Samuel Woodward Cleared To Stand Trial For Slaying Classmate In OC

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — A man accused of stabbing his former high school classmate to death before burying the body in a Lake Forest park was declared mentally competent to stand trial Friday, the Orange County Register reported.

The criminal case against Samuel Woodward resumed Friday, following months of proceedings that were placed on hold due to questions about Woodward's mental state. He is charged with the January 2018 killing of Blaze Bernstein.

READ MORE: Trial For Man Accused Of Killing Blaze Bernstein Delayed Again: Report

According to the report, two mental health experts — one chosen by the defense, and one chosen by the prosecution — assessed Woodward and found that he was competent to stand trial.

While the findings from Woodward's evaluation were not disclosed in court, it is known that a defendant must be capable of understanding court proceedings and be able to assist with their own defense in order to be considered mentally fit to stand for trial.

Woodward stands accused of killing Bernstein when the two former OC School of the Arts classmates met over a winter break in January 2018. Woodward is accused of killing Bernstein — at least in part — because Bernstein was gay, prosecutors said.

To read more about the trial against one Orange County man accused of killing his former classmate, view the full article on the OC Register.

Read more on Patch:

• Blaze Bernstein Murder: Arraignment Scheduled For Samuel Woodward
• Blaze Bernstein Murder: Bail Set At Arraignment
• Blaze Bernstein Murder: Hate Crime Charge Added