DETROIT – A man acquitted of first-degree murder in the 2023 killing of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll is still in prison more than a year after becoming eligible for parole, his attorneys said, accusing the Wayne County prosecutor’s office of taking last-minute steps to block his release.
Michael Jackson-Bolanos was charged in December 2023 in Woll’s death and went to trial in 2024.
A jury in July 2024 found him not guilty of first-degree murder.
Jurors deadlocked on felony murder and home invasion counts, and he was convicted of lying to a police officer during an investigation into car break-ins near Woll’s home, according to his trial attorney.
Trial attorney Purna Krishnamoorthy said the Michigan Department of Corrections recommended a shorter sentence for the lying conviction, but Jackson-Bolanos was sentenced to 18 months to 15 years.
“The sentence was dramatically more severe than MDOC’s recommendation for the offense, and quite frankly, extraordinarily unusual for this type of offense, particularly in Wayne County,” Krishnamoorthy said.
Jackson-Bolanos’ lawyers said a parole board later approved his release, but that he watched two scheduled release dates pass last month.
Attorney Austin Gregory said an “emergency intervention” was filed less than 24 hours before a scheduled July 1 release date, delaying it.
Gregory said a new release date was set for July 29, but Jackson-Bolanos was again told the day before he would not be released because of a warrant dating back to 2020.
“They’ve done something underhanded and nefarious in this case to keep him in prison,” Gregory said, alleging a charge was filed that prosecutors knew would be dismissed.
Krishnamoorthy said Jackson-Bolanos was found not guilty of murder but continued to face consequences tied to allegations the jury did not convict him of.
“Michael went to trial, accused of murder. A jury heard the evidence and found him not guilty,” Krishnamoorthy said. “But when it came time for his parole, the same death was still being attributed to him and being used as a reason to keep him in prison.”
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office disputed the attorneys’ claims and said it is challenging the parole decision through the courts.
Woll, the president of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, was found fatally stabbed outside her home near Lafayette Park in October 2023.
Timeline (from the defense press materials)
• 2020: Incident later cited in resisting/obstructing case occurs; defense says warrant requests were denied twice.
• Dec. 10, 2023: Jackson-Bolanos is arrested in the Woll investigation and held in the Wayne County Jail.
• July 2024: Jury acquits him of first-degree murder and convicts him of lying to a peace officer; defense says felony murder and home invasion counts are dismissed on double-jeopardy grounds.
• Aug. 15, 2024: He enters Michigan Department of Corrections custody.
• June 9, 2025: Earliest parole eligibility date; parole denied; defense later challenges the pre-sentence investigation report.
• Oct. 17, 2025: Michigan Court of Appeals orders a remand regarding corrections to the pre-sentence investigation report, defense says.
• Dec. 19, 2025: Circuit court addresses the ordered corrections, defense says.
• Jan. 28, 2026: Parole interview.
• April 28, 2026: Parole grant is mailed; release scheduled for July 1, 2026.
• Late May 2026: Defense says the 28-day window for prosecutors to seek leave to appeal expires.
• June 30, 2026: Defense says prosecutors seek emergency intervention less than 24 hours before the scheduled release.
• July 1, 2026: Scheduled release does not occur; defense says MDOC later sets a new release date of July 29.
• July 2026: Appellate-parole counsel Samantha Baker responds on his behalf, defense says.
• July 28, 2026: Defense says he is told he will not be released because of a warrant tied to the 2020 incident.
• July 29, 2026: Second scheduled release does not occur.
• Aug. 3, 2026: Defense says attorneys receive an order of dismissal in the 2020 case; the copy received shows the prosecutor’s signature but a blank line for the judge.
• Aug. 4, 2026: Press conference addresses the delayed releases and dismissal request.
Statement from the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office (provided to the station):
“After receiving notice of the Parole Board’s decision to release Mr. Jackson-Bolanos from prison on parole, the People sought to appeal and stay that decision with the Wayne County Third Circuit Court.
After that application was filed, the Parole Board delayed his release for 28 days pending a decision on the People’s application.
Unfortunately, the Circuit Court did not reach a decision on either the application or motion to stay within that initial 28 days.
Upon learning that no decision had yet been made, the Parole Board decided to delay the release another 28 days, until Aug. 26, 2026.
The People disagree with the Parole Board’s decision to release Mr. Jackson-Bolanos from prison and have challenged that decision through the appropriate means of seeking leave to appeal from the Circuit Court and not in the press.
On July 24, 2026, charges were issued against Michael Jackson-Bolanos for two counts of Resisting and Obstructing a Police Officer and one count of Alcohol – Open Container in a Vehicle for allegations that occurred on July 24, 2020, in the City of Detroit.
These charges were issued without the knowledge or approval of Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy. When she became aware of them today, she immediately ordered that the charges be dismissed.
That process should be completed today. WCPO will continue to focus on the appeal in this matter.”
Assistant Prosecutor Maria Miller.