Prosecutors in Michigan have filed murder charges against 28-year-old Michael Manuel Jackson-Bolanos in connection with the killing of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll.
Prosecutor Kym Worthy said Jackson-Bolanos is also being charged with breaking and entering before the murder.
40-year-old Woll was found dead outside of her home in Detroit, and investigators believe she was attacked inside her home.
Woll also founded the Muslim-Jewish Forum of Detroit, an organization dedicated to improving relations between Muslims and Jews.
Worthy claimed there was not a “shred of evidence” her murder was motivated by antisemitism, and the two apparently did not know each other.
The prosecutor also said that Jackson-Bolanos lied to investigators when they questioned him regarding the theft and attempted theft of vehicles in the area on the night of the murder.
She revealed that the front door to Woll’s home “was ajar and unlocked, and a significant amount of blood was inside.”
“This was an extraordinarily sad and tragic case,” Worthy said. “This takes time. We never want to rush to judgment.”
