Suspect in killing of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll cleared of premeditated murder but could face 2nd trial
Samantha Woll, president of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue in Detroit, welcomes attendees to the congregation’s centennial celebration and groundbreaking on a major renovation project, Aug. 14, 2022. (Andrew Lapin/Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
(JTA) — A Wayne County, Michigan jury has found the suspect in the murder of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll not guilty of premeditated murder, following five days of deliberations.
The jury remains deadlocked on charges of felony murder and home invasion, and found the defendant Michael Jackson-Bolanos, 29, guilty of lying to the police.
Jackson-Bolanos was charged in December with first-degree murder, home invasion and lying to the police.
Woll, the 40-year-old president of Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue and a Democratic activist, was found stabbed to death outside of her home on Oct. 21, 2023. Her death shocked the Detroit Jewish community, coming as it did just two weeks after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, but law enforcement were quick to determine her killing was not a hate crime. Jackson-Bolanos was the second suspect taken into custody, nearly two months after Woll’s death.
Woll’s family said in a statement following the verdict that they were “displeased by the outcome.”
“We are stunned and deeply saddened by the outcome of this trial, as there is overwhelming evidence that Michael Jackson-Bolanos took our beloved Samantha’s life,” the statement said. “Samantha spent much of her life working toward justice, and it pains us that justice for Samantha has not yet been served. We will not rest in our pursuit of justice on her behalf.”
“This senseless tragedy leaves us with holes in our hearts that will never heal,” they added. “But Samantha believed in a world of kindness and peace. We hope that as a society, we can continue to strive for good in Samantha’s honor.”
The first suspect, Woll’s ex-boyfriend Jeff Herbstman, placed a 911 call in early November confessing to Woll’s murder during a panic attack. But during his June testimony, said he had no role in her murder and his confession was an “adverse reaction to a medication.”
Jackson-Bolanos also claims he is innocent, having told the jury he was breaking into cars in the neighborhood and never entered Woll’s home. He told the jury Woll was already dead when he found her, and fled when he checked for signs of life and found none.
Jackson-Bolanos, who has past criminal convictions, testified that he was afraid of being recognized.
The two deadlocked counts will be addressed at a July 25 pretrial hearing.
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