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Suspect charged with homicide, larceny in death of Samantha Woll

Samantha Woll, president of the board at the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue poses for a photo in Detroit, Oct. 13, 2022. Samantha Woll, a Detroit synagogue president was found stabbed to death outside her home Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023 police said. The motive wasn't known. (David Guralnick/Detroit News via AP)

(NewsNation) — Prosecutors in Detroit have announced they are filing charges against a suspect in the killing of Samantha Woll, 53 days after her death.

The prosecutor’s office is charging Michael Manuel Jackson-Bolanos, 28, with homicide, larceny and making false and misleading statements to the police.


Bolanos was taken into custody Sunday but police remained tight-lipped until a press conference Wednesday afternoon. Police said he was already on their radar before he was taken into custody in relation to Woll’s death.

Authorities said there is no indication that Bolanos knew Woll and there is no evidence Woll’s death was a hate crime.

Woll, a leader at a Detroit synagogue, was found stabbed outside her home and the timing of her death led some to suggest it may have been motivated by antisemitism.

Police previously arrested and then released a suspect in November without filing charges. They confirmed Wednesday that the person had no connection to the crime.

A resident of the neighborhood told NewsNation that police were back at the residence last night, looking in the bushes for a possible murder weapon.

Officials declined to release additional details of the case, including Bolanos’ criminal history and whether he was committing other crimes in the area, saying more information would be revealed during the trial.