DETROIT – Prosecutors on Tuesday began laying out the timeline related to the fatal attack of Samantha Woll, a well-known Detroit synagogue president, during a preliminary hearing for the man accused in her death.
Michael Jackson-Bolanos, 28, has been charged with murder, among other crimes, in connection with the Oct. 21, 2023, stabbing death of Woll at her Detroit home. Officials say Woll was attacked inside her Lafayette Park home in Detroit after returning home from a wedding in the early morning hours.
After weeks of investigating, Jackson-Bolanos was charged in December 2023 with felony murder. Authorities accuse the man of killing Woll during a home invasion, and say they do not believe the two knew each other.
Jackson-Bolanos pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. His preliminary hearing -- during which prosecutors will lay out evidence, much like a trial -- began on Tuesday, Jan. 16. The hearing did not conclude, and will resume on Jan. 23 -- but the prosecution’s witnesses did offer new details related to cellphone data, Woll’s security system, and Jackson-Bolanos’ alleged ties to the fatal stabbing.
More evidence is expected to be laid out when the hearing resumes, but here’s the timeline of events that we’re aware of so far, based on Tuesday’s testimony.
Timeline leading up to and following Woll’s death on Oct. 21, 2023
12:30 a.m.
Woll returns from a wedding to her home on Joliet Place in Detroit’s Lafayette Park. Woll lived in a building that houses multiple condominium units.
12:31 a.m.
Records from Woll’s security system indicate that the front door was opened.
12:32 a.m.
Records from Woll’s security system indicate there was motion in the living room.
Michigan State Police Trooper Elizabeth Stockmeyer, who is the officer in charge of this case, testified that someone had to be approximately 17 feet from the front door to trigger the living room security sensor.
12:35 a.m.
Jackson-Bolanos is believed to be at his apartment located on Alexandrine Street located near Cass Avenue in Detroit’s Midtown neighborhood.
Investigators have tied Jackson-Bolanos to this location at this time using his cellphone data. After Jackson-Bolanos’ cellphone was seized following his arrest, his cellphone’s activity and records were reviewed by law enforcement.
Specifically, a report by a special agent with the FBI’s Detroit office was shown in court on Jan. 16. A member of the cellular analysis team testified that he examined the phone’s data, as well as cellphone tower records, to establish the phone’s location on the day Woll was killed.
After 12:35 p.m., Jackson-Bolanos’ cellphone data shows it was moving southward into Downtown Detroit, and then headed eastward.
1:01 a.m.
Woll’s security system alerted that the front door had been left open. Officials said there was no evidence that the front door was ever closed.
1:02 a.m.
Woll sent a text message, according to a Detroit police detective who works with the phone extraction unit. Detective Sarah Markel testified on Tuesday that the text message sent at this time was the last outgoing communication to come from Woll’s phone.
It was not said who Woll texted or what she wrote.
1:24 a.m.
Woll’s security system indicated that motion was detected in the living room.
1:29 a.m.
Woll’s phone was unlocked. Detective Markel said this was the last sign of user interaction on Woll’s cellphone.
1:42 a.m.-1:44 a.m.
The FBI special agent testified that Jackson-Bolanos’ cellphone was pinging in the area of Rivard Street and Nicolet Place -- a distance of about a quarter mile or less from Woll’s home.
Authorities say a person believed to be Jackson-Bolanos was captured on surveillance cameras in that area at that time. The person captured on surveillance was wearing a black North Face jacket.
3 a.m.-3:07 a.m.
Jackson-Bolanos’ phone was pinging in the area of McDougall and Wight Street in Detroit’s Rivertown neighborhood. Officials said this location was of significance because there is more surveillance footage that allegedly shows Jackson-Bolanos in that area at that time.
3:50 a.m.-4:20 a.m.
The FBI special agent testified that Jackson-Bolanos’ cellphone was consistently in the geographic area of the crime scene, at Woll’s home, during this time.
4:20 a.m.
Motion was once again detected in Woll’s living room. This was reportedly the last motion detected by the security system leading up to Woll’s death.
4:20 a.m.-4:30 a.m.
Jackson-Bolanos’ cellphone reportedly moved in a western direction from the crime scene at Woll’s home to Downtown Detroit proper.
4:30 a.m.-4:31 a.m.
Officials testified that Jackson-Bolanos’ cellphone was pinging in the Downtown Detroit area around Madison Street and around Broadway Street (those streets do not intersect).
An outgoing call was made from Jackson-Bolanos’ phone at 4:31 a.m. It was not said who was called.
Officials said the cellphone’s pings showed Jackson-Bolanos continued moving north after reaching Downtown Detroit.
4:55 a.m.
By this time, cellphone data shows Jackson-Bolanos’ phone remained in the area of his apartment located on Alexandrine Street in Midtown.
6:20 a.m.-6:30 a.m.
A neighbor was walking a dog and found Woll lying outside near her home on Joliet Place. The neighbor said he found Woll lying on the sidewalk directly across from his home.
The neighbor said Woll was barefoot and lying in the fetal position. He believed she was dead and had been lying there for a while we he found her, given the blue color of her skin.
The neighbor said he saw an exposed area of skin on Woll’s back and touched it to see if she would react, but there was no reaction, and Woll was cold to the touch. The neighbor then returned home to put the dog inside and asked his wife to call 911.
He said he and his wife then returned to the scene, but did not administer CPR so as to not disturb the crime scene, and because he believed Woll was already dead.
Officials have not said at exactly what time they believe Woll was killed.
Jacket is key piece of evidence
Police arrived at the scene after being alerted by the neighbor, prompting the start of a homicide investigation. A coroner’s report indicates that Woll was stabbed eight times, including in the neck several times. Authorities have said a trail of blood led from Woll’s home to outside where she was found.
Jackson-Bolanos’ apartment on West Alexandrine Street was searched, but authorities reportedly did not find any DNA or fingerprints belonging to Jackson-Bolanos.
Investigators did find a black North Face jacket believed to be the same jacket spotted on surveillance cameras, as well as electronics inside the apartment. The jacket was seized and found to have stains on the sleeves and front. Experts tested the stains on the jacket alongside blood samples from Woll, and are as close to certain as they can be that the blood on the jacket belongs to Woll.
Jackson-Bolanos’ arrest
Police arrested Jackson-Bolanos in Utica on Oct. 21, 2023. Law enforcement had been surveilling the man, and located him driving his car -- a 2007 Dodge Charger -- in Macomb County on that day.
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office announced charges against Jackson-Bolanos on Dec. 13, 2023. In addition to being charged with felony murder, the man has also been charged with with home invasion and lying to a peace officer.
A felony murder charge is when someone accused of committing a violent felony is charged with murder if the commission of that felony results in someone’s death.
Preliminary hearing not over yet
The preliminary examination hearing for Jackson-Bolanos is scheduled to resume at the 36th District Court in Detroit on Tuesday, Jan. 23. Prosecutors are expected to call more witnesses to the stand to introduce more evidence against Jackson-Bolanos.
What is a preliminary hearing?
A preliminary hearing comes after a person charged with a crime pleads not guilty that crime, and before a trial can occur.
At a preliminary examination hearing, the judge observes evidence provided by the prosecutor who charged the defendant. The hearing serves as a sort of mini trial, in which witnesses can testify, and the defense can cross-examine them.
The point of the hearing is to determine if there is enough evidence for the case to go to trial.
The judge will determine if the defendant should go to trial based on the evidence they observed during the hearing. If there is sufficient evidence and the judge finds there is reason to believe the defendant committed the crime, a trial date will be scheduled. If not, the charges against the defendant could be dismissed.
About Woll
Woll served as president of the board of directors for Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue near Capitol Park, and was well known in the Detroit community. She was also a campaign staffer for Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, and a former aide to Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin.
Woll was remembered as someone who supported people and people-centered movements, and was credited for her interfaith work, including by Muslim advocacy groups.
“Our family is sincerely grateful to the hard-working women and men of the DPD Homicide Task Force who worked around the clock for weeks to thoroughly investigate this tragic crime. Through their dedication and tireless efforts, we firmly believe that they have successfully solved this senseless crime. We cannot thank them enough.
“We would also like to thank everyone for their support and prayers. Samantha‘s death is an unspeakable tragedy that has affected not only her family and friends but also those who knew her as a devoted community activist, leader, and bridge builder. She was loved deeply, and her light spread far and wide. We kindly request that the media respect our privacy at this difficult time.”
Statement from the Woll family, December 2023