Detroit Man Charged in Murder of Synagogue Leader Samantha Woll
Prosecutor Kym Worthy said there was no evidence that the murder was a hate crime.
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue
A 28-year-old man has been charged in the murder of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy declared on Wednesday.
Worthy accused the suspect, who has been identified as Michael Manuel Jackson-Bolanos, of homicide, home invasion, and lying to police officers but said there was no evidence that he knew Woll or that the murder was a hate crime.
On Sunday, Jackson-Bolanos became the second suspect to be detained. Investigators had announced they were questioning a person of interest back in November, but without explanation, they released them three days later.
According to NBC News, Detroit Police Chief James White said at a Monday press conference that the latest suspect had been taken into custody “within an hour of the new information surfacing because investigators were familiar with their whereabouts.” He reassured reporters that there was no danger to the surrounding community because the person was being held under “continuous investigation.”
Detroit police then confirmed that charges were requested against the suspect on Tuesday.
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Woll, 40, was found dead on Oct. 21 outside her home with multiple stab wounds. A trail of blood led detectives to her home, where they said the crime likely took place.
The Detroit Free Press reported that her murder was extensively covered due to her role as the board president of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue and amid reports of increases in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents in the U.S. following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
The Detroit newspaper also stated that Woll was known for her involvement in Michigan Democratic politics, working for Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and helping Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s re-election campaign.
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