DETROIT – A trial for the Detroit man accused of attacking and killing well-known Jewish community leader Samantha Woll was scheduled to continue Tuesday.
A jury was seated Tuesday, June 11 for the murder trial of Michael Jackson-Bolanos, who is charged with fatally stabbing Woll at her Detroit apartment in October 2023. The trial began that afternoon.
Witness testimony was continuing Tuesday. You can watch the trial live in the video player up above.
Jackson-Bolanos, a Detroit man in his late 20s, was charged in December with felony murder, first-degree home invasion, lying to the police, and later first-degree murder in connection with Woll’s killing. He is accused of stabbing 40-year-old Woll to death at her home in Lafayette Park, a neighborhood just east of Downtown Detroit, on Oct. 21, 2023.
A neighbor found Woll’s body on the ground outside of her home hours after she was killed.
Police arrested and charged Jackson-Bolanos in December after weeks of investigating and pressure from the community. Police believe Jackson-Bolanos killed Woll during a home invasion, and that the two did not know each other.
Jackson-Bolanos was ordered in January to stand trial. If convicted, he faces the possibility of life in prison.
A look at what happened
Samantha Woll, who also went by Sam, was found stabbed to death the morning of Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, outside her Detroit apartment. A witness found Woll lying on the ground unresponsive at about 6:30 a.m. that day.
First responders arrived at the scene and saw Woll had been stabbed several times. She was declared dead at the scene. Officials later said she was stabbed eight times, including several times in the neck.
Police said a “trail of blood” led from where Woll’s body was found back to her home. Police believe the woman was attacked in her home sometime after 12:30 a.m., when she arrived home from a wedding, and that she stumbled outside after the attack.
Investigators confirmed that there were no signs of forced entry at Woll’s home. She was found with her wallet and phone on her. Sources have said there were no defensive wounds on Woll, but police hadn’t confirmed that detail.
Throughout the investigation, authorities repeatedly affirmed that there is no evidence to indicate Woll’s killing was a hate crime.
Prosecutors lay out timeline of events
During Jackson-Bolanos’ preliminary hearing on Jan. 23, prosecutors walked through video evidence and showed how Detroit police linked Michael Jackson-Bolanos to Woll’s Lafayette Park neighborhood on the night of her killing.
One video, starting at 12:30 a.m. on October 21, depicted a person leaving an apartment in Detroit’s Midtown. Police traced this person -- believed to be Jackson-Bolanos -- through dozens of video sources over several hours, placing them near the crime scene and back to the Midtown apartment.
The defense claims it is unclear that the individual captured in those videos is indeed Michael Jackson-Bolanos. Prosecutors also presented cell phone evidence showing Jackson-Bolanos’ whereabouts.
---> Click here to see a thorough timeline of Jackson-Bolanos’ whereabouts.
Jacket is a key piece of evidence
Jackson-Bolanos’ apartment on West Alexandrine Street in Midtown was searched amid the homicide investigation, 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 were as close to certain as they can be that the blood on the jacket belongs to Woll.
Jackson-Bolanos arrested
Police arrested Jackson-Bolanos in Utica in December 2023. Law enforcement had been surveilling the man and located him driving his car -- a 2007 Dodge Charger -- in Macomb County on the day of his arrest.
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office announced charges against Jackson-Bolanos on Dec. 13, 2023. In addition to being charged with felony murder and now first-degree 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.
Brian Brown, defense attorney for Jackson-Bolanos, has said his client is denying all allegations against him. Brown said he believes Jackson-Bolanos “may be a victim of circumstance,” particularly following a previous arrest made in November that resulted in zero charges.
A man was arrested in western Michigan in November 2023, and was released a few days later without being charged. That person’s identity was not revealed, but the Wayne County prosecutor confirmed the person was not Jackson-Bolanos.
Brown said he believes police have once again arrested the wrong person.
About Woll
Woll served as president of the board of directors for Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue near Capitol Park in Detroit, and was well known in the 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