It was in late October that 40-year-old Samantha Woll, the president of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, was found dead outside her home in Detroit. A suspect was arrested in November, though his name and even the charges were left out. Now, over a month later, The Detroit News has more information about a suspect arrested on Sunday, Detroit local Michael Jackson-Bolanos, 28, described as "an alleged burglar with a long rap sheet" who appears to be a "random person" when it comes to the victim.
He's been charged with committing a felony murder during the perpetration or attempted perpetration of a larceny and/or a first-degree home invasion, which carries a life sentence. The charge of home invasion has a maximum penalty of 20 years, with the charge of lying to a police office being a two-year misdemeanor.
In the immediate aftermath of Woll's death, there was speculation that her death was a tragic hate crime taking place following the October 7 attack that Hamas perpetrated against Israel. In addition to the shocking dislay of antisemitism in the United States, pro-Hamas demonstrations have also taken place across the country, including in Michigan.
Given what we now know based on what what police are saying, it does not look to be a hate crime. As the report mentioned:
Court records and statements from a Wayne County assistant prosecutor describe a case involving a crime of opportunity, a tragic mistake and an “astonishing” amount of evidence linking Jackson-Bolanos to the crime following an investigation involving local, state and federal officials.
"The evidence amassed in this case has been, quite frankly, astonishing,” Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Elsey said during Jackson-Bolanos' court hearing. “Astonishing in its scale and astonishing in the horrific clarity that it brings to us to show what the last moments of Samantha Woll’s life were like.”
...
When asked if the defendant acted alone or whether other suspects were involved, Worthy said, “anything that we talk about will come out in court” or the preliminary exam.
But Worthy said there was “not a shred of evidence” to indicate Woll’s death was a hate crime and nothing suggests he knew her. The police investigation included witness interviews, a review of hours of security footage, cellular data and forensic evidence, according to the prosecutor's office.
...
Because of Woll's prominence in Detroit's Jewish community, some people questioned whether her killing was motivated by antisemitism or prompted by the violence in Gaza that started Oct. 7. White also said during a previous press briefing there was no evidence that Woll's killing was a hate crime.
The lengthy report contains many more details, including about suspect. Not only does the case does not appear to be a hate crime, but Jackson-Bolanos did not know his alleged victim. He does, however, have a lengthy rap sheet.
He was even arrested for larcenies in the area following Woll's death, though he had to be released for those crimes, though he was arrested on Sunday when new evidence came in:
“What all that evidence tells us is that the defendant stabbed Samantha Woll to death during a home invasion during a crime of opportunity late at night,” Elsey said. “He was creeping around her neighborhood in the middle of the night stealing things out of cars, and she unfortunately left her front door open that night.”
...
A complete chronology was unavailable Wednesday, but investigators identified Jackson-Bolanos as a man seen “prowling” around the neighborhood, the assistant prosecutor said.
...
Detroit Police Chief James White said at Wednesday's press conference the suspect came on the police department’s radar in the past two to three weeks, being arrested and investigated in connection with larcenies in the area of Woll's home but had to be released. The police "kept an eye on him" after Jackson's release, the chief said.
“At no time was anyone in our community at risk," said White, adding that police knew where he worked and about his phone traffic and could move quickly to apprehend him if needed.
The chief said Monday that new evidence that surfaced over the weekend prompted his Sunday arrest. He thanked the Michigan State Police crime lab and an FBI behavioral analyst for their help in the case.
Police monitored Jackson-Bolanos from the time he was flagged as a "person of interest" until his arrest Sunday, he said.
“This was one of the most complex cases I’ve been involved with,” White said.
Police monitored Jackson-Bolanos from the time he was flagged as a "person of interest" until his arrest Sunday, he said.
The Michigan Department of Corrections offender database lists a Michael Manuel Jackson Bolanos, 28, of Detroit, who has a “God Forgives I Don’t” tattoo on his right forearm and “YOLO — You only live once” — inked on his chest.
Jackson-Bolanos was convicted of receiving and concealing stolen property — second offense — in 2014 in Wayne County and sentenced to a maximum five years in state prison, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections.
Jackson-Bolanos served four years in the Michigan prison system and accumulated 40 misconduct violations, including some for violent assaults in prison, Elsey said.
The Detroit Reporter had this and more comprehensive information about the case, the charges, and the suspect. They even mention Jackson-Bolanos employment information as well as a picture of his registered address. His attorney, Brian Brown, is referenced and quoted in the piece published just after 5pm on Wednesday.
Yet up until an update from later on Wednesday evening, the Associated Press wouldn't even name Jackson-Bolanos, as archived versions and a screenshot from The Washington Free Beacon's Chuck Ross reveals. This is despite how other outlets were willing to name the suspect.
Plenty of other liberal news organizations have identified him (Michael Jackson Manuel Bolanos) because it is standard practice and perfectly reasonable to do so. But AP is just making up new standards at this point because that’s how far off the deep end they’ve gone. https://t.co/MvXv4W8uyp
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) December 13, 2023
I worked at the AP 11 years, I never heard of this standard. Woulda made covering OJ during the car chase a headache! You just name him and say “The AP could not identify a lawyer for Jackson-Bolanos.” https://t.co/XwM2unuCKt
— Ron Kampeas (@kampeas) December 14, 2023
As for the other suspect, the report noted that he other man was "an acquaintance" who "was released after 48 hours" and that "[a]ccording to four police sources, the man told a Kalamazoo police officer that he felt responsible for Woll's death, although he didn't actually confess to killing her."
The synagogue where Woll worked used to be in Rep. Rashida Tlaib's (D-MI) district in Michigan, before redistricting placed it in fellow Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar's district. As we covered at the time of Woll's death, Tlaib was heavily criticized, including by Barstool's Dave Portnoy, for not speaking out further about the tragedy. Beyond a personal Facebook post from October 21, it does not appear that the congresswoman has publicly posted about Woll's death since.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member