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DETROIT - On December 13, 2023, Michael Manual Jackson-Bolanos, 28, of Detroit was charged by Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy in connection with the homicide of Samantha Woll, 40, of Detroit. Ms. Woll was the Board President of the Isaac Agree Downtown Detroit Synagogue. The defendant and Ms. Woll did not know each other. There were no facts to suggest that the homicide was a hate crime.

On October 21, 2023, at approximately 6:38 a.m., Ms. Woll's lifeless body was found lying outside of a neighbor's apartment located in the 1360 block of Joliet Place in Detroit. She was discovered by another neighbor who was walking past the apartments. This neighbor immediately returned to his home and called 911. Detroit police officers responded to the scene and observed Ms. Woll's deceased body in a pool of blood. They also observed that she had multiple stab wounds on her body. The front door to her home was ajar and unlocked, and a significant amount of blood was inside. Blood from the inside of the home led outside of the home. The medical examiner determined that Ms. Woll's death was caused by multiple sharp force wounds with a straight edge cutting instrument, and the manner of death was homicide.

The exhaustive investigation by the Detroit Police Department has included witness interviews, review of hours of security footage, cellular data, and forensic evidence. As a result, Defendant Jackson-Bolanos has been identified as the perpetrator of Ms. Woll's homicide. It is alleged that he committed a home invasion when he entered her house and stabbed her multiple times causing her death. It is further alleged that he lied to the police by making statements he knew were false and misleading relating to the investigation of the case.

Michael Manual Jackson-Bolanos was charged with: Felony Murder during the perpetration or attempted perpetration of a larceny and/or a first-degree home invasion and First-Degree Premeditated Murder. These charges carry a penalty of life in prison without parole. He is also charged with one Count of Home Invasion which a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and one count of Lying to a Peace Officer during a 4 year or more crime investigation.

He had a jury trial before Judge Margaret Van Houten that began on June 10, 2024, and concluded today. The jury found the Defendant not guilty of First or Second-Degree Murder and guilty of Lying to a Police Officer. The jury was deadlocked on the charges of Felony Murder and Home invasion.

At the time of the partial verdict Prosecutor Kym Worthy said, "First, I want to thank the jury for their time, dedication, and attention to this case. We were hopeful that a decision could be reached today, but we will press on for justice for the Woll family."

Today Jackson-Bolanos was sentenced to 18 months to 15 years in the Michigan Department of Corrections on the charge of Lying to a Police Officer before Judge Margaret Van Houten. The defense filed a motion to dismiss the remaining Felony Murder and Home Invasion charges which was granted by the Court today. The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office will be seeking leave to appeal the dismissal of the two charges in the Michigan Court of Appeals.

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