On January 14th, three days after the body of a missing teenager was found buried in a shallow grave in an Orange County park, detectives announced Friday that they had arrested a former high school classmate, Samuel Lincoln Woodward, in the slaying.

Nineteen-year-old Blaze Bernstein was reported missing January 3rd by his family, who became concerned after he didn’t show up for a dental appointment. They found his wallet and glasses in his room. He was on winter break from the University of Pennsylvania where he was a dental student and was visiting his parents in Lake Forest, California when he disappeared.

Detectives used his Snapchat account to identify the friend who had picked him up the night before, said Orange County Undersheriff Don Barnes. That friend,Woodward,  told investigators that he had left Bernstein after he walked off by himself into Borrego Park, Barnes said.

But Barnes said investigators found inconsistencies in Woodward’s statement.

A search warrant affidavit, obtained by the Orange County Register, said that Woodward had scratches and abrasions on his hands and dirty fingernails, and that he said he could not recall the last name or address of a girlfriend he visited after dropping off Bernstein.

His alibi did not stick.

When asked about the abrasions by detectives, Woodward said that they were from a “fight club” he participated in and that his fingernails were dirty because he fell into a “dirt puddle” during sparring.

On Monday, the Orange County Register reported Blaze Bernstein had been stabbed more than 20 times, according to an affidavit. The report also revealed that Woodward told investigators that Blaze Bernstein had kissed him on the lips, prompting Woodward to push him away.

The investigators noted that Woodward had clenched his jaw and fists while recounting the story. These actions caused concern in the detectives.

Jeanne Pepper Bernstein, mother of the deceased student, tweeted, “Finally,” after hearing of the arrest.

She told The Times, “I would just say that we are grateful for the fine men and women in the [Sheriff’s Department] who have worked tirelessly to get answers for our family, our community and the world.