DETROIT – Police provided new details on Monday related to the fatal weekend stabbing of Samantha Woll, a well-known leader in Michigan’s Jewish community.
Woll, 40, was found stabbed to death outside of her home in Detroit’s Lafayette Park on Saturday, Oct. 21, sending the community reeling in search of answers. In a briefing held by Detroit police on Monday, Chief James White urged people to have patience while the investigation is ongoing.
“Everything possible is being done to bring this case to a close,” White said.
Woll was known for her role as board president of Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, as well as her position as a campaign staffer for Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, and former aide for Rep. Elissa Slotkin. Her killing occurred at a time when tensions are high due to the Israel-Gaza war, sparking concern that the homicide may have been an act of antisemitism.
While Chief White couldn’t reveal many details Monday due to the ongoing investigation, he emphasized multiple times that police do not believe Woll’s death was a hate crime.
“We aren’t ruling out anything,” White said. “We’re going where the information and evidence takes us, and right now, the information doesn’t take us there.”
White repeatedly said that the evidence they currently have does not lead police to believe the killing was a hate crime, and that no groups or people are believed to be at risk. The police chief added that there are details that are only known to law enforcement and they need to be “very very careful” with what they reveal to the public.
White said there are multiple persons of interest identified in the investigation, but that it’s too early to identify a singular suspect.
On Saturday, Oct. 21, Woll was found outside of her home in Lafayette Park, a neighborhood just east of downtown. Police were called to the scene at about 6:30 a.m. by a witness who saw the woman lying on the ground unresponsive.
When police arrived, they found she had been stabbed multiple times. She was declared dead at the scene.
Cheyvoryea Gibson, the Special Agent in Charge of Detroit’s FBI Office, said the FBI and Michigan State Police were working alongside DPD to provide forensic evidence support and to establish a timeline leading up to Woll’s death.
White said Woll had attended a wedding on Friday, Oct. 20, and returned home at about 12:30 a.m. Saturday. He said he could not confirm if she left the wedding alone, but said she was not acting out of character at the time. He added that they are checking cameras along the route she drove to see if she was followed.
Police believe Woll was attacked inside her home and stumbled out to the yard afterward, where she was found much later. White said there were no signs of forced entry at her home and Woll was found with her wallet and phone on her. Sources have said Woll did not have any defensive wounds.
The Detroit Police Department is currently working on getting search warrants for residential surveillance cameras in the neighborhood to aid in the investigation. Residents of Lafayette Park are urged to check their cameras for anything that could be connected to the case.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detroit police at 313-596-2260.