The grisly stabbing death of synagogue president and political strategist Samantha Woll was not a hate crime, Detroit Police announced Monday at a press conference.
James E. White told reporters, Detroit’s police chief, that he did not think that any other groups were at risk. The suspect was the only one to act. “He noted that no force was used to enter the building.
The body was found in front of the house of the community leader who was an avid supporter of Israel. This was around 6:30 a.m. on Saturday in Detroit’s high-end Lafayette Park district.
Detroit Police responded to 911 calls about a person not responding. They found Woll, 40 lying on the ground outside her townhouse.
The path leading to her house was covered in bloodstains and she was bleeding profusely.
White added, “We are aware that this person is dangerous.”
Woll returned to her home around 12:30 a.m. from a wedding. The police are now looking into whether she drove herself home or if there was another driver in her rearview mirror.
He said: “We’ll track her digitally.”
White, a journalist, told the police that, when she returned home, they believed she was attacked at her house. White said that she then collapsed outside.
Blood-spatter experts help investigators confirm the path of her death.
White, who heads the Michigan State Police, and FBI, who are both working on this investigation together, stated that investigators had not yet identified one person of interest. “We’re only a few words from calling someone a suspect,” he said.
White declined to disclose the motive of the crime or any other details such as whether she had suffered defensive injuries. She was concerned that this information could compromise the investigations.
He said: “We have to be very careful about the information that we release. He said, “We must be extremely cautious about what information we disclose.”
White confirmed that police would also look into an exclusive Fox News Digital story that said two tires had been slashed in the same complex over the weekend.
Many people speculated that Woll was the victim of hate crime during the tensions around the Israel-Hamas War.
She has been a staunch supporter of Israel and is an active member of the Jewish Community. As president, she led the major renovations of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue.
She worked previously on the campaigns for Dana Nessel, a Democrat, and Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat, to re-elect them.
She founded The Muslim-Jewish Forum of Detroit, whose mission is to promote positive relationships between both communities.
Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democratic congresswoman, paid tribute to Woll on Facebook. Tlaib is a vocal critic of Israel.
“My friend, and a member of our organizing community, Sam Woll, was murdered. I have no words. She always had a sweet smile to offer and the warmest eyes to greet you. Our community is devastated and we are shocked,” she wrote.
