On Thursday, a jury decided that Michael Jackson-Bolanos was not guilty of first-degree premeditated murder in the case of the Detroit synagogue leader’s death. However, the jury couldn’t agree on another murder charge, which means there might be a retrial.
The jury had been deliberating for five days and started over this week after one juror was replaced by an alternate.
Jackson-Bolanos was accused of stabbing Samantha Woll at her home last October. He testified that he didn’t kill her but admitted he touched her body when he found it outside in the middle of the night.
There were speculations about the killing being linked to antisemitism due to the Israel-Hamas conflict, but the police found no evidence of this connection.
Jackson-Bolanos was found not guilty of first-degree murder but was convicted of lying to the police. The jury couldn’t reach a decision on the charges of felony murder (murder committed during another crime) and home invasion.
This means Jackson-Bolanos might face another trial.
Defense lawyer Brian Brown said that while it was a small win, it wasn’t the result he had hoped for. Prosecutor Kym Worthy promised to continue seeking justice for Woll’s family and said the next steps would be revealed at a hearing on July 25.
Woll, 40, was found with multiple stab wounds outside her home, shortly after attending a wedding. Police believe she was attacked inside her house and managed to get outside before collapsing.
The trial relied on indirect evidence. Jackson-Bolanos’ jacket had spots of Woll’s blood, and there was video of him in the area, but no proof he was inside her home. Jackson-Bolanos said he was just looking for unlocked cars and denied breaking into Woll’s house or stabbing her.
Defense lawyer Brown suggested that Woll was attacked by someone who knew her, describing it as a “crime of passion.” He claimed Jackson-Bolanos was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
A former boyfriend was initially arrested after making a panicked 911 call, claiming he might have killed Woll but later said it was due to medication. He was not charged.
Woll was the president of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue and active in Democratic politics. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer called her a “beacon in her community.”