Samantha Woll Murder: Prosecutors Use Cite Cellphone, Jacket As Key Evidence

DETROIT — Prosecutors unveiled numerous pieces of evidence during an hours-long hearing Tuesday against the man accused of killing Samantha Woll, a well-known leader in Detroit’s Jewish community.

Michael Jackson-Bolanos, 28, was charged with felony murder, home invasion and lying to police officers in connection to the killing. He faces life in prison if convicted on the murder charge.

Kevin Mull, a neighbor, told the court he was walking a friend’s dog at 6:38 a.m. on Oct. 21, 2023 in the 1300 block of Joliet Place, a neighborhood just east of downtown, when he found Woll's body. He said she was barefoot, and her skin was a cold and a bluish color.

Officers arrived moments later and found Woll's body in a pool of blood a few feet from her apartment with multiple stab wounds from a straight edge knife, prosecutors said.

Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Elsey said the medical examiner’s report showed Woll had been stabbed eight times in the head, neck and back.

Detroit Police Sgt. Daron Zhou was among theofficers who responded to Woll's home and said he found "a lot of blood" after walking into the apartment, where the front door was left open.

Zhou said there was a lot of blood next to the hallway leading into the living room, and a blood trail leading to Woll’s body outside.

Michigan State Police trooper Elizabeth Stockmeyer told the court Tuesday that the security system at Woll's home showed the front door was opened at 1:01 a.m., with no data that it ever closed. She also said there was a motion detected in the living room at 1:24 a.m. and then again at 4:20 a.m., which was the last time.

Special Agent with the FBI’s Detroit office Brian Toltzis told the court Tuesday that Jackson-Bolanos’ cellphone was pinging in the area of Rivard Street and Nicolet Place, roughly a quarter-mile from Woll’s home, between 1:42 and 1:44 a.m.

Toltzis also said surveillance cameras in the area during that time caught Jackson-Bolanos wearing a black North Face jacket.

Toltzis then said that Jackson-Bolanos’ cellphone started pinging in the area near Woll's home between 3:50 and 4:20 a.m., which is when prosecutors believe the killing happened.

The cellphone records then showed Jackson-Bolanos going west toward the downtown area around 4:30 a.m. and to an apartment on Alexandrine Street in Midtown, where he had been earlier that morning, Toltzis said.

Stockmeyer said investigators searched that apartment on Alexandrine Street and found a North Face jacket, which they believe was the same jacket that surveillance cameras caught him wearing earlier that morning.

Stockmeyer added that investigators found blood stains on the jacket and determined it to be Woll’s blood.

During cross-examination, defense lawyers noted that Jackson-Bolanos was never seen entering or leaving Woll's apartment, and that there is no evidence placing him inside the apartment.

Prosecutors said they have more witnesses who will testify when the hearing resumes on Jan. 23 at 1:30 p.m.

Woll was a prominent Jewish leader in Detroit, serving as president of the board of Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue. Police do not believe antisemitism played a role in the killing. Police also said they don't believe any other groups or people are at risk.

A December 2023 statement from Woll family read:

Our family is sincerely grateful to the hard-working women and men of the DPD Homicide Task Force who worked around the clock for weeks to thoroughly investigate this tragic crime. Through their dedication and tireless efforts, we firmly believe that they have successfully solved this senseless crime. We cannot thank them enough.

We would also like to thank everyone for their support and prayers. Samantha‘s death is an unspeakable tragedy that has affected not only her family and friends but also those who knew her as a devoted community activist, leader, and bridge builder. She was loved deeply, and her light spread far and wide. We kindly request that the media respect our privacy at this difficult time.