A California man is set to be sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a gay University of Pennsylvania student nearly seven years ago. The defendant, now 27, was convicted of stabbing the victim to death in an act of hate. The sentencing is expected to take place in a Southern California courtroom.
The victim, a college sophomore named Blaze Bernstein, was 19 years old at the time of his disappearance in January 2018. After going out with the defendant to a park in Lake Forest, Bernstein failed to return home. His body was later discovered in a shallow grave in the park, having suffered multiple stab wounds to the face and neck.
The defendant was found guilty of first-degree murder with a hate crime enhancement. During the trial, it was revealed that the defendant had affiliations with a violent anti-gay, neo-Nazi extremist group. The defense argued that the defendant did not harbor hatred towards the victim and struggled with personal relationships due to an undiagnosed autism spectrum disorder.
The case garnered significant public attention in Southern California, with residents assisting in the search for Bernstein after his disappearance. The defendant and the victim had attended the same high school and had connected through a dating app prior to the tragic incident.
Evidence presented during the trial included a journal containing hateful and profanity-laced entries, as well as materials associated with hate groups found in the defendant's family home. The defense claimed that the defendant's confusion about his sexuality, stemming from his conservative and devout Catholic upbringing, played a role in the events leading to the murder.
Despite the defense's arguments, the jury's verdict ensures that the defendant will receive a life sentence without the possibility of parole. The sentencing is a culmination of a lengthy legal process that followed Bernstein's tragic death.
