Police have found no evidence of an antisemitic motive in the murder of the president of a synagogue board, Detroit cops said.
“No evidence has surfaced suggesting that this crime was motivated by antisemitism,” Detroit Police Chief James White said, according to BBC.
Samantha Woll was found dead with multiple stab wounds near her home in Detroit on Saturday morning, the outlet reported. Police initially urged the public not to jump to conclusions about the motive for her murder, especially amid the unrest after Hamas, an Islamic terror group, attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
Statement from Chief James E. White regarding the investigation into the death of Samantha Woll: The investigation into the death of Ms. Woll remains ongoing. At this time, however, no evidence has surfaced suggesting that this crime was motivated by antisemitism.
— Detroit Police News (@detroitpolice) October 22, 2023
Police discovered the victim’s body after following a trail of blood to her house, where it is believed the murder occurred, BBC reported. Woll returned from a wedding at 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, six hours before she was found dead at 6:30 a.m., authorities said, according to CNN. A suspect has yet to be identified.
“We have a number of people that give us interest. We are just short of calling one of the people a suspect, but we are going to develop a suspect. We’re not there right now as of this press conference,” White said.
A large Israeli flag in Woll’s apartment was left untouched, a law enforcement source said, according to CNN.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel wrote she was “shocked, saddened and horrified to learn of Sam’s brutal murder” in a Facebook post. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer described Woll’s murder as a “vicious crime,” BBC reported.
The Detroit Police Department is working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the ongoing investigation.
