Investigation of murdered Detroit synagogue leader includes 'several persons of interest'
Detroit police: Murder of synagogue leader not motivated by anti-Semitism
Detroit police doubled down on their conclusion the murder of a well-known synagogue leader over the weekend was not motivated by anti-Semitism. Chief James White was mum on many details, but assured the community their investigation is not indicating a hate crime was part of what led to Samantha Woll's death.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Detroit police said Monday they have several people of interest they are investigating as possible connections to the slaying of Samantha Woll, a well-known figure in the Jewish community and local synagogue leader, but have not identified a suspect.
Chief James White also doubled down on the department's assertion that her killing was not motivated by antisemitism or a hate crime.
"We believe the motivation was very different than a hate crime," he said Monday during a press conference at DPD Headquarters. "It's horrific, it's tragic."
White was vague about many of the details of the homicide investigation, refusing to even specify how many times Woll was stabbed before she died. He said the details of the case were sensitive to the investigation and could harm law enforcement progress.
"There are some very intricate details about this case that if revealed, could really damage what we're trying to accomplish," White said. "There are some facts that are known only to our suspect so I can't get into causation right now or what he or she may feel was that but more to come on that at a later date."
What police have said is Woll left a wedding Friday night around 12:30 a.m. She was found dead in front of her house in the 1300 block of Joliet around 6:30 a.m. after a 911 call to police described a person as unresponsive.
The individual, later identified as Woll, was declared dead at the scene. Police followed a trail of blood from the victim that led to her residence where the crime allegedly occurred. There was no sign of forced entry and police do not believe any other groups or people are at risk.
Woll's stature in the community was notable amid the investigation due to the conflict in the Middle East unfolding in Israel and the Gaza Strip. White said during the press conference that police had followed every possible angle of the crime and as of Monday afternoon, ruled out a hate crime as the motivation.
"In the process of the investigation, the detectives work a number of different theories. We are working through what we have identified are some persons of interest and we're very confident on the track that we're on. But we're early. We're very very early in this investigation," the chief said.
He later said they were "just short" of calling one of the persons of interest a suspect.
An autopsy has been concluded of the victim. Police also said they would be working with blood spatter experts to assess scene. Additionally, they're working on locating video evidence from nearby doorbell cameras and if any other surveillance would help them locate possible vehicles used by the suspect.
The FBI and Michigan State Police are also assisting Detroit Police in the investigation.