Detroit Man Charged In Killing Of Detroit Jewish Leader

DETROIT — A Detroit man has been charged in connection with the killing of Samantha Woll, a leader in Detroit’s Jewish community, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced Wednesday evening.

Michael Manuel Jackson-Bolanos, 28, was charged with felony murder, home invasion and lying to police officers. He was placed in the Wayne County Jail. His next court date is scheduled for Dec. 27.

If convicted on all charges, Jackson-Bolanos faces life in prison without parole.

Investigators believe Jackson-Bolanos killed Woll as he tried breaking into her home. Investigators also said Jackson-Bolanos lied to police about committing larcenies or attempted larcenies from vehicles the day of Woll's death.

Police reiterated Wednesday evening they do not believe antisemitism played a role in the killing. Police also said they don't believe Jackson-Bolanos knew Woll.

Prosecutors said Woll's body was found by a neighbor who was walking past the apartments at 6:38 a.m. in the 1300 block of Joliet Place, a neighborhood just east of downtown, police said.

Officers arrived moments later and found Woll's body in a pool of blood after she was stabbed multiple times from straight edge cutting, prosecutors said.

Officers found the front door to Woll's home open and unlocked, and a significant amount of blood inside in the home, prosecutors said.

Police said officers then followed a "trail of blood" that led detectives outside the home to where they believed she collapsed and fell.

"This is an extraordinarily sad and tragic case. Since October 21st, the date that Samantha Woll was killed, there has been painstaking, diligent, and tireless work done by the Detroit Police Department and my office. Investigations like this take time and we do our best to never rush to judgment," Worthy said.

Woll, 40, was well known in the Detroit community and served as the board president of the Isaac Agree Downtown Detroit Synagogue in Downtown Detroit.