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.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

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.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount