Evidence in Samantha Woll murder revealed in court, including jacket with blood and phone location
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Phone records and a jacket with Samantha Woll's blood were among evidence that prosecutors revealed during a court hearing involving the metro Detroit Jewish leader's murder last year.
Michael Jackson-Bolanos, the suspect charged with killing Woll, was in court for the preliminary examination. He was arrested weeks after the victim was found dead with multiple stab wounds in front of her residence in Detroit.
Along with the evidence were seven witnesses who took the stand. Most of them were law enforcement officers with Detroit police and Michigan State Police, as well as a special agent from the FBI. They each took part in various parts of the homicide investigation, which started on Oct. 21 when a nearby resident first found Woll.
Over several weeks, her killing was investigated before police arrested Jackson-Bolanos on Nov. 30.
According to state police Det. Alexander Martinez, a search warrant was requested for Jackson-Bolanos' car after he was taken into custody, where his phone was seized as part of evidence.
Elizabeth Stockmeyer, the state police trooper who was in charge of the department's investigation, said she participated in a search warrant of Jackson-Bolanos' home, where they located several items of clothing and electronic devices.
Michael Jackson-Bolanos in court for a preliminary exam in the murder case of Samantha Woll.
Among those seized as evidence was a black-colored North Face jacket that the defendant was seen wearing on closed-caption television the night of Woll's murder.
The medical examiner that reviewed the jacket found blood from two individuals, with one likely recipient being Woll. An assistant prosecutor read the report saying it was "2.2 trillion times more likely" to have come from Woll and an unknown person, rather than from two unknown individuals.
After cross-examination from defense attorney Brian Brown, Stockmeyer was asked if the jacket "appeared clean," which she confirmed that was true.
An FBI special agent also testified about Jackson-Bolanos' cell phone location on the night of the murder, with cell towers picking up several locations on the night of Woll's murder that the suspect visited.
Among those areas included the crime scene on Joliet Place, where Woll lived.
Jackson-Bolanos faces charges of homicide, breaking and entering, and lying to a peace officer.
The prosecution has more witnesses scheduled to appear, along with a video collage that will include cell phone tracking data with CCTV footage.
The next court date is scheduled for Jan. 23, at 1:30 p.m.
Detroit man charged in Samantha Woll murder has criminal background
The first time he was convicted 2014 and after a plea served from 2014 to 2018. He was convicted again after a plea in 2019 and was discharged in August of 2021.