Second ‘person of interest’ taken into custody for murder of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll: Live
A second person of interest has been taken into custody for the murder of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll.
Detroit Police confirmed the development on Sunday, saying that more details will be released “in the near future”.
The individual has not been identified but two sources toldThe Detroit News that the man appears to be a total stranger to Woll and is not the same person who was arrested last month.
In early November, police arrested a first, also unidentified person of interest before releasing him without charge three days later.
Woll was found brutally murdered at her home in Detroit’s Lafayette Park neighbourhood on 21 October.
Authorities believe Woll was attacked inside her home and then stumbled out before collapsing on the sidewalk.
The attack instantly sparked fears of a hate crime due to the timing of the attack, coming just days after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on 7 October.
However, Detroit police have insisted that there is no evidence of her murder being an antisemitic attack.
Key points
New person of interest taken into custody in Samantha Woll murder
Detroit police find no evidence of hate crime in Jewish synagogue leader’s death
First person of interest released without charge
What happened to Samantha Woll?
Deadline looms to charge new ‘person of interest’ in murder
10:00 , Rachel Sharp
Detroit Police are facing a looming deadline to bring charges against the second person of interest taken into custody for the murder of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll.
Police confirmed that a person of interest was in custody on Sunday, saying that more details will be released “in the near future”.
The individual has not been identified but two sources toldThe Detroit News that the man appears to be a total stranger to Woll and is not the same person who was arrested last month.
Under state law, an individual can only be held for 72 hours before police must charge or release them.
WATCH: Friends, family pray for closure in Samantha Woll case
09:00 , Graig Graziosi
What is a ‘person of interest’?
08:00 , Graig Graziosi
Detroit police have identified two “persons of interest” with potential ties to the stabbing death of Samantha Woll. One of those individuals was questioned and later released; another remains under police custody.
“Person of interest” is a non-official term used by police to describe individuals they believe may have some noteworthy connection to an investigation. Not all persons of interest go on to become suspects; there should be no presumption of wrongdoing if someone is listed as a person of interest. Some are simply witnesses or turn out to be dead ends for the investigation.
Police are unlikely to reveal the names of the persons of interest identified in Ms Woll’s investigation unless charges are brought against one or both.
Ms Woll’s loved ones want justice
07:00 , Graig Graziosi
Samantha Woll’s friends and family are waiting to see if police will bring charges against a second “person of interest” identified by the Detroit Police Department.
Law enforcement initially identified another person of interest, but let them go after a preliminary questioning.
“To learn that a potential suspect was arrested and shortly after hear that the individual was released without any charges, is absolutely devastating news as we all hope and pray every day that closure and justice are attained after such a brutal, senseless act that cost a bright, exceptional woman to lose her life,” Kelly Neumann, one of Ms Woll’s friends, told Fox News.
A “person of interest” has no official meaning; it’s just a phrase police use to describe an individual who they believe is somehow related to the case, but are not willing to name as a suspect for one reason or anoter.
Police can only hold an individual for 48 hours without bringing formal charges against them.
FULL STORY: Person of interest taken into custody in Detroit murder of Samantha Woll
06:00 , Graig Graziosi
A new person of interest has been taken into custody in connection to the murder of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll.
Detroit Police Department confirmed in a statement on Sunday that “a person of interest has been taken into custody in furtherance of the investigation into the murder of Samantha Woll”.
“In an effort to ensure the integrity of this ongoing investigation, no further details will be released at this time. Additional information will be released in the near future,” the statement read.
This marks the second person of interest in the case which has gone unsolved for almost two months, since the synagogue leader was brutally stabbed to death at her home in Detroit.
Read the full story:
Person of interest taken into custody in Detroit murder of Samantha Woll
04:59 , Graig Graziosi
Who was Samantha Woll?
Woll led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue since 2022.
She has been remembered by loved ones as a leader who worked to unite people through her interfaith work. Dawud Walid, president of the Council on American Islamic Relations’s Michigan chapter, called Woll’s death a “tragic loss” and praised her efforts to unite the Jewish and Muslim communities in Detroit.
“We are troubled by the apparent homicide of Samantha Woll, a beloved leader within her faith community in Metro Detroit,” Mr Walid said in a statement. “We also send our sincere condolences to her family and friends and to the Detroit Jewish community as a whole for the tragic loss.”
According to a 2017 article by The Detroit Jewish News, Woll was “instrumental in the founding of the Muslim-Jewish Forum of Detroit,” an alliance that helps build bonds between Jewish and Muslim youth.
In this photo released by Kimberly Bush, Samantha Woll, left, poses with Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on 4 September, 2022
“By extending her hand and creating space for connection between Muslims and Jews, she has exemplified the values of healing the world,” the article read.
More than 1,000 people attended Woll’s funeral, the Detroit Free Press reports. Senator Stephanie Chang and AG Nessell were among the attendees who delivered heartfelt eulogies during the service.
“Sam did more for our community, our state, our world, our lives in her short time here on Earth than most will ever accomplish in 1,000 lifetimes,” Ms Nessel said in her eulogy, according to The New York Times.
Sen Chang also said that Woll had devoted her time to listening to Muslim and Jewish members of her community following the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel. Meanwhile, Woll’s sister Monica Woll Rosen shared with mourners how the slain synagogue president “fought for everyone.”
“You sent hearts to cheer people up and let them know you’re thinking of them — because you cared,” Ms Woll Rosen said, revealing that a friend of her late sister had received flowers from her on the day of her death, according to The New York Post.
“That was you, Sam,” Ms Woll Rosen added. “You didn’t even ask. You just sent flowers and signed 10 other people’s names because you knew it would make the receiver happy — and the others would have wanted to say happy birthday if they knew it was your birthday.”
Who was the first person of interest arrested?
04:00 , Graig Graziosi
On 8 November – weeks after Woll’s murder – a major breakthrough appeared to come in the case.
Police announced that a person of interest had been taken into custody in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
But, the man – who was never identified by authorities – was released three days later without charge, as the 72-hour charging window closed.
Investigators previously told CNN that her killing is thought to have arisen from a domestic dispute, but it is not clear what led them to this belief.
Since the release of the first person of interest, the case rumbled on unsolved for another month – before a second person was taken into custody this weekend.
Detroit police say no sign of hate crime in Woll’s killing
03:00 , Graig Graziosi
Woll’s murder instantly sparked fears of a hate crime due to the timing of the attack, coming just days after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on 7 October – storming over the border, killing around 1,200 and taking hundreds of hostages back into Gaza.
Woll was the president of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue in Detroit.
She was well-known in the community for working to build bridges between the Jewish and Muslim communities.
However, Detroit police have insisted that there is no evidence of her murder being a hate crime and pointed out that an Israeli flag hanging on the wall of her home was left untouched.
What we know about the murder of Samantha Woll
01:00 , Graig Graziosi
Just a mile from the Michigan synagogue that she had led since last year, Samantha Woll’s lifeless body was found in the early morning hours of 21 October. Outside her home in the Lafayette Park neighbourhood, Detroit police officers followed a trail of blood to the disturbing scene.
The brutal stabbing of the beloved president at Isaac Agree Downtown synagogue shocked the local community and city officials, who remembered her as a beacon of light in the community who sought to build bridges between Jews and Muslims.
Two days after the murder, Police Chief James White declared that few details about the investigation would be shared publicly to protect the probe. He said the killing was not believed to be motivated by antisemitism, and that persons of interest were being looked at.
The case then went quite for over two weeks before police announced the arrest of a suspect on 8 November. Now, loved ones of Woll who once worked as a former aide to Democratic Rep Elissa Slotkin and as a campaign staffer for Attorney General Dana Nessel, are awaiting news of the suspect’s name and motive.
Here’s everything we know about the case so far:
What we know about the killing of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll
Watch: Person of interest in Samantha Woll murder in custody
00:00 , Graig Graziosi
What do we know about the person of interest in custody over Samantha Woll’s murder
Monday 11 December 2023 23:00 , Graig Graziosi
A new person of interest has been taken into custody in connection to the murder of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll.
Detroit Police Department confirmed in a statement on Sunday that “a person of interest has been taken into custody in furtherance of the investigation into the murder of Samantha Woll”.
“In an effort to ensure the integrity of this ongoing investigation, no further details will be released at this time. Additional information will be released in the near future,” the statement read.
This marks the second person of interest in the case which has gone unsolved for almost two months, since the synagogue leader was brutally stabbed to death at her home in Detroit.
While Detroit police are currently staying tight-lipped about the individual now in custody, two sources toldThe Detroit News that it is a man who is not an acquaintance of Woll’s – but actually appears to be a total stranger.
The man is also not the same person who was arrested last month, the sources said.
What is a ‘person of interest’?
Monday 11 December 2023 16:12 , Graig Graziosi
Detroit police have identified two “persons of interest” with potential ties to the stabbing death of Samantha Woll. One of those individuals was questioned and later released; another remains under police custody.
“Person of interest” is a non-official term used by police to describe individuals they believe may have some noteworthy connection to an investigation. Not all persons of interest go on to become suspects; there should be no presumption of wrongdoing if someone is listed as a person of interest. Some are simply witnesses or turn out to be dead ends for the investigation.
Police are unlikely to reveal the names of the persons of interest identified in Ms Woll’s investigation unless charges are brought against one or both.
Ms Woll’s loved ones want justice
Monday 11 December 2023 15:14 , Graig Graziosi
Samantha Woll’s friends and family are waiting to see if police will bring charges against a second “person of interest” identified by the Detroit Police Department.
Law enforcement initially identified another person of interest, but let them go after a preliminary questioning.
“To learn that a potential suspect was arrested and shortly after hear that the individual was released without any charges, is absolutely devastating news as we all hope and pray every day that closure and justice are attained after such a brutal, senseless act that cost a bright, exceptional woman to lose her life,” Kelly Neumann, one of Ms Woll’s friends, told Fox News.
A “person of interest” has no official meaning; it’s just a phrase police use to describe an individual who they believe is somehow related to the case, but are not willing to name as a suspect for one reason or anoter.
Police can only hold an individual for 48 hours without bringing formal charges against them.
FULL STORY: Person of interest taken into custody in Detroit murder of Samantha Woll
Monday 11 December 2023 14:00 , Rachel Sharp
A new person of interest has been taken into custody in connection to the murder of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll.
Detroit Police Department confirmed in a statement on Sunday that “a person of interest has been taken into custody in furtherance of the investigation into the murder of Samantha Woll”.
“In an effort to ensure the integrity of this ongoing investigation, no further details will be released at this time. Additional information will be released in the near future,” the statement read.
This marks the second person of interest in the case which has gone unsolved for almost two months, since the synagogue leader was brutally stabbed to death at her home in Detroit.
Read the full story:
Person of interest taken into custody in Detroit murder of Samantha Woll
What happened to Samantha Woll?
Monday 11 December 2023 22:42 , Graig Graziosi
Samantha Woll, 40, had spent the night of 20 October at a wedding, before returning to her home in the Lafayette Park neighbourhood at around 12.30am.
It remains unclear if she came home alone or with someone.
Her body was found outside the home at around 6.30am that morning.
A trail of blood led inside the property, prompting investigators to believe the attack began inside, before she stumbled outside and collapsed from multiple stab wounds.
There was no sign of forced entry at her home, police said.
Who was Samantha Woll?
Monday 11 December 2023 13:30 , Rachel Sharp
Woll led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue since 2022.
She has been remembered by loved ones as a leader who worked to unite people through her interfaith work. Dawud Walid, president of the Council on American Islamic Relations’s Michigan chapter, called Woll’s death a “tragic loss” and praised her efforts to unite the Jewish and Muslim communities in Detroit.
“We are troubled by the apparent homicide of Samantha Woll, a beloved leader within her faith community in Metro Detroit,” Mr Walid said in a statement. “We also send our sincere condolences to her family and friends and to the Detroit Jewish community as a whole for the tragic loss.”
According to a 2017 article by The Detroit Jewish News, Woll was “instrumental in the founding of the Muslim-Jewish Forum of Detroit,” an alliance that helps build bonds between Jewish and Muslim youth.
In this photo released by Kimberly Bush, Samantha Woll, left, poses with Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on 4 September, 2022
“By extending her hand and creating space for connection between Muslims and Jews, she has exemplified the values of healing the world,” the article read.
More than 1,000 people attended Woll’s funeral, the Detroit Free Press reports. Senator Stephanie Chang and AG Nessell were among the attendees who delivered heartfelt eulogies during the service.
“Sam did more for our community, our state, our world, our lives in her short time here on Earth than most will ever accomplish in 1,000 lifetimes,” Ms Nessel said in her eulogy, according to The New York Times.
Sen Chang also said that Woll had devoted her time to listening to Muslim and Jewish members of her community following the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel. Meanwhile, Woll’s sister Monica Woll Rosen shared with mourners how the slain synagogue president “fought for everyone.”
“You sent hearts to cheer people up and let them know you’re thinking of them — because you cared,” Ms Woll Rosen said, revealing that a friend of her late sister had received flowers from her on the day of her death, according to The New York Post.
“That was you, Sam,” Ms Woll Rosen added. “You didn’t even ask. You just sent flowers and signed 10 other people’s names because you knew it would make the receiver happy — and the others would have wanted to say happy birthday if they knew it was your birthday.”
Who was the first person of interest arrested?
Monday 11 December 2023 13:00 , Rachel Sharp
On 8 November – weeks after Woll’s murder – a major breakthrough appeared to come in the case.
Police announced that a person of interest had been taken into custody in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
But, the man – who was never identified by authorities – was released three days later without charge, as the 72-hour charging window closed.
Investigators previously told CNN that her killing is thought to have arisen from a domestic dispute, but it is not clear what led them to this belief.
Since the release of the first person of interest, the case rumbled on unsolved for another month – before a second person was taken into custody this weekend.
Detroit police say no sign of hate crime in Woll’s killing
Monday 11 December 2023 12:30 , Rachel Sharp
Woll’s murder instantly sparked fears of a hate crime due to the timing of the attack, coming just days after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on 7 October – storming over the border, killing around 1,200 and taking hundreds of hostages back into Gaza.
Woll was the president of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue in Detroit.
She was well-known in the community for working to build bridges between the Jewish and Muslim communities.
However, Detroit police have insisted that there is no evidence of her murder being a hate crime and pointed out that an Israeli flag hanging on the wall of her home was left untouched.
What happened to Samantha Woll?
Monday 11 December 2023 12:00 , Rachel Sharp
Samantha Woll, 40, had spent the night of 20 October at a wedding, before returning to her home in the Lafayette Park neighbourhood at around 12.30am.
It remains unclear if she came home alone or with someone.
Her body was found outside the home at around 6.30am that morning.
A trail of blood led inside the property, prompting investigators to believe the attack began inside, before she stumbled outside and collapsed from multiple stab wounds.
There was no sign of forced entry at her home, police said.
What we know about the murder of Samantha Woll
Monday 11 December 2023 11:30 , Rachel Sharp
Just a mile from the Michigan synagogue that she had led since last year, Samantha Woll’s lifeless body was found in the early morning hours of 21 October. Outside her home in the Lafayette Park neighbourhood, Detroit police officers followed a trail of blood to the disturbing scene.
The brutal stabbing of the beloved president at Isaac Agree Downtown synagogue shocked the local community and city officials, who remembered her as a beacon of light in the community who sought to build bridges between Jews and Muslims.
Two days after the murder, Police Chief James White declared that few details about the investigation would be shared publicly to protect the probe. He said the killing was not believed to be motivated by antisemitism, and that persons of interest were being looked at.
The case then went quite for over two weeks before police announced the arrest of a suspect on 8 November. Now, loved ones of Woll who once worked as a former aide to Democratic Rep Elissa Slotkin and as a campaign staffer for Attorney General Dana Nessel, are awaiting news of the suspect’s name and motive.
Here’s everything we know about the case so far:
What we know about the killing of Detroit synagogue leader Samatha Woll
WATCH: Moment Samantha Woll is laid to rest in October
Monday 11 December 2023 11:00 , Rachel Sharp
What do we know about the person of interest in custody over Samantha Woll’s murder
Monday 11 December 2023 10:30 , Rachel Sharp
A new person of interest has been taken into custody in connection to the murder of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll.
Detroit Police Department confirmed in a statement on Sunday that “a person of interest has been taken into custody in furtherance of the investigation into the murder of Samantha Woll”.
“In an effort to ensure the integrity of this ongoing investigation, no further details will be released at this time. Additional information will be released in the near future,” the statement read.
This marks the second person of interest in the case which has gone unsolved for almost two months, since the synagogue leader was brutally stabbed to death at her home in Detroit.
While Detroit police are currently staying tight-lipped about the individual now in custody, two sources toldThe Detroit News that it is a man who is not an acquaintance of Woll’s – but actually appears to be a total stranger.
The man is also not the same person who was arrested last month, the sources said.
Samantha Woll murder investigation: A timeline
Monday 11 December 2023 10:00 , Rachel Sharp
20 October:
Sam Woll attends a wedding.
21 October:
Woll returns home at 12.30am from the wedding. It’s unclear whether she came back from the wedding alone or with someone.
At 6.30 am, police discover Woll’s body. It appears that she was stabbed inside of her home and collapsed later onto her yard.
The initial investigation:
Detroit Police Chief James White said he believed the suspect acted alone, and noted he didn’t think there was a threat to the community at large.
Police said there was no sign of forced entry at Woll’s home or any sign that she tried to defend herself.
Authorities also ruled out that her death was a hate crime, citing the untouched Israeli flag still hanging in Woll’s home.
A law enforcement source told CNN that the police were treating Woll’s death as arising from a domestic dispute.
8 November:
Police announced that they had a suspect in custody for “the murder of Samantha Woll.” No details about the suspect, nor any charges were released.
Under Michigan law, suspects can only be held in custody without charges for 72 hours.
9 November:
Investigators wrote in a statement that they had hit a “critical juncture” in the case.
11 November:
The suspect was released from custody without explanation from authorities.
10 December:
Detroit police announce a new person of interest is in custody.
BREAKING: Person of interest taken into custody in Detroit murder of Samantha Woll
Monday 11 December 2023 09:59 , Rachel Sharp
A new person of interest has been taken into custody in connection to the murder of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll.
Detroit Police Department confirmed in a statement on Sunday that “a person of interest has been taken into custody in furtherance of the investigation into the murder of Samantha Woll”.
“In an effort to ensure the integrity of this ongoing investigation, no further details will be released at this time. Additional information will be released in the near future,” the statement read.
This marks the second person of interest in the case which has gone unsolved for almost two months, since the synagogue leader was brutally stabbed to death at her home in Detroit.
Read the full story:
Person of interest taken into custody in Detroit murder of Samantha Woll
