DETROIT – As the community awaits answers related to the fatal stabbing of well-known synagogue president Samantha Woll, the Detroit police chief said Thursday that investigators have a long to-do list that is expected to take some time.
In the most detailed update on the case since Oct. 23, Detroit police Chief James White on Thursday gave some insight into the investigation of 40-year-old Woll’s death, essentially saying police have a major undertaking on their hands. Specifically, White said investigators have a large list of people who must be disqualified as suspects in the woman’s killing.
Woll, a well-known leader in the local Jewish community, was found stabbed to death outside of her Detroit home in Lafayette Park at around 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21. About six hours earlier, Woll had arrived home from a wedding. At some point in between, police believe Woll was attacked inside her home, and that she stumbled outside to where she was later found.
Detroit police have been selective about the case details they reveal to the public, saying there is certain information only known to police and the person responsible and that it must remain that way. Though no suspect has been identified yet, Chief White previously said that police had identified several persons of interest -- but he clarified that classification during a public police commissioners meeting on Thursday, Nov. 2.
According to White, investigators are in the process of interviewing “a lot of people” in order to disqualify them as suspects in Woll’s killing. Because the woman was killed just after a wedding, it’s believed police have a significant number of people to speak with and rule out during their investigation.
White said that the many people being interviewed by police are not necessarily considered “persons of interest” by police definition, but rather that they are people who “give us interest until they are disqualified.”
“You kind of have to picture a spider web where one circumstance and subject takes you to another subject. And you have to disqualify all of them as suspects before you can declare they’re not suspects,” White said, in part, Thursday. " ... A person of interest, by declaration, would mean that there are facts, evidence and circumstances that lead us to believe they have more to bring.”
White said that though a suspect has not yet been identified, police are confident that they will be able to identify one. Police are also confident in the direction their investigation is heading, and believe it will lead them to a conclusion, White said.
“But it’s gonna take some time. This is not gonna be one that we’re reporting on in the next couple days. We have a lot of work to do,” the chief said.
Despite Woll’s locally-known presence in the Jewish community and her role as president of the board of directors for Detroit’s Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, police continue to reiterate that they are confident her death was not a hate crime. This declaration was made shortly after Woll was killed, and is something Chief White has repeated in the nearly two weeks that have followed.
Case details
Samantha Woll, who also went by Sam, was stabbed to death in the early morning hours of Saturday, Oct. 21 at her home in Lafayette Park, a neighborhood just east of Downtown Detroit.
According to authorities, 40-year-old Woll returned home from a wedding at around 12:30 a.m. that Saturday. About six hours later, at least one witness found Woll lying on the ground unresponsive outside of her home and called police.
First responders arrived at the scene and found that Woll had been stabbed multiple times. She was declared dead at the scene.
In an update provided on Oct. 23, Detroit police said they believe Woll was attacked inside her home, and that she stumbled out to the yard afterward, where she was later found. Investigators reportedly found a “trail of blood” leading from her home to where she was found.
There were no signs of forced entry at the woman’s home. She was found with her wallet and phone on her, police confirmed. Sources have said there were no defensive wounds on Woll, but police would not confirm that detail.
Officials said Woll was not acting out of character when she left the wedding.
Because police are being “very, very careful” with the information they share with the public, there are still many unknowns related to Woll’s death, even to us journalists.
---> More: Samantha Woll Detroit murder: What we know (and what we don’t) as investigation continues