LOS ANGELES _ The parents of slain college student Blaze Bernstein said it's possible their son was the victim of a hate crime after new details emerged about his killing.
A law enforcement source told the Los Angeles Times that Bernstein was found with more than 20 stab wounds, inflicted by a former high school classmate. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because he or she was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.
Samuel Woodward, 20, was arrested Friday on suspicion of the murder of Bernstein after DNA evidence at the crime scene in Borrego Park and inside his car tied him to the slaying, officials said.
Authorities have not revealed a motive for the slaying. But the source said Woodward has claimed Bernstein kissed him.
"We are saddened to hear, on the day we laid our son to rest, that gruesome details of the cause of his death were published," Gideon Bernstein and Jeanne Pepper Bernstein wrote. "Our son was a beautiful gentle soul who we loved more than anything. We were proud of everything he did and who he was. He had nothing to hide. We are in solidarity with our son and the LGBTQ community."
They noted the investigation was continuing. "If it is determined that this was a hate crime, we will cry not only for our son, but for LGBTQ people everywhere that live in fear or who have been victims of (a) hate crime," they wrote.
At the University Synagogue in Irvine on Monday, Rabbi Arnold Rachlis led more than 500 people in a tribute to Bernstein.
Rachlis' voice quivered with emotion as he launched the 90-minute service with these words: "We are gathered here today because this is a death that we never expected and still find hard to believe."
Bernstein was eulogized as a personable, sensitive and innovative young man whose passion for gourmet cooking and writing intersected in his work as a managing editor of Penn Appetit, a student-run food magazine.
Bernstein, 19, was reported missing Jan. 3 by his family, who became concerned after he didn't show up for a dental appointment and they found his wallet and glasses in his room. He was on winter break from the University of Pennsylvania and visiting his parents in Lake Forest when he disappeared.
Detectives used Bernstein's Snapchat account to identify Woodward, who had picked him up the night before, said Orange County Undersheriff Don Barnes on Friday.
Bernstein's body was found on Jan. 10 near the park, after rain runoff exposed parts of the remains. Investigators declined to discuss the condition of his body or how he might have died.
Barnes said investigators found inconsistencies in what Woodward told authorities.
A search warrant affidavit, obtained by the Orange County Register, said Woodward had scratches and abrasions on his hands and dirty fingernails, and that he said he could not recall the last name or address of a girlfriend he said he visited after dropping off Bernstein. The
When asked about the abrasions by detectives, Woodward said that they were from a "fight club" he participated in and that his fingernails were dirty because he fell into a "dirt puddle" during sparring.
Barnes said DNA results led to the arrest of Woodward, 20, on suspicion of homicide. He was under surveillance and was taken into custody after leaving his house about 1:15 p.m. Friday.
Barnes said Bernstein and Woodward had attended the same high school, identified in the warrant as the Orange County School of the Arts.
Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas on Friday called the killing a "very tragic case," adding that "by all accounts, both of these families are good people whose lives have been turned upside down in a terrible way."
"They are both in grieving situations," Rackauckas said.
Woodward is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday
Bernstein's parents said Tuesday in their email that "now is the time to set aside fear, ignorance and judgment. It is time to love. Love each other. Be good. Do good and honor Blaze's memory."
