MI - Samantha Woll, a Detroit synagogue president, fatally stabbed *Arrest*

[BetteDavisEyes]

There are no storm/screen doors at her complex. They aren't allowed.

Got it. Many condo/townhome communities do not allow exterior enhancements or modifications. Have you actually been to the townhouse complex? The entrance doors appear to be mostly glass. Can anyone see into the unit, or is the glass tinted or mirrored? If she was asleep on a sofa in the living room, would the perp been able to see her through the front door?

 

[Dotta]

Got it. Many condo/townhome communities do not allow exterior enhancements or modifications. Have you actually been to the townhouse complex? The entrance doors appear to be mostly glass. Can anyone see into the unit, or is the glass tinted or mirrored? If she was asleep on a sofa in the living room, would the perp been able to see her through the front door?

I guess there must be a hall, no?
I don't think a living room has a front door entrance.

IMO her door was simply open/left ajar.
And, unfortunately, noticeable to anybody passing by.

JMO

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I guess there must be a hall, no?
I don't think a living room has a front door entrance.

IMO her door was simply open/left ajar.

JMO

Unless a house has an entrance hall or foyer, in most cases, the front door opens into the living room.

 

[Dotta]

Unless a house has an entrance hall or foyer, in most cases, the front door opens into the living room.

Oh!
Really?
I guess there are differences between my country and the US

I have never seen it where I live.
Front door always leads to a hall/corridor.
With a storage to leave shoes/coats/umbrellas, etc.

JMO

 

[PalmerPark]

Got it. Many condo/townhome communities do not allow exterior enhancements or modifications. Have you actually been to the townhouse complex? The entrance doors appear to be mostly glass. Can anyone see into the unit, or is the glass tinted or mirrored? If she was asleep on a sofa in the living room, would the perp been able to see her through the front door?

You can see into the unit, however, the living room area is at the back (and not visible from the front).

 

[PalmerPark]

Unless a house has an entrance hall or foyer, in most cases, the front door opens into the living room.

In this case, the front door opens to a small foyer, basement stairs, and dining room to the side. The living room is in the back.

Edit: for reference, this is what the layout is like (note: this is not SW's unit, but they are all the same layout): 1351 Nicolet Pl, Detroit, MI 48207 | MLS #20230103383 | Zillow

 

[PalmerPark]

I'll be curious to know if the first suspect left the door open (or if the door was left open for him and he didn't come over). Maybe that's why police focused on him initially and why he "felt responsible." Either way, very sad situation to say the very least.

 

[Dotta]

I'll be curious to know if the first suspect left the door open (or if the door was left open for him and he didn't come over). Maybe that's why police focused on him initially and why he "felt responsible." Either way, very sad situation to say the very least.

I think the 1st suspect gave her a ride home but didn't walk her to the front door.
Or they could have taken a taxi together.

I guess she left the door open.
And went straight to the living room and fell asleep.

But...
How can a security system operate with front door open?
(It recorded movement in the living room).

Does it not screech/beep to remind to close the front door???

JMO

 

[PalmerPark]

I think the 1st suspect gave her a ride home but didn't walk her to the front door.
Or they could have taken a taxi together.

I guess she left the door open.
And went straight to the living room and fell asleep.

But...
How can a security system operate with front door open?
(It recorded movement in the living room).

Does it not screech/beep to remind to close the front door???

JMO

Curious about where you heard that the first suspect gave her a ride home. I wondered about that but haven't heard anything official.

 

[Dotta]

Curious about where you heard that the first suspect gave her a ride home. I wondered about that but haven't heard anything official.

Nowhere.
We were just speculating here
Talking about him "feeling responsible".

Check upthread.

And I wrote JMO (just my opinion)

 

[Interested Torontonian]

I think the 1st suspect gave her a ride home but didn't walk her to the front door.
Or they could have taken a taxi together.

I guess she left the door open.
And went straight to the living room and fell asleep.

But...
How can a security system operate with front door open?
(It recorded movement in the living room).

Does it not screech/beep to remind to close the front door???

JMO

It's easy to assume this is a crazy thing to do - but unfortunately i did it myself once. I came home late at night (not drunk, just tired) - slammed my front door but didn't lock it and then went upstairs to bed. Next morning when I came downstairs the door was ajar and i initially freaked thinking someone came in.

I figured out that i was tired/distracted when i came home that i didn't slam the door hard enough to catch so during the night with the wind or whatever it blew open more.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

You can see into the unit, however, the living room area is at the back (and not visible from the front).

Is the back of the unit mostly glass like the front? Talk about living in a fishbowl...

 

[Laughing]

Is the back of the unit mostly glass like the front? Talk about living in a fishbowl...

Pondering if residents are allowed to hang curtains or blinds!

Lovely, lovely units & lovely complex -- otherwise.

 

[Dotta]

This much glass means being constantly cold in cold months.

I once worked in a classroom in school with a glass wall.
My goodness, I used to return home with literal pain in my poor bones from cold.

Needless to say I resigned after a year hehe

JMO

 

[PalmerPark]

Pondering if residents are allowed to hang curtains or blinds!

Lovely, lovely units & lovely complex -- otherwise.

The units have recessed blinds. Not sure if SW had/used them though.

 

[ch_13]

I guess there must be a hall, no?
I don't think a living room has a front door entrance.

IMO her door was simply open/left ajar.
And, unfortunately, noticeable to anybody passing by.

JMO

The assailant was described as creeping around in the middle of the night stealing things out of cars. I can imagine he would have been trying the door on every car or house he came across to see if he could get inside and find something to steal. So it may not have made a difference if the door was ajar or just unlocked.

Oh!
Really?
I guess there are differences between my country and the US

I have never seen it where I live.
Front door always leads to a hall/corridor.
With a storage to leave shoes/coats/umbrellas, etc.

JMO

I don't think this is a U.S. thing as much as it is a city thing. When space is constrained architects need to make the most out of every square foot.

I should also note that these homes were designed by Mies van der Rohe, a very well-known modernist architects. They are not at all like your typical cookie-cutter designs, and not typical of most U.S. homes. They are very unique designs with giant glass walls, and a hallway would have blocked the gorgeous views.

Just to give you an idea, here's a listing for another home in SW's complex.

1318 Joliet Place

Lafayette Park | 1,400 sq ft | $282,000 | Lafayette Park,

www.oconnordetroit.com

The layout may not be exactly the same but it would have looked similar.


Edit - Actually, after looking at the pics in the listing, I believe there is a sort of entrance area/hallway, where the hexagonal tiles are located. The living room area has a wooden flower and appears to look out onto the back garden. If the layout is the same as SW's condo then the assailant would not have been able to see her from the front entrance.

 

[Dotta]

I should also note that these homes were designed by Mies van der Rohe, a very well-known modernist architects. They are not at all like your typical cookie-cutter designs, and not typical of most U.S. homes. They are very unique designs with giant glass walls, and a hallway would have blocked the gorgeous views.

Just to give you an idea, here's a listing for another home in SW's complex.

1318 Joliet Place

Lafayette Park | 1,400 sq ft | $282,000 | Lafayette Park,

www.oconnordetroit.com

The layout may not be exactly the same but it would have looked similar.

Thanks!

Art for the Art's sake
The house I mean.

JMO

 

[ch_13]

Thanks!

Art for the Art's sake
The house I mean.

JMO

I disagree. This layout looks extremely functional to me, especially for a single person, couple or even a small family. Everything you need is there, but no wasted space. Personally, I would love a home with huge floor to ceiling windows to let in the light.

As I mentioned in my edit, the home in the listing actually does have an entrance area so the living room is not visible from the street. I've looked at a few other listings and they all seem to have a similar floorplan, so I don't believe the assailant could see Samantha from the doorway if she was sleeping on the living room sofa.

Here's a walk-through video of another home in the complex. Starting at :32 seconds you can see the entrance area / foyer / dining room as you enter. There's another good view of the entrance around the 1:12 mark.

 

[Dotta]

I disagree. This layout looks extremely functional to me, especially for a single person, couple or even a small family. Everything you need is there, but no wasted space. Personally, I would love a home with huge floor to ceiling windows to let in the light.

As I mentioned in my edit, the home in the listing actually does have an entrance area so the living room is not visible from the street. I've looked at a few other listings and they all seem to have a similar floorplan, so I don't believe the assailant could see Samantha from the doorway if she was sleeping on the living room sofa.

Here's a walk-through video of another home in the complex. Starting at :32 seconds you can see the entrance area / foyer / dining room as you enter.

Hmmm
Glass wall is absolutely NO for me.
Even if somebody paid me to live there - I wouldn't
Brrr....

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I disagree. This layout looks extremely functional to me, especially for a single person, couple or even a small family. Everything you need is there, but no wasted space. Personally, I would love a home with huge floor to ceiling windows to let in the light...

The townhome units are far too modern for my taste, but it's refreshing to see a truly beautiful neighborhood in Detroit. So many formerly lovely areas of the city are woefully unkempt, and blight is rampant throughout much of Detroit. It saddens me to see what has become of the city where I was born and raised.