Samantha Woll stabbing: Police near suspect in synagogue head’s murder

The chief said that his agency is working in partnership with the FBI and Michigan State Police and has already identified persons of interest.

“We are working through what we have identified as some persons of interest … but we are very early in the investigation,” he said. “We have a number of people who give us interest, we are just short of calling one of the people a suspect.”

Surveillance footage in the neighbourhood does not point directly at residences, making it difficult for investigators to determine who was in the vicinity of Woll’s home around the time she was killed. However, the video could be used to determine travel routes, Chief White said.

Woll was stabbed multiple times inside her home, Chief Jaems White said during a press conference on Monday.

She is then believed to have stumbled outside the house and eventually collapsed on the sidewalk.

He also said there was no evidence of forced entry at Woll’s home and there were no signs that she tried to defend herself.

The chief said that investigators are trying to establish a timeline of the days and hours leading to Woll’s death.

Woll was stabbed multiple times inside her home, Chief Jaems White said during a press conference on Monday.

She is then believed to have stumbled outside the house and eventually collapsed on the sidewalk.

He also said there was no evidence of forced entry at Woll’s home and there were no signs that she tried to defend herself.

The chief said that investigators are trying to establish a timeline of the days and hours leading to Woll’s death.

A motive in Woll’s murder has yet to be established.

Detroit police corporal Dan Donakowski said during an update on Sunday that Woll’s death is being investigated as a homicide but there is no evidence suggesting the murder was a hate crime.

Cpl Donakowski said in a statement that investigators had found a large Israeli flag in Woll’s home that was left untouched.

“I again ask the community to remain patient while our investigators and law enforcement partners continue their work,” Chief White said in a statement. “Everything that can be done to bring this matter to closure is being called into service.”

Authorities probing the stabbing death of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll have said there is no evidence suggesting her murder was motivated by antisemitism.

The Detroit Police Department, Michigan Police and the FBI continue investigating the brutal stabbing of Woll, 40, who was found dead outside her home in the Lafayette Park neighbourhood on Saturday morning.

Woll, a former aide to Democratic Rep Elissa Slotkin and campaign staffer for Attorney General Dana Nessel, had led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue since 2022.

Law enforcement said that police received a call reporting a person lying on the ground unresponsive around 6.30am. When officers arrived at the scene, they followed a trail of blood that led them to Woll’s residence.

Detroit police corporal Dan Donakowski said during an update on Sunday that Woll’s death is being investigated as a homicide but there is no evidence suggesting the murder was a hate crime. Cpl Donakowski said in a statement that investigators had found a large Israeli flag in Woll’s home that was left untouched.

A funeral has been held for the synagogue president who was found stabbed to death at her home in Detroit.

Samantha Woll, 40, was discovered at 6.30am on Saturday by emergency personnel who pronounced her dead at the scene.

Woll, who led the Isaac Agree Downtown Detroit Synagogue, was remembered as a driving force behind the establishment of the Muslim-Jewish Forum of Detroit, and an organizer of events to welcome Syrian refugees.

A motive has not been identified in the killing and the incident is under investigation, a spokesperson for Detroit Police Department told The Independent.

The Michigan chapter of Council on American Islamic Relations called her death a “tragic loss,” noting interfaith work with Woll’s congregation. That included a prayer vigil for the victims of the deadly 2018 attack on a Pennsylvania synagogue.

“We are troubled by the horrific murder of Samantha Woll, a beloved leader within her faith community in Metro Detroit,” said Dawud Walid, the Muslim advocacy group’s executive director, in a Saturday statement.

Detroit Police Chief James E. White said the killing has left many unanswered questions, and he asked the public to be patient as investigators examine all available evidence.

In a statement late Saturday, he said the department had “mobilized many of its resources and has been leveraging every law enforcement and community resource it has to help further the investigation.”

Detroit police, Michigan State Police and the FBI are investigating Woll’s death as a homicide but there is no evidence suggesting the murder was a hate crime, police said.

Authorities said that they found a large Israeli flag in Woll’s home that was left untouched.

In a statement, Governor Gretchen Whitmer said Woll’s death was heartbreaking.

“She was a source of light, a beacon in her community who worked hard to make Michigan a better place,” the governor said.

Michigan State Police were assigned to support the Detroit Police Department in the investigation, Whitmer said.

Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a statement on X, formerly Twitter, saying she was “shocked, saddened and horrified.”

Woll once worked as a staffer for Ms Nessel.

“Sam was as kind a person as I’ve ever known,” Nessel said. “She was driven by her sincere love of her community, state and country. Sam truly used her faith and activism to create a better place for everyone.”

Democratic Rep Elissa Slotkin, who Woll worked for as an aide, also commented on X, saying she was “heartbroken at this news.”

Duggan issued a statement saying he was “devastated” to learn of Woll’s death.

“Sam’s loss has left a huge hole in the Detroit community,” the mayor said. “This entire city joins with her family and friends in mourning her tragic death.”

Welcome to The Independent’s live blog on the killing of synagogue leader Samantha Woll.

Authorities in Detroit said Woll’s body was found at her home Saturday morning after someone called officers to alert them of a person lying on the ground unresponsive.

“While at the scene, police officers observed a trail of blood leading officers to the victim’s residence, which is where the crime is believed to have occurred,” Cpl Dan Donakowski said.

Woll, 40, had led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue since 2022.