Man cleared of premeditated murder in Detroit synagogue leader's death but could face 2nd trial

DETROIT (AP) — A jury on Thursday acquitted a man of first-degree premeditated murder in the killing of a Detroit synagogue leader but couldn't reach a verdict on a separate murder charge, setting up a possible retrial in the highly publicized case.

Deliberations lasted five days and began anew this week when a juror was excused and an alternate was promoted.

Michael Jackson-Bolanos was accused of fatally stabbing Samantha Woll at her home last October. He testified in his own defense, insisting that he had no role but acknowledging that he touched the body when he discovered it outdoors in the middle of the night.

Woll’s death immediately raised speculation about whether it was some type of antisemitic retaliation amid the Israel-Hamas war, though police found no connection.

Jackson-Bolanos was acquitted of first-degree murder but convicted of lying to police. The jury couldn't reach a unanimous verdict on felony murder, which under Michigan law is murder committed during another crime, and home invasion.

The mixed results mean Jackson-Bolanos could face another trial.

“It’s somewhat of a small, partial victory, but it’s not the victory I was anticipating,” defense attorney Brian Brown told the Detroit Free Press.

Prosecutor Kym Worthy pledged to “press on for justice” for Woll's family. She said next steps would be disclosed at a July 25 hearing.

Woll, 40, was found with multiple stab wounds outside her home, just east of downtown Detroit, hours after returning from a fall wedding. Investigators believe she was attacked inside the residence but got outdoors before collapsing in the middle of the night.

The trial mostly centered on circumstantial evidence. Police said Jackson-Bolanos’ jacket had spots of Woll’s blood. While there is video of him walking in the area, there’s no evidence of him being inside her home.

Jackson-Bolanos told the jury that he was in the neighborhood looking for unlocked cars. He said “absolutely not” when his attorney asked if he broke into Woll’s townhouse and stabbed her.

During his closing argument, Brown noted that Woll was attacked around the head and neck, calling it a “crime of passion” probably by someone familiar to her.

“This case involves the wrong person who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Brown said of Jackson-Bolanos.

Investigators first arrested a former boyfriend who made a hysterical call to 911 and told authorities that he believed he might have killed Woll but couldn’t remember it. He blamed an adverse reaction to medication for those claims. He was not charged.

Woll was president of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue and also active in Democratic politics, working for U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin and state Attorney General Dana Nessel. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Woll was a “beacon in her community.”