Detroit man charged in stabbing death of synagogue president

A man was charged Wednesday in the murder of Samantha Woll, a synagogue president who was found stabbed to death outside her Detroit home in October, authorities said.

Ms. Woll’s death appears to have occurred during a burglary at her home, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy said at a news conference.

“This is an extremely sad and tragic case,” Ms. Worthy said, adding that “there are no facts to indicate that this defendant knew Ms. Woll, and there are no facts to indicate that this was a hate crime.”

Michael Jackson-Bolanos, 28, was charged with first-degree murder, a charge that carries a penalty of life in prison without parole. He was also charged with residential burglary and lying to a peace officer. Mr Jackson-Bolanos was held in custody on Wednesday evening and it was uncertain whether he had legal representation.

Ms. Woll, 40, was a widely known civic and religious leader in Detroit whose death prompted an outpouring of grief and tributes from elected officials in Michigan.

In the first few days after Ms. Woll’s death, Detroit Police Chief James E. White said the killing did not appear to be related to anti-Semitism, despite widespread speculation that her death on October 21 might be related to developing tensions . in the United States about the conflict in the Middle East following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7. Chief White also told reporters at the time that police had identified “persons of interest” in the case and were close to naming a suspect.

Authorities provided few details about the evidence they collected in the case. On Wednesday, Chief White said police had been monitoring Mr Jackson-Bolanos’ movements.

Ms. Woll led a synagogue in downtown Detroit, where she was known as a dedicated leader who connected people from many faiths and worked extensively in state Democratic politics. She had once been political director for Dana Nessel, Michigan’s attorney general.

The night before her death, Mrs. Woll attended a wedding, which she left just after midnight and returned to her home in Detroit’s Lafayette Park neighborhood.

About 6:30 a.m. Saturday, police officers responded to a 911 call and found Ms. Woll outside, unresponsive and with multiple stab wounds. A trail of blood led to her home, where police believe the crime occurred.

There were no signs of forced entry. Chief White said Ms. Woll had been outside for “quite some time” before her body was found.