Man charged in fatal stabbing of Detroit synagogue president

A man has been charged in the fatal October stabbing of a Detroit synagogue president.

Michael Jackson-Bolanos, 28, has been charged with murder in the killing of Samantha Woll, who was the head of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue in Detroit, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a Wednesday press conference. Worthy called the case “extraordinarily sad and tragic.”

“[T]here [has been] painstaking, diligent and tireless work done by the Detroit Police Department and my office, oftentimes around the clock, and I commend them for that,” Worthy said.

Worthy also noted “none of the evidence” points to the fact the case is a hate crime, mirroring the words of other Michigan authorities on the case from a few days after Woll’s death.

Woll previously worked for Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s (D) campaign in 2022.

“I and all of Team Slotkin is heartbroken at this news,” Slotkin said in a Facebook post following Woll’s death. “Sam worked for me from nearly the moment I became a Congresswoman, helping us set up the office & helping to lead it for my full first term.”

“My heart aches that we have lost someone so dedicated to serving others in such a senseless act,” she continued. “I’ll miss her relentless desire to serve & her bright smile seemingly everywhere across the Detroit area. Team Slotkin shares in the deep grief of her family & her greater community.”

Nessel also said she was “shocked, saddened and horrified” by Woll’s killing.

“Sam was as kind a person as I’ve ever known. She was driven by her sincere love of her community, state and country. Sam truly used her faith and activism to create a better place for everyone,” Nessel added.