Man charged in killing of Jewish synagogue leader in Detroit

DETROIT — A man has been charged in the killing of Samantha Woll, the president of Detroit’s synagogue board who was fatally stabbed outside her home on Oct. 21, prosecutors said on Wednesday.

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According to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, Michael Manuel Jackson-Bolanos, 28, of Detroit, was charged with homicide, home invasion, and lying to police officers, the Detroit Free Press reported. Jackson-Bolanos is accused of killing Woll during a home invasion and did not know her, Worthy said.

Detroit police confirmed that charges were requested against the suspect, who was detained as a “person of interest” on Sunday.

According to police, Woll, 40, was fatally stabbed inside her home in the Lafayette Park neighborhood on Detroit’s east side, The Detroit News reported. After the attack, Woll stumbled out of her house and collapsed on her front lawn, investigators said.

Worthy said her office and Detroit police have been working “around the clock” to solve Woll’s murder, which she called an extraordinarily sad and tragic case.

Worthy said there was “not a shred of evidence” to indicate Woll’s death was a hate crime, according to the newspaper.

A suspect, different from Jackson-Bolanos, was apprehended last month, but no charges were filed and the man was released, the Free Press reported.

Detroit police Chief James White said Monday that new evidence that surfaced over the weekend led to the arrest, according to the News.

Bolanos was arrested several weeks ago, White said, but was released because there was enough evidence at the time to charge him, the newspaper reported.