Samuel Woodward Testifies About Reconnecting With Former Classmate Blaze Bernstein Before OC's 2018 Alleged Hate Crime Murder

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) — The man accused of killing an Orange County teenager in an alleged hate crime six years ago testified Tuesday about how the two men connected on social media and went to a park .

Tuesday was Samuel “Sam” Woodward’s third day of testimony and the 28th day of his trial. He testified about how he reconnected with his old Orange County School of the Arts classmate, Blaze Bernstein.

Woodward said he matched Bernstein on Tinder, a social media and dating app, in 2017 and was initially surprised.

He said he didn't match Bernstein, but matched again on Tinder six months later. He said they began communicating through Snapchat, another social media app.

The day ended with Woodward recounting how he picked Bernstein up from his home on Jan. 2, 2018, and drove to a park in Lake Forest.

Woodward is accused of stabbing his former classmate 28 times because he was gay, then burying his body in a shallow grave in that park.

Additionally, some of the questions in the first part of the day focused on Woodward's sexuality. He admitted to having a short-term relationship with a woman but denied ever experimenting with men.

The defense asked about Woodward's internet search history, which included gay porn sites in 2015 and 2016.

Woodward said he used the websites as a source to gather graphic images and videos to antagonize other users in an online community of which he was a part. He also discussed his affiliation with the Atomwaffen Division, a far-right neo-Nazi group, but did not admit to being a full member.

He said he wanted to be part of a fraternity and was looking for something meaningful.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Menninger appears increasingly impatient — or frustrated — with the pace of Woodward's trial.

She repeatedly said the defense's questions took too long.

Prosecutors said Bernstein's killing was a hate crime. The defense says the evidence will show that Woodward did in fact kill Bernstein, but that it wasn't because he was gay, saying Woodward suffered from issues with his own sexuality and mental health.

If convicted, Woodward faces life in prison. The jury will take a break Wednesday in observance of the June 10 federal holiday.

The trial will resume Thursday at 8:30 a.m.