DETROIT (WWJ) - The hearing for the man accused of murdering a Detroit Jewish leader has been postponed until next week to allow the defense more time to review the case, officials said.
The Probable Cause Conference for Michael Jackson-Bolanos, 28, was adjourned by Judge Kenneth in 36th District court on Wednesday (Dec. 27) morning until January 2, 2024 at 8:30 a.m.
Jackson-Bolanos was charged with open murder two weeks ago after his arrest in connection to the fatal stabbing of 40-year-old Samantha Woll.
Woll, President of the Isaac Agree Downtown Detroit Synagogue, was found stabbed to death outside her Lafayette Park home the morning of Oct. 21. Authorities have said Woll attended a wedding the night before she was found murdered.
Investigators believe Jackson-Bolanos attacked Woll inside her home, before she stumbled outside. A trail of blood was found from her front door, which was left ajar, to the spot where a neighbor found her body.
Michael Jackson-Bolanos, suspect arrested for murder of Samantha WollDetroit Police Department
The 28-year-old iis also suspected of breaking into several vehicles in the area of Woll's home around the time of her death. Authorities believe he was trying to break into her home the night she was killed.
Jackson-Bolanos had been considered a "person of interest" in the case until new evidence surfaced earlier this month, prompting his arrest. Detroit Police Chief James White said police had been monitoring Jackson-Bolanos' movements from the time he was identified as a "person of interest" until he was arrested.
While Jackson-Bolanos was under investigation for alleged larceny and attempted larceny from multiple cars near the Lafayette Park neighborhood, officials did not say whether he will be charged for those crimes.
In addition to her role as a leader in Detroit's Jewish community, Woll had previously worked as an aide to Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin and with Attorney General Dana Nessel on her reelection campaign.
Because of her leadership role with the synagogue, some had wondered if her murder was motivated by antisemitism or sparked by the Israel-Hamas war that began two weeks prior to her death. Officials have said multiple times over the course of the investigation that no evidence has surfaced suggesting antisemitism played a role in the killing.
Jackson-Bolanos is due back in court next week. He faces life in prison if convicted.
