© 2026 ABC News

\"PHOTO:
KABC
PHOTO: A memorial service for slain University of Pennsylvania student Blaze Bernstein was held at a synagogue in Irvine, Jan. 15, 2018.
>

\"As we lay Blaze to rest, we ask that communities around the world that were touched by Blaze's life, help us keep his memory and loving spirit alive,\" the Bernsteins said. \"Blaze was on a path to repair our world and it is a moral imperative that we all take steps now to make sure that his dream is realized.\"

\"PHOTO:
Orange County Sheriffs Department/AP
PHOTO: This undated photo provided by the Orange County Sheriff's Department shows Blaze Bernstein, 19, as they seek the public's help in finding him.
>

Bernstein family spokesman David Thalberg told ABC station KABC-TV in Los Angeles today, \"It's a parent's worst nightmare.\"

\"They're feeling like any parent would when you lose a child,\" he said.

He added: \"The support of our community has been wonderful. We can make good out of this tragedy, and that's what we want to do.\"

Dr. Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum, vice provost for university life at Penn, said in a statement last week that Blaze Bernstein \"loved the written word.\"

He was the incoming managing editor of the student-run food magazine, wrote opinion columns for the student newspaper, The Daily Pennsylvanian, and was also a copy associate for the paper's arts and culture magazine, she said.

\"I realize these losses have the potential to affect many, many members of our Penn family,\" she said. \"Hug your friends and roommates. Practice self-care and empathy. Celebrate who and what you have on this special campus. Find unity and strength, together.\"

The night Blaze Bernstein went missing, he allegedly met up with Woodward, 20, and the pair drove to multiple places before ending up at the park, the sheriff's office said.

\"PHOTO:
ABC News
PHOTO: Blaze Bernstein, a pre-med student at the University of Pennsylvania, failed to return to his parents' home in Foothill Ranch after going to nearby Borrego Park with a friend, said Carrie Braun, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Department.
>

The following account is from a search warrant affidavit that was obtained by The Orange County Register and later sealed. According to sheriff's office spokeswoman Carrie Braun, the friend referred to in the document is Woodward.

According to the affidavit, upon arriving at the park, Woodward allegedly told investigators that Bernstein left the car and walked off. In the affidavit, the friend said he waited for an hour for Bernstein to return to the car and then tried to reach him on Snapchat. When that failed, the friend said he went to his girlfriend's house and then returned to the park a few hours later to look for Bernstein.

Police said, according to the affidavit, Woodward couldn’t remember his girlfriend's last name or where she lived during questioning.

Investigators also noticed several scratches and abrasions on his hands, which he claimed were from a \"fight club.\" He also appeared to have dirt under his fingernails. When asked about that, Woodward said he fell into a dirt puddle. Investigators also noticed he appeared to \"breathing heavy, talking fast and visibly shaking.\"

Orange County Undersheriff Don Barnes said based on inconsistencies during Woodward's interview, authorities focused on him as a suspect and eventually arrested him. He has not yet been officially charged but is in custody, Braun told ABC News.

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