00:19:34So I went back.
00:19:36I searched all over for him
00:19:38where I was at the library.
00:19:40I couldn't find him anywhere.
00:19:42And I guess I just figured
00:19:44he might just call me in the morning
00:19:46or just pranking me.
00:19:48But this is now...
00:19:50It's a disturbing phone conversation
00:19:53which now raises more questions
00:19:55for the Bernsteins
00:19:57than it answers.
00:19:59We were curious to know
00:20:01who this person was.
00:20:03But then we did find out
00:20:05he was a student at OSHA.
00:20:0820-year-old Sam Woodward and Blaze
00:20:10were former high school classmates
00:20:12at OSHA.
00:20:14I have known Sam since he was born
00:20:16because he was a student at OSHA.
00:20:18I've known him since he was born.
00:20:20Kind of grew up alongside of him.
00:20:22I remember excitement, you know,
00:20:24during Sam telling me
00:20:26that he was going to OSHA.
00:20:28Woodward grew up only 30 minutes away
00:20:30in the wealthy coastal town
00:20:32of Newport Beach.
00:20:34Sam was joyful.
00:20:36He was a really happy, special kid.
00:20:38He lived in this house
00:20:40with his parents and a brother
00:20:42who, by all accounts,
00:20:44were devout Catholics
00:20:46and attended church regularly.
00:20:48I did teach Sam Woodward
00:20:50in acting for the camera
00:20:52in his 10th grade.
00:20:54And I had him for the one semester.
00:20:56For 10 years,
00:20:58Phil Schwadron taught drama
00:21:00and directing for grades 9 through 11
00:21:02at OSHA.
00:21:04He was definitely serious.
00:21:06He didn't crack jokes,
00:21:08didn't laugh a lot,
00:21:10as to my memory.
00:21:12Sam went to OSHA with me
00:21:14from 7th grade to 10th grade.
00:21:16I would say that he did not
00:21:18crack jokes.
00:21:20We came back for
00:21:22what would have been Sam's 11th grade year.
00:21:24And I said,
00:21:26who have I got this year?
00:21:28And my boss said,
00:21:30yeah, you're going to get them all back
00:21:32except one left the school.
00:21:34Who left the school?
00:21:36Sam Woodward left the school.
00:21:38I wasn't really surprised that he left.
00:21:40I kind of just thought that he left
00:21:42because he just didn't like it there.
00:21:44After leaving OSHA,
00:21:46Sam enrolled in Corona Del Mar High School.
00:21:48He graduated in 2016.
00:21:50Now, two years later,
00:21:52nothing seemed to explain
00:21:54how or why
00:21:56this unlikely pair
00:21:58with seemingly nothing in common
00:22:00ended up together
00:22:02in this park.
00:22:04And now,
00:22:06one safely home,
00:22:08the other nowhere to be found.
00:22:10So now you have this
00:22:12critical piece of information.
00:22:14Do we immediately call the sheriffs
00:22:16and say,
00:22:17yes, we did?
00:22:19Yep, right away.
00:22:21And what's their response?
00:22:23They come over right away.
00:22:25They came over.
00:22:27And now it was serious.
00:22:29We just gave him the lead
00:22:31of the last person
00:22:33we knew that he had seen.
00:22:35I remember taking that call
00:22:37and showing the police,
00:22:39like, look what I have.
00:22:41We talked to somebody
00:22:43who said that they know
00:22:45where my brother is.
00:22:47So something told me
00:22:49just deep within me
00:22:51that this was unusual.
00:22:53So my then partner,
00:22:55investigator Jack Ackerman
00:22:57and I went to the park
00:22:59probably right around lunchtime
00:23:01on January 4th.
00:23:03I had a feeling as a mother.
00:23:05It was my intuition
00:23:07that something very bad had happened.
00:23:09On January 3rd, 2018,
00:23:11the day Blaise Bernstein's family
00:23:13realized he was missing,
00:23:15Blaise's sister, Bowie,
00:23:17recorded a phone call
00:23:19between her father
00:23:21and 20-year-old Sam Woodward,
00:23:23a former high school classmate
00:23:25who says he was one of two people
00:23:27with Blaise the night he disappeared.
00:23:29I'm Simon Bernstein,
00:23:31but your guess is as good as mine.
00:23:33I don't know.
00:23:35I don't know.
00:23:37I don't know.
00:23:39Woodward said Blaise made plans
00:23:41for a third person
00:23:43to meet up with them
00:23:45in a neighborhood park that night.
00:23:47Blaise didn't tell me anything
00:23:49about this guy except that he was from OSHA like us.
00:23:51I really appreciate you calling me
00:23:53and sharing that info
00:23:55and is it okay if I reach back out to you
00:23:57if I need some help?
00:23:59Absolutely.
00:24:01I want to find Blaise as much as you do.
00:24:03When they were talking about
00:24:05meeting another person,
00:24:07I was like,
00:24:08I got water.
00:24:10I got water.
00:24:12The next day,
00:24:14Orange County Sheriff's investigators
00:24:16bring in Sam Woodward
00:24:18to ask some questions of their own.
00:24:20You can leave at any time.
00:24:22You're not under arrest
00:24:24or anything like that, okay?
00:24:26We're just trying to find Blaise.
00:24:28Find Blaise.
00:24:30That's it.
00:24:32As investigators get to know Sam Woodward,
00:24:34they learn that he was living
00:24:36with his parents
00:24:38I just want to start a family.
00:24:40I just want to have enough money
00:24:42to support my kids.
00:24:44I just want to have a wife who loves me
00:24:46and get her a good job
00:24:48and go to college.
00:24:50Woodward says he recently
00:24:52reconnected with Blaise on social media.
00:24:54He said something like,
00:24:56Sam Woodward.
00:24:58Now that's a face I haven't seen in a while.
00:25:00I'm looking for eye contact.
00:25:02I'm looking for his general comfortability
00:25:04to try to gain a sense
00:25:06whether somebody I feel
00:25:08at some point during the conversation
00:25:10on Snapchat,
00:25:12you decided to meet up.
00:25:14That is correct.
00:25:16For Blaise's family,
00:25:18the fact that he went out
00:25:20at all that night was a revelation.
00:25:22We had dinner actually
00:25:24at the dining room table
00:25:26with everybody.
00:25:28He was supposed to fly back to school.
00:25:30So it was going to be the last time
00:25:32my parents were going to see him
00:25:34for quite a while.
00:25:36There was no indication from him
00:25:38that he was coming back.
00:25:40During his interview with police,
00:25:42Woodward said that after he picked up Blaise
00:25:44at his house,
00:25:46they drove around for a while,
00:25:48eventually stopping at Borrego Park.
00:25:50Borrego Park is in the city
00:25:52of Lake Forest.
00:25:54It's a place where you can take your kids.
00:25:56It also has remote hiking trails
00:25:58that stretch for miles.
00:26:00At some point,
00:26:02somebody exits the car, right?
00:26:04Did he tell you where he was going?
00:26:06He said he was going
00:26:08to Borrego Park.
00:26:10Just like in that call
00:26:12with Blaise's father,
00:26:14Woodward told officers
00:26:16that Blaise was meeting
00:26:18another friend at the park that night.
00:26:20Woodward says he stayed behind
00:26:22as Blaise walked away
00:26:24and disappeared out of sight.
00:26:26At one point,
00:26:28I heard voices raised
00:26:30in the distance somewhere.
00:26:32But, I mean,
00:26:34that happens to my neighborhood
00:26:36all the time.
00:26:38I don't really pay much mind to it.
00:26:40I wanted him to feel comfortable
00:26:42talking to me,
00:26:44and he was.
00:26:46Woodward says he looked for Blaise
00:26:48but eventually gave up and went home.
00:26:50I mean, I don't know what happened to him
00:26:52but something must have.
00:26:54All that matters is that
00:26:56we find him and
00:26:58we get him back to his family safe.
00:27:00Absolutely.
00:27:02Especially her talking to his parents
00:27:04because his parents are really nice people.
00:27:06After several hours of questioning,
00:27:08Woodward was found dead.
00:27:10But police,
00:27:12they remained suspicious.
00:27:14So they decided to put him
00:27:16under surveillance.
00:27:18I'm trying to record it right now.
00:27:20There was a large team
00:27:22that was deployed into the field
00:27:24and we followed him
00:27:26anywhere that he went.
00:27:28And with his growing cause of concern
00:27:30for Blaise Bernstein
00:27:32comes the glare of the media spotlight.
00:27:34The Blaise Bernstein missing persons case
00:27:36is now bigger than ever
00:27:38and it's breaking news.
00:27:40The Orange County Sheriff's Department
00:27:42searched the park
00:27:44but they haven't seen any signs of Blaise.
00:27:46Blaise was supposed to be in school this morning.
00:27:48He was supposed to fly back Sunday,
00:27:50go to class today,
00:27:52but instead he's missing.
00:27:54I remember going with my dog
00:27:56to Borrego Park before
00:27:58and kind of just walking around
00:28:00to see what if I find him here.
00:28:02Bowie documented that desperate period of time
00:28:04with pictures and videos
00:28:06posted on her Snapchat.
00:28:08We put him in a gear.
00:28:10We printed flyers
00:28:12with his name and picture
00:28:14and the facts and who to call
00:28:16and we put him up on bulletin boards
00:28:18and polls all around the city.
00:28:20At this point it's now
00:28:22in the hands of the police.
00:28:24But you continue to work.
00:28:26Yes.
00:28:28Now you take to social media.
00:28:30Around the clock.
00:28:32You know, it looked like war games in this house.
00:28:34We had terminals all over the dining room table
00:28:36and we were all just working.
00:28:38And when we got to this case
00:28:40we were absolutely inundated
00:28:42with tips from the public.
00:28:44There were hundreds
00:28:46within the first week
00:28:48and then that grew exponentially.
00:28:50Some of our contacts
00:28:52were friends with some of the celebrities
00:28:54that were willing to post it
00:28:56on their social media.
00:28:58And so we have the missing persons
00:29:00flyer out for Blaze
00:29:02on Kobe Bryant's Facebook page
00:29:04and Charlie Puth
00:29:06who put it out there,
00:29:08and it started to catch a lot of attention.
00:29:12We were spending every minute
00:29:14talking about it.
00:29:16People were filming in our house
00:29:18interviewing my parents.
00:29:20Nothing like this ever happened
00:29:22where we were.
00:29:24Any sign of him, any clothing,
00:29:26obviously him.
00:29:28We're hoping to find him,
00:29:30hoping that he's just incapacitated
00:29:32in need of some medical assistance
00:29:34so that we can get him
00:29:36and bring him home safely.
00:29:38There were drones
00:29:40and they were going throughout
00:29:42Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park
00:29:44where we were concerned
00:29:46maybe my brother was back there
00:29:48and maybe there was a mountain lion
00:29:50or maybe something happened to him
00:29:52and he was missing or lost.
00:29:54For the fourth night in a row
00:29:56the Bernstein family
00:29:58will go to sleep
00:30:00without their oldest son at home.
00:30:02It was clear as the week
00:30:04wore on
00:30:06that it was more and more dire.
00:30:08Then, on January 9th
00:30:10with Blaze missing for seven days now
00:30:12a discovery
00:30:14which upends the case.
00:30:16Jack and I were teamed up
00:30:18Jack said Dylan
00:30:20You heard it in his voice.
00:30:22I could hear it in his voice.
00:30:34We're going to turn now
00:30:36to those news stories
00:30:38about new developments
00:30:40and the mysterious disappearance
00:30:42of an Ivy League student.
00:30:4419-year-old Blaze Bernstein
00:30:46missing while home for winter break.
00:30:48The Sheriff's Department
00:30:50launched an extensive search
00:30:52with help from the community.
00:30:54Days had passed
00:30:56since Blaze vanished
00:30:58into the night.
00:31:00The relentless search
00:31:02by police and volunteers
00:31:04had turned up nothing
00:31:06just more anguish
00:31:08for Blaze.
00:31:10The Orange County Sheriff's Department
00:31:12searched the park
00:31:14but they haven't seen any signs of Blaze.
00:31:16We utilized cadaver dogs
00:31:18we utilized drones
00:31:20we had been to Borrego Park
00:31:22and searched that park
00:31:24over and over again
00:31:26with a fine tooth comb.
00:31:28On January 9th
00:31:30a week after Blaze went missing
00:31:32investigators decided
00:31:34to go back to Borrego Park
00:31:36one more time
00:31:38because Blaze and Sam Woodward
00:31:40were there together.
00:31:42And this is a week
00:31:44after Blaze went missing.
00:31:46Yeah, it led us to this particular area
00:31:48when all of a sudden
00:31:50Blaze Bernstein's phone
00:31:52at that point in time turned off.
00:31:54So they've been together together together
00:31:56and suddenly Blaze goes dark.
00:31:58Blaze goes dark
00:32:00and then Sam Woodward's phone continues.
00:32:02There was a torrential downpour.
00:32:04It was cold.
00:32:06It was raining.
00:32:08We searched all this area
00:32:10all this area
00:32:12until my partner Jack and I
00:32:14came to this area right here.
00:32:16I saw a spot that looked
00:32:18unusual.
00:32:20So I walked down
00:32:22there was a large tree branch
00:32:24covering an area
00:32:26that looked a little odd
00:32:28like the rain had kind of
00:32:30settled some dirt around something.
00:32:32I moved the tree branch
00:32:34and you could see
00:32:36the left hip and upper left leg
00:32:38of Blaze Bernstein.
00:32:40And you knew.
00:32:42You knew.
00:32:44Had to be him.
00:32:46Instantly.
00:32:48In my gut without even seeing the face
00:32:50and I knew that it was Blaze Bernstein.
00:32:52They must have found his cell phone as well.
00:32:54We located
00:32:56a broken cell phone
00:32:58about probably six inches
00:33:00eight inches below
00:33:02where the body was found.
00:33:04I was sitting in
00:33:06my English class
00:33:08eighth grade
00:33:10and the
00:33:12teacher got a call
00:33:14and he was like Bowie
00:33:16you're gonna go to the office
00:33:18they need you for something.
00:33:20And I was like oh good
00:33:22maybe some good news.
00:33:24And they took me into this room
00:33:26and I saw my godmother.
00:33:28She was crying
00:33:30and I looked at her
00:33:32and she just hugged me
00:33:34and she said they found him.
00:33:36He is dead.
00:33:38The body of a college student
00:33:40found in Lake Forest, California
00:33:42Blaze Bernstein had disappeared one week ago
00:33:44the case now a homicide.
00:33:47That was the end of hope
00:33:49for me.
00:33:59We started
00:34:01off this journey over a week ago
00:34:03looking for our son
00:34:05and asking for everyone to help us
00:34:06find Blaze Bernstein
00:34:08and we just have learned
00:34:10that they have positively
00:34:12identified our son
00:34:14Blaze's body today.
00:34:16I just felt so numb
00:34:18like nothing
00:34:20that had happened
00:34:22in my life had mattered anymore
00:34:24and then when I got home
00:34:26my dad was just like
00:34:28he was just defeated
00:34:30but he
00:34:32he just said like
00:34:34it's gonna be okay
00:34:36he said.
00:34:38Sorry.
00:34:47The specific details of what occurred
00:34:49at Bruegel Park
00:34:51are part of the ongoing investigation.
00:34:54The autopsy revealed
00:34:56injuries which I believe
00:34:58were a result of
00:35:00of extremely violent encounter.
00:35:02Blaze was stabbed
00:35:0414 times in the left side of his neck
00:35:06five times in the right side of his neck
00:35:08he was stabbed
00:35:10you know in the knee
00:35:12he had defensive wounds
00:35:14all over his fingers
00:35:16he was fighting for his life
00:35:18and probably
00:35:20a surprise attack.
00:35:22You hear about that many stab wounds
00:35:24what does it tell you
00:35:26about the person
00:35:28or the mindset of the person
00:35:30who did that?
00:35:32Hate and rage
00:35:34intimate
00:35:35it was devastating news
00:35:37for the family
00:35:39and for the community.
00:35:41My reaction
00:35:43when I heard
00:35:45it was fury
00:35:47anger, disbelief
00:35:49I haven't felt those feelings
00:35:51in my life.
00:35:53As the investigation
00:35:55into Blaze's murder began
00:35:57hundreds gathered for
00:35:59a vigil in his honor.
00:36:01We lost one of our sons
00:36:03I hope that we can all
00:36:05come together
00:36:07and support the Bernstein family.
00:36:22The funeral was
00:36:24incredibly painful
00:36:26we had to ask for
00:36:28our SVPs
00:36:30because we could only accommodate
00:36:32here in the building
00:36:34a few hundred people.
00:36:40And then there was a public
00:36:42service
00:36:44at the largest space we have
00:36:46in Orange County
00:36:48a few weeks after the funeral
00:36:50in the 3,000 seats
00:36:52and that was full.
00:36:54Students from Blaze's
00:36:56Performing Arts High School
00:36:58chose to sing Luke Bryan's song
00:37:00Most People Are Good.
00:37:01I see a lot of
00:37:03goodness here
00:37:05and I hope that we can bring
00:37:07more tolerance, more peace
00:37:09understanding and love
00:37:11to everything that we do
00:37:13and make a better world
00:37:15for our children.
00:37:19The community wrapped its arms
00:37:21around the Bernstein family.
00:37:23The park near their house
00:37:25where Blaze played as a child
00:37:27and where his body was found
00:37:29turned into a makeshift memorial
00:37:31from all over the world.
00:37:35This is a note somebody
00:37:37left us.
00:37:39Dear Lord, please watch
00:37:41over the Bernstein family
00:37:43and give them strength
00:37:45during this time.
00:37:47Please guide our police
00:37:49department to help them
00:37:51find the person or persons
00:37:53who took Blaze away.
00:37:55We still needed answers
00:37:57because we didn't have
00:37:59anybody in custody.
00:38:01Without investigators
00:38:03the hunt would become
00:38:05far more complex
00:38:07because they've discovered
00:38:09that the night of the murder
00:38:11Blaze's best friend
00:38:13received a text message
00:38:15from Blaze's phone saying
00:38:17quote, I did something
00:38:19really horrible for the story
00:38:21but also no one can ever know
00:38:23end quote.
00:38:25Blaze's friend responds
00:38:27what story but gets nothing
00:38:29back.
00:38:31This is of critical importance
00:38:33to a homicide investigator.
00:38:41We are six and a half years
00:38:43since my son was killed.
00:38:45Blaze is ready.
00:38:47Blaze the trail.
00:38:49We are all going through
00:38:51our own personal hell right now.
00:38:53Blaze Bernstein was found
00:38:55with 28 stab wounds.
00:38:57You hear about that many
00:38:59stab wounds.
00:39:01What did he tell you
00:39:03about the person
00:39:05or the mindset of the person
00:39:07who did that?
00:39:09A lot of anger somewhere
00:39:11from within and he took it
00:39:13out on Blaze Bernstein.
00:39:15Did I introduce him to
00:39:17something that later on
00:39:19came back to haunt us all?
00:39:21Not only was this just a murder
00:39:23now we're starting to see
00:39:25a bigger picture.
00:39:27What do you make of the fact
00:39:29that it's very possible
00:39:31that Blaze Bernstein
00:39:33could be anywhere?
00:39:35There was almost like a
00:39:37gasp from some people.
00:39:39Police believe they know
00:39:41who killed Blaze Bernstein.
00:39:43Were you planning to kill
00:39:45him that night?
00:39:52I hope that we can all
00:39:54join together and support
00:39:56the Bernstein family.
00:39:58We're hoping for better
00:39:59for Blaze Bernstein.
00:40:0119-year-old Blaze Bernstein
00:40:03was first reported missing
00:40:05by his family on January 3,
00:40:072018.
00:40:09But after a week-long search
00:40:11he was found dead in a park
00:40:13near his parents' Orange
00:40:15County, California home.
00:40:17As this investigation moves
00:40:19from search and rescue
00:40:21to a homicide investigation
00:40:23we ask for your continued
00:40:25support in providing tips
00:40:27and information to the
00:40:28people who believe Blaze
00:40:30Bernstein had killed Blaze
00:40:32and why his parents,
00:40:34Jeannie and Gideon,
00:40:36flew east to Philadelphia
00:40:38to begin a grim task
00:40:40cleaning out Blaze's
00:40:42apartment on the campus
00:40:44of the University of
00:40:45Pennsylvania.
00:40:47The grief-stricken
00:40:49Bernstein family invited
00:40:51us to go with them
00:40:53for this emotional
00:40:55and difficult journey.
00:40:57Five days before
00:40:59he came home to California.
00:41:01It's been hard for,
00:41:03especially for Jeannie,
00:41:05to come here having to go
00:41:07and basically clean up
00:41:09your child's life after
00:41:11they're gone.
00:41:13The kitchen was meticulous.
00:41:15I mean, he had every
00:41:17appliance and everything.
00:41:19I loved his apartment.
00:41:21It was so beautiful.
00:41:23It was so Blaze.
00:41:25This is the whisk
00:41:26and editor for the
00:41:28Pen Appetit magazine.
00:41:30We were going through
00:41:32his closet and we found it
00:41:34and I was like,
00:41:36I'm going to take that.
00:41:38We had an opportunity
00:41:40to meet Blaze's friends.
00:41:42We will be here for you
00:41:44forever and we appreciate
00:41:46your friendship.
00:41:48I'm delighted that Blaze
00:41:50had them in his life
00:41:52because I know that they
00:41:54all made him very happy.
00:41:56He used to wear this
00:41:58all the time.
00:42:06Blaze was someone that
00:42:08you can trust with anything
00:42:10and I trusted him
00:42:12with my life.
00:42:14It was apparent that Blaze
00:42:16was figuring out himself,
00:42:18whether it be religion
00:42:20or sexuality or experience.
00:42:22At what point as parents
00:42:24did you realize that
00:42:26Blaze was gay?
00:42:28I had an idea about it
00:42:30when he was probably
00:42:32early high school.
00:42:34I saw something on a phone
00:42:36that he didn't want me to see
00:42:38and it kind of confirmed
00:42:40a suspicion that I had
00:42:42and I think he knew
00:42:44that I had seen it.
00:42:46We actually had a conversation
00:42:48while he was back at college
00:42:50and he was telling us
00:42:52essentially, you know,
00:42:54yeah, I am gay,
00:42:56but did his school know?
00:42:58I think so, yeah.
00:43:00Because Blaze was so
00:43:02open about his sexuality
00:43:04with me, I feel like
00:43:06that definitely gave him
00:43:08a better foundation.
00:43:10So if he was to go to his
00:43:12parents and his family
00:43:14and open up about that
00:43:16part of his life,
00:43:18he would have known
00:43:20that we were all there
00:43:22for him.
00:43:24As a mother of a gay man,
00:43:26Blaze is ready.
00:43:28Blaze to trail.
00:43:32You feel like, you know,
00:43:34like an artist that you have
00:43:36spent your lifetime sculpting
00:43:38this amazing piece of artwork
00:43:40and then it gets destroyed.
00:43:43And so here we are.
00:43:45Our artwork is gone.
00:43:49Hard to accept.
00:43:56Back home in California,
00:43:58the investigation continued
00:44:00and the focus remained
00:44:02on Blaze's former high school
00:44:04classmate, Sam Woodward,
00:44:06the person who admitted
00:44:08to driving with him to Borrego Park.
00:44:10We have interviewed that friend
00:44:12several times.
00:44:14That person is not in custody
00:44:16and we are not prepared to comment
00:44:18on persons of interest at this time.
00:44:20When Orange County Sheriff's
00:44:22Investigator Dylan Jansen
00:44:24first spoke with Woodward
00:44:25Woodward seemed nervous
00:44:27and told different versions
00:44:29of where at Borrego Park
00:44:31he and Blaze went that night.
00:44:33And Jansen says Woodward
00:44:35had what appeared to be
00:44:37injuries on his hands.
00:44:39Those cuts on your hands
00:44:41look pretty gnarly.
00:44:43I mean, how do you think
00:44:45you got those from the fight club?
00:44:47Sam said he was involved
00:44:49with a fight club.
00:44:51He said that he sustained
00:44:53these cuts to his hands
00:44:55and as I was yelling at him
00:44:57I kind of fell on my ass
00:44:59and I usually try and have
00:45:01my hands to break my fall for me
00:45:03and so I landed on some rocks.
00:45:05I've heard of fight clubs
00:45:07but I just
00:45:09I didn't believe it.
00:45:11Anytime that Sam Woodward
00:45:13was walking around the station
00:45:15when he touched the doorknobs
00:45:17he would cover his hands
00:45:19with the sleeves of his sweatshirt.
00:45:21Is he attempting to
00:45:23cover up fingerprints?
00:45:25DNA.
00:45:27It was definitely something
00:45:29that stood out.
00:45:31Nearly a week after that
00:45:33interview with police
00:45:35when Blaze's body was found
00:45:37investigators went looking
00:45:39for Sam Woodward once again.
00:45:41Investigators said that
00:45:43when they searched Woodward's
00:45:45bedroom there was some
00:45:47damning evidence.
00:45:49They found a knife with
00:45:51blood on the handle
00:45:53and on the tip of the blade.
00:45:55It had apparent blood in it.
00:45:57The sleeping bag that was
00:45:59found on the side of Sam
00:46:01Woodward's home, they were
00:46:03all tested for DNA
00:46:05and those results concluded
00:46:07to be the blood from
00:46:09Blaze Bernstein.
00:46:11With this new evidence
00:46:13police are now ready
00:46:15to make an arrest.
00:46:17Under arrest, 20-year-old
00:46:19Samuel Lincoln Woodward
00:46:21suspected of killing Blaze
00:46:23Bernstein.
00:46:24I remember thinking to
00:46:26myself, that's the guy
00:46:28that was on the phone.
00:46:30I want to find Blaze as
00:46:32much as you do.
00:46:34At the time I thought,
00:46:36I wonder what my brother
00:46:38was thinking before he died.
00:46:40I wonder if he was in pain
00:46:42or I wonder if he could
00:46:44have saved himself.
00:46:46I think once Sam was
00:46:48arrested I knew my brother
00:46:50didn't have a chance.
00:46:52But something authorities
00:46:54and investigators would
00:46:56confront a possibility they
00:46:58hadn't even originally
00:47:00contemplated.
00:47:02Not only was this murder,
00:47:04we're starting to see a
00:47:06bigger picture.
00:47:07It was absolutely shocking.
00:47:14This morning, the
00:47:16Orange County District
00:47:18Attorney's Office filed one
00:47:20felony count of murder
00:47:22against 20-year-old Newport
00:47:23Woodward.
00:47:25Before joining ABC News,
00:47:27I spent 26 years as a
00:47:29Deputy District Attorney in
00:47:31the Orange County DA's
00:47:33Office.
00:47:34And for a time, I was
00:47:36one of the prosecutors
00:47:38consulting on this case.
00:47:40Sam Woodward was taken
00:47:42into custody 10 days after
00:47:44Blaze went missing and
00:47:463 days after his body
00:47:48was found.
00:47:50There was the victim's
00:47:52body.
00:47:53I was sitting in my room,
00:47:55I think I was watching it
00:47:57on television, and I just
00:47:59thought to myself, it's
00:48:01finally happened.
00:48:02Now what?
00:48:04With the knowledge of how
00:48:06Blaze was murdered now an
00:48:08excruciating reality for the
00:48:10Bernsteins, the focus turned
00:48:12to why.
00:48:14Blaze was stabbed nearly
00:48:1620 times in the neck.
00:48:18Using a knife to kill is
00:48:20particularly violent because
00:48:21it's a crime of rage or
00:48:23passion, more personal than
00:48:24your typical murder.
00:48:26So as a prosecutor, my next
00:48:28question would be, who is
00:48:30Sam Woodward and what was
00:48:32his relationship with Blaze?
00:48:34I had no clue why Blaze
00:48:36would be meeting with Sam.
00:48:38You know, they were never
00:48:40really friends in school.
00:48:42I just know that everybody
00:48:44else got bad vibes from him.
00:48:48Woodward grew up in
00:48:49Woodward Beach, the wealthy
00:48:51suburb south of L.A. in
00:48:53Orange County.
00:48:55He was a Cub Scout, an Eagle
00:48:57Scout, and as we know,
00:48:59Woodward spent part of his
00:49:01high school years at OSHA,
00:49:03the same elite art school
00:49:05where Blaze had also been a
00:49:07student.
00:49:09It took me a couple of
00:49:11minutes as I watched the
00:49:13footage, started to dawn on
00:49:15me, oh my God, that's the
00:49:17Sam I taught.
00:49:19So I said, everybody pick
00:49:21your favorite movie and bring
00:49:23me a scene or a monologue from
00:49:25that film.
00:49:26And he said, I want to do
00:49:28something from the Army.
00:49:30So I gave him Brad Pitt's
00:49:32speech in Inglorious Bastards.
00:49:34As a bushwhacking guerrilla
00:49:36Army, we're going to be doing
00:49:38one thing and one thing only,
00:49:40killing Nazis.
00:49:41The provocative Quentin Tarantino
00:49:43World War II thriller is about
00:49:45a plan to assassinate Nazi
00:49:47leaders by a band of Jewish
00:49:48men.
00:49:49And it was heavily on me
00:49:51that I introduced him to
00:49:53something that later on came
00:49:55back to haunt us all.
00:49:59AC Thompson, an investigative
00:50:01reporter for ProPublica,
00:50:03uncovered some disturbing
00:50:05information when digging into
00:50:07Woodward's background.
00:50:09When I started reporting on
00:50:11Sam Woodward, what really stuck
00:50:13out to me was this.
00:50:15Sam Woodward was a member of
00:50:17the Atomwaffen Division, which
00:50:19was a neo-Nazi terrorist group
00:50:21that aimed to bring down the
00:50:23U.S. government and incite a
00:50:25race war.
00:50:30Atomwaffen posted violent
00:50:32propaganda videos online to
00:50:34spread a message of hate and to
00:50:36help recruit new members.
00:50:38The Atomwaffen Division was a
00:50:40neo-Nazi group that existed from
00:50:42about 2015 to 2020.
00:50:44They were inspired by Charles
00:50:45Manson.
00:50:47They were also inspired by Tim
00:50:49McVeigh, the Oklahoma City
00:50:51bomber.
00:50:52They weren't interested in
00:50:54protests or marching in the
00:50:56streets. They wanted to kill
00:50:58people.
00:50:59That organization was hellbent
00:51:01on destroying America within,
00:51:03taking down the system.
00:51:06My reporting team and I got
00:51:08access to thousands and
00:51:10thousands of private chat
00:51:12messages that were between
00:51:13members of the Atomwaffen group.
00:51:15Sam Woodward was one of the
00:51:17people in these chats.
00:51:19Writing in the chats under the
00:51:21alias Saboteur, Woodward spewed
00:51:23anti-Semitic, anti-gay,
00:51:25misogynist hate.
00:51:27When we executed the search
00:51:29warrants on several electronic
00:51:31devices, including computers and
00:51:33cell phones and laptops, there
00:51:35were thousands of images of
00:51:37white supremacist propaganda and
00:51:39hundreds and hundreds of images
00:51:41to include the Atomwaffen
00:51:43apparently went beyond just talk
00:51:45in a chat room.
00:51:47Also found on Sam Woodward's
00:51:49devices was a picture with James
00:51:51Mason. He's a neo-Nazi whose
00:51:53writings Atomwaffen members
00:51:55describe as a main influence on
00:51:57the group, along with a photo of
00:51:59Woodward in a skull mask giving
00:52:01the Nazis salute.
00:52:04Now we're starting to see a
00:52:06bigger picture. Not only was this
00:52:08just a murder, there's a high
00:52:10probability that Sam Woodward
00:52:11killed Blaze Bernstein because
00:52:13he was homosexual, possibly
00:52:15because he was Jewish or
00:52:17combination of both.
00:52:21I'm here to announce the
00:52:23Orange County District Attorney's
00:52:25Office will file an amended
00:52:27complaint, a hate crime
00:52:29enhancement accusing Woodward of
00:52:31intentionally committing first
00:52:33degree murder due in whole or in
00:52:35part to Blaze's sexual
00:52:37orientation. We will prove that
00:52:39Woodward killed Blaze because
00:52:41of the fact that it's very
00:52:43possible that a neo-Nazi killed
00:52:45Blaze in the United States.
00:52:49Yeah, if that's the case, that's
00:52:51going to be the biggest tragedy
00:52:53of this story.
00:52:55He's the grandson of a Holocaust
00:52:57survivor. This can happen
00:52:59anywhere. You aren't safe from
00:53:01this type of hate.
00:53:03But something else that's still
00:53:05not adding up, how were Blaze
00:53:07Bernstein and Sam Woodward
00:53:09connected? They were both from
00:53:11Orange County, but Blaze, a
00:53:13young gay Jewish man and
00:53:15Woodward, a member of a
00:53:17neo-Nazi group, seemed to have
00:53:19nothing else in common. Why were
00:53:21they together that night in the
00:53:23first place? Sam Woodward would
00:53:25have his day in court with a
00:53:27stunning new look and a
00:53:29surprising defense.
00:53:41While Sam Woodward was arrested
00:53:43for killing Blaze Bernstein in
00:53:45January 2018, it would take six
00:53:47years for him to face a jury.
00:53:49Woodward was charged with
00:53:51first-degree murder, a hate
00:53:53crime he pleaded not guilty.
00:53:55Nineteen-year-old Blaze
00:53:57Bernstein was stabbed repeatedly
00:53:59and killed back in 2018, and now
00:54:01six years later, that trial
00:54:03finally begins today.
00:54:05By the time the trial was
00:54:07starting, I'd already left the
00:54:09DA's office, but I was waiting
00:54:11the proceedings closely.
00:54:13Still, no one seems prepared
00:54:15for the Sam Woodward that has
00:54:17led into Judge Kimberly
00:54:19Manager's courtroom.
00:54:23There was almost like a gasp
00:54:25from some people, just the kind
00:54:27of that visceral reaction to
00:54:29kind of seeing him. Long, dark
00:54:33stringy hair, long, dark beard,
00:54:35covering his face. It's hard not
00:54:37to kind of draw a mental
00:54:38comparisons to Charles Manson.
00:54:40Blaze Bernstein was found with
00:54:4228 stab wounds.
00:54:44Senior Deputy District Attorney
00:54:46Jennifer Walker's opening
00:54:48statements tell the story of a
00:54:50young man who they say set out
00:54:52to murder 19-year-old Blaze
00:54:54Bernstein in cold blood. That
00:54:56hate crime charge, she explains,
00:54:58that was brought because
00:55:00prosecutors believe the evidence
00:55:02showed Sam Woodward murdered
00:55:04Blaze Bernstein.
00:55:05Evidence showed Sam Woodward
00:55:07murdered Blaze because he was
00:55:09gay, but not because he was
00:55:11Jewish.
00:55:13You'll see the cell phone
00:55:15evidence, the defendant's words,
00:55:17the defendant's hate.
00:55:20But in his opening statements,
00:55:22Defense Attorney Ken Morrison
00:55:24did something we definitely
00:55:26don't see every day, by making
00:55:28a stunning admission.
00:55:30My client, Sam Woodward, was
00:55:32responsible for that death.
00:55:34The why is the single most
00:55:36important issue you will need
00:55:38to decide.
00:55:40This is no longer a trial
00:55:42about guilt or innocence.
00:55:44The question now becomes, did
00:55:46Woodward plan the killing
00:55:48because of a hatred of gay
00:55:50people? Was it premeditated?
00:55:52If the jury agrees, that could
00:55:54mean a first-degree murder
00:55:56conviction and most likely a
00:55:58sentence of life without the
00:56:00possibility of parole.
00:56:02Morrison argues for a lesser
00:56:03charge of voluntary manslaughter
00:56:05and an acquittal of the hate
00:56:07crime allegation, which would
00:56:09result in a reduced sentence and
00:56:11a chance for parole.
00:56:13The evidence will show that
00:56:15Blaze Bernstein's sexual
00:56:17orientation had absolutely
00:56:20nothing to do with the reason
00:56:22he was killed.
00:56:24Jennifer Walker calls her first
00:56:26witnesses, Blaze Bernstein's
00:56:28parents.
00:56:30Gideon Bernstein now faces down
00:56:32the man who killed his son as
00:56:34he recounts the painful moments
00:56:36when the family first realized
00:56:38that Blaze was missing.
00:56:40You remember where you were
00:56:42when you got the phone call?
00:56:44I do remember that.
00:56:46And why does that stand out in
00:56:48your mind?
00:56:50Because it was the beginning
00:56:52of hell.
00:56:58Jennifer Walker then brings an
00:57:00Orange County Sheriff's deputy
00:57:02to describe what he watched Sam
00:57:04Woodward do on January 5th,
00:57:062018 after police decided to
00:57:08put Woodward under surveillance.
00:57:10What did you observe?
00:57:12I observed him what appeared to
00:57:14be cleaning his vehicle, the
00:57:16interior and exterior.
00:57:18He had in his possession what
00:57:20looked like a spray bottle of
00:57:22cleaning product.
00:57:24He's not scrubbing the driver's
00:57:26side door.
00:57:28It was very strange to us.
00:57:30What was he cleaning?
00:57:32Jennifer Walker then digs into
00:57:34the heart of her hate crime
00:57:36argument, portraying Sam
00:57:38Woodward as somebody who
00:57:40changed from Eagle Scout to
00:57:42neo-Nazi.
00:57:44He had developed his
00:57:46longstanding beliefs against
00:57:48Jewish people and gay people
00:57:50and started joining groups
00:57:52that espoused the views that
00:57:54he had.
00:57:56This is where Woodward's
00:57:58involvement in the extremist
00:58:00group, Atomwaffen, becomes key
00:58:02Investigators say they found
00:58:04these images on Woodward's
00:58:06personal devices.
00:58:08The prosecution calls an ex
00:58:10member to the stand whose voice
00:58:12has been altered and his face
00:58:14obscured at the request of the
00:58:16court.
00:58:18He's also using an alias.
00:58:20Good morning, Mr. Murphy.
00:58:22Good morning.
00:58:24Prosecutors allege that
00:58:26Woodward sought out the group
00:58:28and once there, the fires of
00:58:30his hatred were further stoked
00:58:32in Austin, Texas.
00:58:34Tell us what
00:58:36you and Sam Woodward did.
00:58:38We took propaganda photos.
00:58:40That involved us
00:58:42throwing up Nazi salutes.
00:58:44Put the Atomwaffen
00:58:46logo on the photos,
00:58:48you know, for
00:58:50propaganda purposes.
00:58:52The prosecution also presents
00:58:54what Woodward himself labels
00:58:56Sam's diary of hate, emails he
00:58:58sent to himself over a
00:59:00seven-month period in 2017.
00:59:02The prey
00:59:04that the defendant had chosen
00:59:06was gay people.
00:59:08And he kept a diary
00:59:10of his feelings and intentions.
00:59:12And who did the prosecution
00:59:14allege that he was, quote,
00:59:16hunting? Well, they say that
00:59:18Sam Woodward had been visiting
00:59:20online dating sites to connect
00:59:22with gay men.
00:59:24Downloaded Grindr
00:59:26so I could send f**ks photos
00:59:28of their fellow sodomites
00:59:30getting killed and tell them
00:59:32they're f**king terrified, LMAO.
00:59:34This is too much fun.
00:59:36They think they're gonna
00:59:38get hate-crimed
00:59:40and it scares the f**k out
00:59:42of them.
00:59:44And this is how the prosecution
00:59:46claimed Sam Woodward targeted
00:59:48Blaze while he was hunting
00:59:50for victims on the dating app
00:59:52Tinder. The two men first
00:59:54connected on the app in June
00:59:56of 2017, three years after
00:59:58they'd been classmates at OSHA.
01:00:00And then again, the night
01:00:02that led to their encounter
01:00:04in Borrego Park.
01:00:06And then here is where
01:00:08the luring starts.
01:00:10And the defendant says,
01:00:12is anyone near you right now?
01:00:14Because I just wanted to say.
01:00:16And Blaze says, nope.
01:00:18Nope, what? No one is near me.
01:00:20And the defendant says,
01:00:22I might make an exception for you.
01:00:24And the defendant says,
01:00:26look, do you have Snap?
01:00:28And then we have Blaze
01:00:30snapping his address
01:00:32to the defendant
01:00:34at 1037 p.m.
01:00:36on January 2nd of 2018.
01:00:38According to prosecutors,
01:00:40the trap had been set
01:00:42and Blaze stumbled right
01:00:44into it that night
01:00:46when he agreed to meet up
01:00:48with Sam Woodward.
01:00:50But when it's the defense's
01:00:52turn to present its case,
01:00:54jaws will drop in the courtroom
01:00:56because the star witness
01:00:58will be the defendant himself,
01:01:00Sam Woodward.
01:01:02There are many links to hide it
01:01:04even if he had to kill.
01:01:06He kept saying something
01:01:08that I can only remember as
01:01:10I got you already.
01:01:12I got you.
01:01:14I got you.
01:01:29Today we're going to
01:01:30another day of court.
01:01:34It's definitely a
01:01:37challenge emotionally
01:01:39and mentally to get up
01:01:41and just have to go
01:01:43and do this.
01:01:49We are six and a half years
01:01:51since my son was killed.
01:01:53We are all going
01:01:55through our own personal hell
01:01:57right now.
01:01:58The prosecution rested
01:02:00last week
01:02:02and we're now listening
01:02:04to defense witnesses.
01:02:09Sam Woodward's
01:02:11defense attorney, Ken Morrison,
01:02:13is making his case.
01:02:15Sam did not hate Blaze
01:02:17for any reason.
01:02:21Remember, the defense has
01:02:23acknowledged that 26-year-old
01:02:25Sam Woodward killed Blaze
01:02:27and they insist it was
01:02:29neither a premeditated murder
01:02:31nor a hate crime.
01:02:33You will also hear
01:02:35lots of additional evidence
01:02:37that helps to explain
01:02:39why this homicide
01:02:41was committed.
01:02:44But just as Morrison
01:02:46starts laying out his case,
01:02:48the defense team is dealt
01:02:50a blow.
01:02:52The judge rules that some
01:02:54evidence is inadmissible
01:02:55I did something really
01:02:57horrible for the story
01:02:59but also no one can ever know.
01:03:02The jury then hears
01:03:04how Sam Woodward was diagnosed
01:03:06with autism spectrum disorder
01:03:08which the defense says
01:03:10hindered his ability to make
01:03:12and maintain friendships
01:03:14and contributed to Sam's
01:03:16acute sense of isolation
01:03:18and loneliness.
01:03:20This helps to explain
01:03:22how starved Sam was
01:03:24for the camaraderie,
01:03:26the brotherhood,
01:03:28and acceptance
01:03:30and how profoundly vulnerable
01:03:32he was to recruitment
01:03:34into groups like Atomwaffen.
01:03:36The defense claims
01:03:38Sam Woodward's participation
01:03:40in Atomwaffen wasn't as much
01:03:42about ideology as it was
01:03:44about connecting with others
01:03:46and just having a good time.
01:03:48Morrison calls former
01:03:50Atomwaffen member
01:03:52Tyler Weising to the stand.
01:03:54It was more of the
01:03:56ideology, goals,
01:03:58training, that sort of thing.
01:04:00That was the intent
01:04:02and the image.
01:04:04In the reality,
01:04:06it was a bunch of
01:04:08people getting drunk
01:04:10and not taking things seriously.
01:04:12As for those Tinder messages,
01:04:14while the prosecution
01:04:16argued that Sam Woodward
01:04:18was online to hunt
01:04:20and terrorize victims,
01:04:22Morrison says that never
01:04:24until June 15, 2017,
01:04:26Blaise Bernstein
01:04:28saw Sam's profile
01:04:30on Tinder
01:04:32and Blaise Bernstein
01:04:34initiated the first
01:04:36contact with Sam Woodward
01:04:38not the other way around.
01:04:40And then Sam says,
01:04:42the thing is,
01:04:44you're not too shabby
01:04:46looking yourself, Blaise.
01:04:48Blaise says,
01:04:50ah, well, thanks, Sam.
01:04:52That's sweet of you,
01:04:53but according to the defense,
01:04:55Sam Woodward was repressing
01:04:57his own feelings of homosexuality,
01:04:59which could help explain
01:05:01the reason behind,
01:05:03quote, Sam's diary of hate.
01:05:05He's trying to kind of keep this
01:05:07as like this hidden away
01:05:09part of his life,
01:05:11that these hate diary entries
01:05:13are simply narrative
01:05:15constructs to cover up
01:05:17that part of him
01:05:19should Atomwaffen members
01:05:21get suspicious.
01:05:22He's being tortured
01:05:24by his sexual identity
01:05:26because of what he claims
01:05:28he heard at home.
01:05:30He calls Woodward's mother,
01:05:32Michelle, to the witness stand.
01:05:34Ms. Woodward,
01:05:36was it ever communicated
01:05:38to your children
01:05:40that homosexuality is a sin?
01:05:42Yes.
01:05:44And who communicated that?
01:05:46My husband.
01:05:48The defense calls
01:05:50James Markle to the stand,
01:05:52and James Markle
01:05:54tells the court about an incident
01:05:56he says Michelle recounted to him
01:05:58about Sam's father, Blake.
01:06:00Was there any particular word
01:06:02that Michelle Woodward
01:06:04told you
01:06:06that she would hear Blake
01:06:08call Sam?
01:06:10He would say,
01:06:12he would say,
01:06:14okay.
01:06:16But when called to the stand,
01:06:18Sam Woodward's father, Blake,
01:06:20denies using any
01:06:22of his sexual identity.
01:06:24Would you make a derogatory
01:06:26remarks about
01:06:28homosexual people
01:06:30in Sam's presence?
01:06:32No.
01:06:34But ultimately the case
01:06:36would hinge on the testimony
01:06:38of the one person
01:06:40who was there
01:06:42the night Blaise Bernstein
01:06:44was killed,
01:06:46Sam Woodward.
01:06:48The defense is calling
01:06:50on Sam Nolan Woodward.
01:06:52As a very shrewd tactic
01:06:54to play on the jury's sympathies.
01:06:56Hey, Mr. Woodward,
01:06:58can I ask you
01:07:00if you're able to move
01:07:02the hair out of your face
01:07:04a little bit?
01:07:06Sam Woodward's defense attorney,
01:07:08Ken Morrison,
01:07:10takes Woodward through the story
01:07:12of his life,
01:07:14arriving at a key question.
01:07:16Sam, was there ever a time
01:07:18in your life that you can recall
01:07:20where you wondered
01:07:22if you had ever been
01:07:24sexually assaulted?
01:07:26This may have just blown up
01:07:28Ken Morrison's defense,
01:07:30which hinges on the argument
01:07:32that Sam Woodward was struggling
01:07:34with his sexual identity.
01:07:36And that will become
01:07:38hugely important
01:07:40because of what Morrison
01:07:42is about to argue Blaise
01:07:44did that night,
01:07:46which he says
01:07:48provoked the attack.
01:07:50You will learn that Blaise
01:07:52did this to Sam Woodward
01:07:54after they met up.
01:07:56What will Sam Woodward say
01:07:58happened that night?
01:08:00When you drove to Blaise
01:08:02Bernstein's house to pick him up,
01:08:04Sam, were you planning
01:08:06to kill him that night?
01:08:17It's day 28 in the trial
01:08:19of Sam Woodward
01:08:21and Ken Morrison
01:08:23is questioning his client
01:08:25about the night
01:08:27that he and Blaise
01:08:29ended up in Borrego Park.
01:08:31I'm pretty sure I said
01:08:33we should hang out
01:08:35at some point
01:08:37or rather be cool
01:08:39if you wanted to.
01:08:41And right after that
01:08:43he said to me
01:08:45that he was actually
01:08:47free this night
01:08:49right now.
01:08:50After picking up Blaise
01:08:52near his house,
01:08:54the two men eventually
01:08:56arrived at the park.
01:08:58There on a bench,
01:09:00Woodward claims the night
01:09:02took a dark turn.
01:09:04Woodward said he spoke
01:09:06some marijuana,
01:09:08was starting to kind of
01:09:10get drowsy,
01:09:12kind of nod off,
01:09:14feels something
01:09:16and opens his eyes.
01:09:18I saw a handle
01:09:20unbuckled.
01:09:22I looked right up
01:09:24and I saw him
01:09:26and he had his phone
01:09:29in his hand.
01:09:31He kept saying something
01:09:33that
01:09:35I can only remember as
01:09:37I got you already,
01:09:39I got you,
01:09:41I got you,
01:09:43I got you,
01:09:45hypocrite.
01:09:47I heard him maybe use the word
01:09:49I couldn't exactly
01:09:51remember.
01:09:53If Sam Woodward is to be
01:09:55believed, Blaise was
01:09:57threatening him and that's
01:09:59what made Woodward snap.
01:10:01What, if anything,
01:10:03did you think he was
01:10:05doing with his cell phone?
01:10:07I thought he might photograph
01:10:09me. I thought he might send
01:10:11text messages. I thought he
01:10:13might be trying to record me.
01:10:15So at any point in time,
01:10:17did you see Blaise
01:10:19as though he was
01:10:21texting any messages?
01:10:23Yes.
01:10:25Sam Woodward says his fear
01:10:27was that there'd been an
01:10:29image or video taken and
01:10:31that his family would learn
01:10:32about it.
01:10:33I grew up in a home
01:10:35with my mother and my father
01:10:37and my brother. Loved them
01:10:39more than I can almost speak
01:10:41about. My father, though,
01:10:43if he'd heard about something
01:10:45like that, that got out
01:10:47somehow, I couldn't fathom
01:10:48it.
01:10:50Woodward describes how
01:10:52he says things escalated.
01:10:54I found one of the
01:10:56knives that I'd used to
01:10:58open up the container
01:11:00of marijuana. I just
01:11:02kept driving and driving
01:11:04and driving and driving
01:11:06the knife down.
01:11:08When you say driving the
01:11:10knife down, Sam, were
01:11:12you stabbing Blaise?
01:11:14At that point, yes, I
01:11:16was.
01:11:17In an attempt to
01:11:19escape crime, Morrison
01:11:21asks Sam Woodward two
01:11:23final questions.
01:11:25When you drove to
01:11:27Blaise Bernstein's house
01:11:29to pick him up, Sam,
01:11:31were you planning to
01:11:33kill him that night?
01:11:35No, not at all.
01:11:37Did you hate him
01:11:39because he was gay?
01:11:41No, not at all.
01:11:43But now, here's
01:11:45where the gamble of
01:11:46the night is going to
01:11:48answer.
01:11:50On cross-examination,
01:11:52Jennifer Walker attacks
01:11:54Woodward's credibility.
01:11:56The left side of his
01:11:58neck was closest to you,
01:12:00right, if he's sitting
01:12:02to your right?
01:12:04Everything was a blur.
01:12:06Well, how did you
01:12:08stab him 14 separate
01:12:10times on the left
01:12:12side of his neck when
01:12:14he was sitting right
01:12:15to your right?
01:12:19I can't remember.
01:12:24After a trial full
01:12:26of fits and starts
01:12:28spanning almost three
01:12:30months, the case goes
01:12:32to the jury.
01:12:34The jury deliberates
01:12:36for about eight hours.
01:12:38We, the jury,
01:12:40in the above-entitled
01:12:42action, find the
01:12:43defendant guilty of
01:12:45the crime of first-degree
01:12:47murder.
01:12:49It's an emotional
01:12:51moment, even for the
01:12:53court clerk.
01:12:55A felony and violate?
01:12:57Just one second.
01:12:59Sure.
01:13:01I've prosecuted a
01:13:03lot of murder cases,
01:13:05and I can't say I've
01:13:07ever seen a court
01:13:09clerk react like that.
01:13:11We, the jury,
01:13:13in the above-entitled
01:13:15action, find the
01:13:17defendant guilty of
01:13:19the crime of first-degree
01:13:21murder.
01:13:23We are thrilled
01:13:25with the verdict,
01:13:27which holds Samuel
01:13:29Woodward accountable
01:13:31for the brutal,
01:13:33violent, painful
01:13:35murder of our son.
01:13:37Justice has been
01:13:39served.
01:13:41This time the court
01:13:43does sentence the
01:13:45defendant to state prison
01:13:47for the term prescribed
01:13:49by law, which is
01:13:51likely not the possibility
01:13:53of parole.
01:13:55The jury said that
01:13:57they saw this as a
01:13:59hate crime and that
01:14:01hate was not going
01:14:03to get you anywhere
01:14:05in this world.
01:14:07In the seven years
01:14:09since Blaze Bernstein's
01:14:10murder, the jury
01:14:12has found a note
01:14:14under his doormat
01:14:16back in 2018.
01:14:18Have they reached
01:14:20out to you, by the
01:14:22way?
01:14:23Yeah.
01:14:24We found a note
01:14:26under our doormat.
01:14:28What did it say,
01:14:30this note?
01:14:32Orange County
01:14:34Sheriff's Investigator
01:14:36Sergeant Dylan Jansen
01:14:38knows Borrego Park
01:14:40location.
01:14:41How many hours
01:14:42would you say you
01:14:43spent at this
01:14:44park here?
01:14:45Countless.
01:14:46I spent a lot of
01:14:48time over here
01:14:50just looking,
01:14:51thinking,
01:14:52analyzing,
01:14:53you know,
01:14:55what was the
01:14:56truth, what's not
01:14:57the truth.
01:14:58We may never know
01:14:59exactly what
01:15:00happened the night
01:15:01Blaze was murdered
01:15:03or what that last
01:15:04text message meant,
01:15:06but Sergeant Jansen
01:15:08can answer one
01:15:09question.
01:15:10The cell phone,
01:15:11even though it
01:15:12was damaged,
01:15:13we were able to
01:15:14send it to
01:15:15various companies
01:15:16to restructure
01:15:17the cell phone
01:15:18and extract any
01:15:19and all information
01:15:20on there.
01:15:21Were there any
01:15:22pictures of that
01:15:23night?
01:15:24No.
01:15:25No.
01:15:30This park is
01:15:31pretty meaningful
01:15:32for you.
01:15:33So we stopped
01:15:34here and go
01:15:35check out the
01:15:36garden of rocks
01:15:37that are now
01:15:38here.
01:15:39Do you feel that
01:15:40you get a little
01:15:41bit of closure
01:15:42each time you
01:15:43put one more
01:15:44rock down?
01:15:45I don't even know
01:15:46what closure is.
01:15:47You know,
01:15:48you lose a child.
01:15:49I don't,
01:15:50I think maybe
01:15:51closure for me
01:15:52will be just being
01:15:53able to look at
01:15:54all of these
01:15:55things and be
01:15:56happy.
01:15:57Almost seven
01:15:58years after I
01:15:59walked in Borrego
01:16:00Park with the
01:16:01Bernsteins,
01:16:02the memorial of
01:16:03painted stones
01:16:04honoring their
01:16:05son has
01:16:06blossomed.
01:16:07Jeannie and Gideon
01:16:08have both moved
01:16:09away from
01:16:10Foothill Ranch,
01:16:11but they tell me
01:16:12they still find
01:16:13solace in this
01:16:14place.
01:16:17In the Jewish
01:16:18tradition,
01:16:19it is a thing
01:16:20that you put
01:16:21rocks at a
01:16:22grave site.
01:16:23And there's
01:16:24a permanence
01:16:25to it.
01:16:26It gives us
01:16:27some feeling
01:16:28of connection,
01:16:29connection to
01:16:30people,
01:16:31the people that
01:16:32will hear our
01:16:33story and
01:16:34understand the
01:16:35importance of
01:16:36love.
01:16:38Since 2018,
01:16:39the Bernsteins
01:16:40have been building
01:16:41a movement.
01:16:42They call it
01:16:43Blaze It Forward.
01:16:44The Blaze It
01:16:45Forward campaign
01:16:46was based
01:16:47off the
01:16:48idea that
01:16:49as a community
01:16:50we can make
01:16:51a difference
01:16:52and we can
01:16:53change the
01:16:54way that
01:16:55this world
01:16:56works.
01:16:57We were able
01:16:58to take that
01:16:59in my brother's
01:17:00honor to try
01:17:01and encourage
01:17:02people to just
01:17:03do one good
01:17:04thing every
01:17:05day.
01:17:06They participate
01:17:07in local pride
01:17:08parades and
01:17:09Jeannie hosts
01:17:10a podcast
01:17:11featuring people
01:17:12doing good in
01:17:13the world.
01:17:15Sam Woodward's
01:17:16parents,
01:17:17Blake and
01:17:18Michelle Woodward,
01:17:19never responded
01:17:20to an interview
01:17:21request with
01:17:22ABC News,
01:17:23but they did
01:17:24write a letter
01:17:25to the court
01:17:26submitted at
01:17:27sentencing.
01:17:28It reads,
01:17:29in part,
01:17:30in the past
01:17:31you could look
01:17:32into Sam's
01:17:33eyes and be
01:17:34able to
01:17:35see the
01:17:36truth.
01:17:37It's one of
01:17:38his best
01:17:39traits.
01:17:40Now,
01:17:41he's too
01:17:42vulnerable to
01:17:43let you look
01:17:44him in the
01:17:45eyes.
01:17:46He committed
01:17:47a crime,
01:17:48but he is
01:17:49not a person
01:17:50without value,
01:17:51unworthy of
01:17:52respect.
01:17:53Speaking about
01:17:54the Woodward
01:17:55parents,
01:17:56they left a
01:17:57note at
01:17:58your house
01:17:59in 2018,
01:18:00right?
01:18:01They did.
01:18:02At the time,
01:18:04I don't think
01:18:05that she had
01:18:06any idea how
01:18:07hard of a time
01:18:08we were having.
01:18:09But there's
01:18:10another letter
01:18:11that holds more
01:18:12meaning for
01:18:13Ginny and
01:18:14Gideon,
01:18:15discovered after
01:18:16the trial,
01:18:17tucked among
01:18:18the colorful
01:18:19painted stones
01:18:20of Blaze's
01:18:21memorial.
01:18:22This is a
01:18:23copy of a
01:18:24note that was
01:18:25left for us
01:18:26in the park
01:18:27by one of
01:18:28the jurors.
01:18:29She basically
01:18:30says in this
01:18:31letter to
01:18:32Blaze,
01:18:33thank you
01:18:34everyone for
01:18:35coming to
01:18:36class today.
01:18:37So Blaze
01:18:38would be 27.
01:18:39Do you ever
01:18:40think about
01:18:41what he would
01:18:42be like today?
01:18:43How he lived?
01:18:44He'd be doing
01:18:45something fantastic.
01:18:46I know that
01:18:47about Blaze,
01:18:48and he'd be
01:18:49making people
01:18:50happy.
01:18:51That's what
01:18:52he did.
01:18:53Blaze is
01:18:54always on my
01:18:55mind.
01:18:56I think about
01:18:57him from
01:18:58the minute I
01:18:59wake up until
01:19:00I go to bed
01:19:02that I'm still
01:19:03here.
01:19:04And whatever
01:19:05he's done to
01:19:06make an impact
01:19:07on this world
01:19:08is what we're
01:19:09going to leverage
01:19:10and try to
01:19:11make sure that
01:19:12people never
01:19:13forget about
01:19:14our son and
01:19:15what happened.
01:19:21Sam Woodward's
01:19:22defense lawyer,
01:19:23Ken Morrison-David,
01:19:24says his client
01:19:25didn't get a fair
01:19:26trial.
01:19:27Woodward has
01:19:28appealed.
01:19:29Morrison claims
01:19:30that the
01:19:31jury was not
01:19:32allowed to see.
01:19:33In the meantime,
01:19:34that is our
01:19:35program for
01:19:36tonight.
01:19:37Thanks so much
01:19:38for watching.
01:19:39I'm David Muir.
01:19:40And I'm
01:19:41Debra Roberts.
01:19:42From all of us
01:19:43here at
01:19:442020 and
01:19:45ABC News,
01:19:46good night.