In Detroit, Michael Jackson-Bolanos was cleared of a murder charge in the case of Samantha Woll, a synagogue leader found dead outside her home. The judge dismissed a remaining murder charge, citing double jeopardy. Jackson-Bolanos was acquitted of first-degree premeditated murder but faced a hung jury on a felony murder charge related to a home invasion. The judge ruled out a second trial based on a Supreme Court decision on partial jury verdicts. Prosecutors plan to appeal.
Jackson-Bolanos was sentenced to 18 months for lying to police during the investigation. He maintained his innocence, claiming he found Woll’s body by chance. Investigators first arrested a former boyfriend who later claimed he might have killed Woll due to medication but was not charged.
Woll was president of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue and active in Democratic politics. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer praised her as a community beacon. The case raised speculation of antisemitic retaliation amid the Israel-Hamas war, though no connection was found. Jackson-Bolanos, a Black man, stated that finding himself near a dead white woman while breaking into cars at night did not look good. Defense attorney Brian Brown argued he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Despite a victory for Jackson-Bolanos, the case, highly publicized due to its circumstances, ended with unanswered questions and disappointment for Woll’s family and community.
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