DETROIT – Police in Detroit confirmed Wednesday, Nov. 8, that a suspect has been taken into custody for the murder of Samantha Woll.
After weeks of unanswered questions, an arrest has been made. Chief James White said that while other details will remain confidential as the investigation continues, the announcement of the arrest was done out of a “commitment to transparency.”
Woll, a well-known leader in Detroit’s Jewish community and Board President of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue in Detroit, was stabbed to death on Oct. 21 outside her home in Lafayette Park.
Police said the 40-year-old returned home from a wedding just after midnight. They believe she was attacked inside her home and that she stumbled outside, where she was found. There were no signs of forced entry at the woman’s home. She was found with her wallet and phone on her, police confirmed.
Read: Everything we know about the Samantha Woll murder case in Detroit
White emphasized multiple times that they do not believe Woll’s death was a hate crime. White said that the evidence police currently have does not lead them to believe the killing was a hate crime, and that no groups or people are believed to be at risk.
Police confirmed Wednesday that a suspect was taken into custody in Kalamazoo.
“There’s one suspect in custody, and we’re going to continue to work this investigation, and we’re going to go where the evidence takes us,” said Detroit police Chief James White. “We’re not done, and I don’t want to characterize this as a complete investigation as we’ve got a lot of work to do. We’re going to do it. We’re going to say focus and continue to investigate this case.”
The full statement from White can be read below.
“As part of my continuing commitment to transparency in this matter, I am sharing with the community that a suspect has been taken into custody for the murder of Samantha Woll. While this is an encouraging development in our desire to bring closure for Ms. Woll’s family, it does not represent the conclusion of our work in this case. The details of the investigation will remain confidential at this time to ensure the integrity of the important steps that remain. Investigators will be continuing their work with the Wayne County Prosecutors Office until the conclusion of this investigation.”
Chief James E. White