Jewish Leader Samantha Woll Murder Not A Hate Crime, Say Police

“We believe that there are no other groups or anyone else at risk in regard to this particular incident,” Detroit Chief of Police James E. White said Monday during a press conference. “We believe this incident was not motivated by antisemitism and this suspect acted alone.”

The body of the beloved synagogue president and political strategist was discovered in the early morning hours of Saturday in front of her residence.

The 40-year-old was found with stab wounds and a trail of blood in front of her home.

“We certainly know that this is a dangerous person,” police chief White said.

White also added that they have since learned that Woll came home on the night of her murder following a wedding she attended. They are now focusing efforts on tracing her final movements after the wedding celebration to see if street cameras captured anything.

“We’ll be tracking her entire route digitally,” the top cop explained.

It is believed she was attacked inside her home and then stumbled outside, where she was later found.

Detroit Police are working with the FBI and the Michigan State Police.

“We have a number of people that give us interest. We are just short of calling one of the people a suspect,” White said. “We have to be very, very cautious as to what information we share. There are some very intricate details about this case that, if revealed, could really damage what we’re trying to accomplish. There are some facts that are known only to our suspect.”

Amid the Israel-Hamas War, many members of the public wondered if Woll was a target of a hate-crime.

She was a prominent figure in the local Jewish community. Woll also co-founded the Muslim-Jewish Forum of Detroit, with the mission to foster a stronger relationship between both communities.