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SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) – After more than two and a half months, the murder trial of 26-year-old Samuel Woodward is moving closer to being referred to a jury.

They will soon decide whether Woodward killed his former Orange County School of the Arts classmate Blaze Bernstein because he was gay.

“This is an individual whose focus is hate,” said Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Walker in her closing argument.

“And the irony is not lost on me that we are hearing this case during Pride month, which is another example of how we as a society all know this is a problem,” she added.

Walker told jurors they had all the facts to convict Woodward of first-degree murder, including an enhanced hate crime charge based on Woodward’s own testimony and DNA evidence.

“He was brutally murdered and buried within an hour and a half,” she said.

Walker said Woodward stabbed and killed the 19-year-old on January 2, 2018, and then buried him after picking him up from his home.

She argued that Bernstein’s murder was premeditated and that Woodward was convinced his body would never be found.

“He already had his luggage with him, was already talking to the Atomwaffen people about going somewhere else, and thought he was going to get away with it. Only by the grace of God it started to rain and his body was found,” Walker said.

However, the defense wants the jury to consider a lesser crime, including manslaughter.

Woodward testified that he smoked strong marijuana and fell into a state of anxiety after catching Bernstein touching him inappropriately and holding a phone.

Defense attorney Ken Morrison previously said Woodward feared he was being filmed and that’s why he killed Bernstein.

He said Woodward acted hastily and under strong emotions, which clouded his judgment.

Woodward denied killing Bernstein because of his sexuality.

He also said that his affiliation with Attomwaffen, a right-wing neo-Nazi group, had nothing to do with the murder.

Walker said he committed first-degree murder out of hate and the only verdict the jury should consider was a guilty verdict.

“He’s not as smart as he thinks he is, and he’s not smarter than you,” Walker said. “You’ve been here for three months, watching, observing, listening carefully and diligently. And with those 28 stab wounds, he took away a beautiful life from me.”

The jury was sent home on Friday and will return Monday afternoon.

Morrison is ready to begin his closing argument.

The jury could begin deliberations next week. If convicted, Woodward faces a life sentence.