The neo-Nazi organization that is connected to the man who allegedly murdered 19-year-old Blaze Bernstein lavished praise for Bernstein’s death in a series of chat messages obtained by Pro Publica.
The chats among Atomwaffen Division (AWD) members showed them making “jokes about his slaying and used slurs to describe” Bernstein.
One member gushed, “I love this” in response to Bernstein’s death and another praised Woodward as a “one man gay Jew wrecking crew.”
Another member, identified as Sean Michael Fernandez, who leads the AWD chapter in Texas, hoped that Bernstein’s death would only be the beginning.
“We’re only going to inspire more ‘copycat crimes’ in the name of AWD,” Fernandez said. “All we have to do is spread our image and our propaganda. The growing fear is what we set out to do and it’s working EXACTLY how I wanted it to since we took over ‘leadership.’ I couldn’t have planned this better, seriously.”
However, one member stated that he thought Samuel Woodward, Bernstein’s alleged killer, “did something stupid.”
“Not that the f––––– k––– didn’t deserve to die,” the member said. “Just simply not worth a life in prison for.”
Others were angry that the media wasn’t celebrating Woodward.
Woodward’s chats in the group show him denigrating Jews and gays while praising Mein Kampf and the German terror group National Socialist Underground. He liked the idea of people raping women who are minorities in order to “force them to carry around the spawn of their master and enemy.”
Other messages from Woodward’s Kik account show him praising ISIS:
Here, in a message from Sam Woodward’s Kik account, he confirms he was
involved with Atomwaffen murderer Devon Arthurs (https://t.co/4j7KiklKFp). Woodward then goes on to endorse ISIS, saying:“What ISIS wants > Neolib multicultural hell-world” pic.twitter.com/3R940z612R
— Jake Hanrahan (@Jake_Hanrahan) February 23, 2018
Following Bernstein’s murder, Woodward’s chats “became highly sentimental,” as one of his messages stated, “hey everyone, i just wanted to let you all know i love you so much.”
As the Journal has previously reported, AWD celebrates Adolf Hitler and Charles Manson and calls for a violent race war. Four other people associated with AWD have been charged with murders and another plead guilty to owning explosives. Other chat messages obtained Pro Publica show one AWD member discussing the possibility of launching a terror attack on America’s power grid.
There are around 80 AWD members in 23 states across the country.
Woodward was arrested for murdering Bernstein after DNA evidence connected him to the crime; Woodward has plead not guilty.
