Michael Jackson-Bolanos: Suspect who stabbed Detroit Jewish community leader Samantha Woll 8 times faces premeditated murder charge
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN: Michael Jackson-Bolanos, the man accused of fatally stabbing popular Detroit Jewish community leader Samantha Woll, now faces an additional first-degree premeditated murder charge.
The decision was made by Judge Kenneth King of Detroit’s 36th District Court following a two-day hearing where disturbing new details about the violent killing emerged.
Timeline of Michael Jackson-Bolanos' brutal stabbing of Samantha Woll
The 28-year-old suspect will stand trial on a range of charges, including felony murder during the perpetration or attempted perpetration of a larceny or first-degree home invasion, all linked to the tragic events of October 21, when Woll, 40, was brutally stabbed eight times in her Lafayette Park apartment.
The motion detector in Woll's residence indicated the attack occurred around 4:20 am, suggesting a timeline of the gruesome event. After being stabbed, Woll is believed to have stumbled outside, collapsing on the front lawn, where she was discovered by a neighbor around 6:30 am.
“I wasn’t even sure it was a body at first. As I approached to see if that person was in need of assistance, then I realized that the person was in a very bad situation and decided I needed to go for help,” neighbor Kevin Mull told the court.
Upon police arrival, signs of a struggle were evident in Woll's apartment, with a knocked-over fruit basket and visible bruising on her face, knees, and elbows. The living room, where investigators believe she was asleep before being stabbed eight times, bore traces of blood.
Sgt. Daron Zhou testified about the distressing scene, describing Woll's condition in the fetal position with bluish skin. "There was a lot of blood leading to the interior of the residence," Zhou recalled, as per Daily Mail.
Samantha Woll's blood found on Michael Jackson-Bolanos' jacket traced back to his apartment
During Tuesday, January 23, proceedings, five Detroit police officers testified, shedding light on Jackson-Bolanos's movements after the crime. Surveillance footage showed him in a school parking lot, holding a bag, and later walking two miles from his apartment to the neighborhood where the murder occurred.
In a chilling revelation, Jackson-Bolanos allegedly disposed of his bag and surgical gloves after the stabbing. A subsequent search of his apartment uncovered a black jacket with a bloodstain that DNA matched to Woll.
Despite the mounting evidence, Jackson-Bolanos pleaded not guilty, and his defense argued that the minimal blood traces on the jacket raised questions about the timeline presented in court. “Had my client stabbed her eight times, you’d have a lot more blood on the jacket than two microscopic specks,” Brown said.
However, when the judge inquired about how the suspect came into contact with Woll’s blood, the attorney proposed, “maybe it was wrong place at the wrong time,” New York Post reported. Nevertheless, prosecutors countered with surveillance video and cellphone tower data placing the suspect in the vicinity of Woll's home around the time of the motion sensor activation.
Was Detroit Jewish community leader Samantha Woll's murder possibly hate crime?
The case has garnered attention not only for its gruesome nature but also due to its proximity to the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, sparking initial concerns about anti-Semitism. However, authorities clarified early on that there was no evidence suggesting the stabbing was a hate crime.
Jackson-Bolanos was taken into custody in mid-December after a previous suspect, jailed in November, was released without charges. An arraignment for the new murder charge is scheduled for January 30.
