Prosecutors now believe that the Southern California man charged with the murder of 19-year-old Blaze Bernstein was motivated by anti-gay bias.

In January, police found Bernstein's brutally stabbed body in a shallow grave in a park near his parents' Lake Forest home. The University of Pennsylvania sophomore, who was openly gay, had went out with 21-year-old Samuel Woodward before he disappeared. Woodward, who'd went to high school with Bernstein and was reportedly known for his right-wing beliefs, was arrested in connection with the 19-year-old's murder shortly afterward.

In the months following the murder, investigators poured over Woodward's personal devices and social media accounts, where they found substantial evidence that he lashed out at Bernstein because of his sexuality.

In January, Woodward admitted to the Orange County Register that Bernstein had kissed him on the lips while they were seated in a parked car—and Woodward wanted to call him a "faggot."

Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas told the Associated Press that the evidence shows "hatred for many different groups of people," something pertinent to the case since Bernstein (pictured below) was Jewish and gay.

"There's a lot there that just spews hatred towards a lot of different groups of people, basically every protected group," he added. "But... we can show evidence that he killed [Bernstein] at least substantially because he was gay."

With the new hate crime sentencing enhancement, Woodward now faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.

The victim's father, Gideon Bernstein, told the AP that the prosecution is pursuing the maximum sentence "to ensure that no one is ever hurt or killed again by hate."

Woodward is currently being held on $5 million bail and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing later this month.