Man charged with fatal stabbing of gay classmate testifies during Orange County trial

>> THIS IS KCAL LOS ANGELES. JUAN: A DRAMATIC DAY DAY IN AN ORANGE COUNTY COURTROOM MORE THAN SIX YEARS AFTER 19 ABLAZE BERNSTEIN WAS KILLED AND HIS FORMER CLASSMATE CHARGED WITH STABBING HIM TO DEATH DEATH. IS SAMUEL WOODWARD IS TALKING ABOUT THE NIGHT THE BERNSTEIN DIED. MICHELLE GILE HAS THE LATEST FROM COURT. REPORTER: ACCUSED ORANGE COUNTY KILLER SAM WOODWARD IS ON THE WITNESS STAND TELLING JURORS IN HIS OWN WORDS ABOUT THE NIGHT THAT HIS FORMER CLASSMATE PLAYS BERNSTEIN WAS MURDERED. DO YOU UNDERSTAND PLAYS BERNSTEIN DIED THAT NIGHT THE DEFENSE ATTORNEY ASKED FOR 26-YEAR-OLD, TO WHICH HE ANSWERED YES. KEN MORRISON FOLLOWED UP WITH DO YOU UNDERSTAND HE WAS KILLED WITH A KNIFE THAT NIGHT? SAM WOODWARD SAID YES AND DO YOU BELIEVE THAT PLAYS BERNSTEIN DESERVED TO DIE THAT NIGHT? KNOW WAS WOODWARD'S RESPONSE. CAMERAS AREN'T ALLOWED IN THE COURTROOM DURING TESTIMONY. WOODWARD WHO IS 20 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME OF THE HOMICIDE SPEAKS VERY SLOWLY AND HAS BEEN ASKED SEVERAL TIMES BY HIS LAWYER TO LOOK UP WHILE TALKING AND PUSH HIS LONG HAIR ON HIS FACE. WOODWARD IS CHARGED WITH MURDER WITH A HATE CRIME ENHANCEMENT FOR STABBING 19 NOPE BIRDS BEING WHO IS JEWISH AND. THE DEFENSE ATTORNEY IS NOT DISPUTING THAT WOODWARD IS THE KILLER BUT HE TOLD JURORS THAT WOODWARD DID NOT PLAN TO KILL THE TEENAGER WHO HE MET WHILE ENROLLED IN AN ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOL OF THE ARTS. ON THE STAND THURSDAY WOODWARD SAID THE NIGHT OF THE CRIME HE MET LEE'S BERNSTEIN AT A PARK IN FOOTHILL RANCH. AFTER SMOKING POT WORD WERE TESTIFIED THAT SOMETHING HAPPENED THAT CAUSED HIM TO GO INTO QUOTE A STATE OF TERROR. HE DESCRIBED OPENING HIS EYES AND SEEING THE VICTIM TOUCHING HIM IN A MANNER "BACK I LOOKED RIGHT UP AND I SAW HE HAD HIS PHONE IN HIS HAND. I SAW THE LIGHT OF THE PHONE. I CAME UNDONE. I REMEMBER JUST ASKING WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? HE SAID COME DOWN, IT'S NOT A BIG DEAL. WOODWARD TESTIFIED HE WAS AFRAID THAT PLAYS BERNSTEIN MIGHT PHOTOGRAPH THEM AND SEND TEXT MESSAGES. HE TOLD JURORS HE HEARD HIM SAY SOMETHING ABOUT BEING OUTED. WOODWARD SHARED HIS FEAR THAT HIS FATHER WHO HE LOVED DEEPLY MIGHT FIND OUT. QUOTE IF IT GOT OUT SOMEHOW I COULDN'T FATHOM THAT THE NEW PORT BEACH NATIVE DESCRIBED THE MOMENT HE KILLED BERNSTEIN WITH ONE OF THE NIGHTS HE FREQUENTLY CARRIED QUOTE EVERYTHING WAS A BLUR. I REMEMBER USING A VOICE I SHOULDN'T HAVE STARTED YELLING AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS. I TRIED REACHING THE PHONE. I TRIED GRABBING IT. I COULDN'T CONTROL MYSELF. I WAS ENRAGED. I FOUND ONE OF THE KNIVES. THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY SAYS BLAISE BERNSTEIN WAS STABBED MORE THAN TWO DOZEN TIMES. THE PROSECUTOR IS CROSS-EXAMINING SAM WOODWARD. IF CONVICTED HE FACES A MAXIMUM OF 25

Channel: KCAL News

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Keywords: KCAL 9 News Evening

Id: dU2K_1Hwqxo

Length: 3min 1sec (181 seconds)

Published: Thu Jun 20 2024