Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Authorities filed charges Wednesday in the October slaying of a Detroit synagogue leader and former aide to a local congresswoman - alleging that she was killed by a stranger who broke into her home.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said there was not a “shred of evidence” that Samantha Woll was killed as a result of anti-semitism or any hate crime. She had been stabbed to death several times.

28-year-old Michael Manuel Jackson-Bolanos of Detroit is charged with homicide, home invasion, and lying to a peace officer.

The charges were announced during an afternoon press conference.

The 40-year-old Woll was found dead outside her home, east of downtown Detroit, on October 21st hours after returning from a wedding. Investigators believe she was attacked inside the residence.

Worthy said there are no facts to suggest the defendant knew Woll.

Police said a person of interest was in custody over the weekend. A different person who was in custody was released in November. Worthy said “This was an extraordinarily sad and tragic case. To protect the integrity of the process, she said further information and specifics would be revealed during court proceedings.

Woll was president of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue. Besides her work for the synagogue, Woll had worked for Democratic U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin - who represents Livingston County - and on the political campaign of state Attorney General Dana Nessel.