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

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I can’t be the only person here who immediately started combing through the photos from this event!
I didn't think of that, but I started looking through the inmate listings for recent intakes. There are a lot of perps in the Wayne County jail, so there was no way I was going to search dozens of inmates' names to try to figure out who the suspect was :D Did anyone else attempt this?

I'm also wondering what connection the now-released suspect has to the Kalamazoo area or if he just happened to be on the west side of the state for some reason. Kalamazoo is roughly 140 miles west of Detroit.
 
...The latest development in the Woll case marks the second time in six months that the Detroit Police Department has released a suspect in a high-profile killing. In a separate case in May, police released a suspect in the killing of 53-year-old neurosurgeon Dr. Devon Hoover, who was found shot to death in his Boston Edison neighborhood home in late April...
 
...The latest development in the Woll case marks the second time in six months that the Detroit Police Department has released a suspect in a high-profile killing. In a separate case in May, police released a suspect in the killing of 53-year-old neurosurgeon Dr. Devon Hoover, who was found shot to death in his Boston Edison neighborhood home in late April...
I mentioned up thread that Michigan law allows LE to take DNA samples of anyone who is arrested (they don't even have to be actually charged) for a felony. I don't know if that plays in to the arrests and releases.
 
I mentioned up thread that Michigan law allows LE to take DNA samples of anyone who is arrested (they don't even have to be actually charged) for a felony. I don't know if that plays in to the arrests and releases.
I hope so, but found this:

" If the individual's DNA sample is forwarded to the department despite the individual not having been charged as described in this subsection, the law enforcement agency shall notify the department to destroy that sample."

It seems like LE can take a DNA sample if arrested but can't actually use it if the suspect is not then charged?? Correct me if I'm wrong!

 
I hope so, but found this:

" If the individual's DNA sample is forwarded to the department despite the individual not having been charged as described in this subsection, the law enforcement agency shall notify the department to destroy that sample."

It seems like LE can take a DNA sample if arrested but can't actually use it if the suspect is not then charged?? Correct me if I'm wrong!

I see what you're saying, but there is this qualifier (BBM):

"At the time a DNA sample is taken from an individual under this section, the individual shall be notified in writing of all of the following:

(a) That, except as otherwise provided by law, the individual's DNA sample or DNA identification profile, or both, shall be destroyed or expunged, as appropriate, if the charge for which the sample was obtained has been dismissed or resulted in acquittal, or no charge was filed within the limitations period."

I don't know what the effect of "within the limitations period" means. I assume that there is no SOL for murder .... Maybe someone else knows the nuances of this law better than me.
 
How stressful to have a potential suspect released back into the community before anyone else has been arrested...this must be so unnerving for the Jewish community and especially Samantha's friends and family. Praying for justice and an arrest ASAP.
 
I assume that LE got a cell tower dump warrant for the relevant window of time -- checking to see what phones pinged off the nearby cell tower, although in metro Detroit that would probably involve a lot of data.
 
ADMIN REMINDER:

Fox News is no longer an approved source at Websleuths. Please read Tricia's announcement:

 
...The latest development in the Woll case marks the second time in six months that the Detroit Police Department has released a suspect in a high-profile killing. In a separate case in May, police released a suspect in the killing of 53-year-old neurosurgeon Dr. Devon Hoover, who was found shot to death in his Boston Edison neighborhood home in late April...
I imagine the decision to release the suspect (acutally suspects if both cases are being discussed) is made by the D.A. and not L.E.
Perhaps the D.A. doesn't feel there is enough evidence and wants L.E. to find more? Or perhaps they are waiting on some type of test results that take time?
 
Regarding the man who was arrested and released -- per this article, LE executed a search warrant at the man's house, and the Prosecutor's office had not received a request for an arrest warrant as of Fri. afternoon:

"A suspect arrested this week by Detroit police in the killing of Samantha Woll was released without being charged Friday, the Free Press has learned.
....
As of Friday afternoon, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office said it had not received a warrant request in the killing of Woll, a 40-year-old synagogue president and Democratic activist whom police say was stabbed inside her Detroit home Oct. 21.

The man's release came after police executed a search warrant at his home this week, a source with knowledge of the investigation told the Free Press."

 
What was all that early confidence right after the crime about then?

The police refused to say whether she left the wedding with anyone. I think it’s possible they know it’s likely this person was with her that night, but it took time to build a case for a search warrant, and they might still not have any smoking gun physical evidence yet. Since charges start the countdown clock to a trial, they won’t and shouldn’t proceed until they have evidence strong enough for a conviction.

I can envision a scenario where, for example, she split an Uber or got a ride home with a small group of other people. They’d need to interview them all and hone in on one as the suspect, and then come up with some definitive proof it was Bob who did it even through Bill was with her that night too.
 

"Man arrested in murder

released

after cops failed to file paperwork."

 

"Man arrested in murder

released

after cops failed to file paperwork."

That's a click-bait article with a very misleading headline.

Buried among the pictures, BBM

A dayslong interrogation ensued, culminating with the suspect being cut loose. The decision was reportedly made after the suspect made an 'ambiguous' statement to cops - one that sources told The Detroit News was not enough to warrant charges. A warrant was never filed, and the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office's hands were left tied. A spokesperson for the office confirmed the situation in a brief statement.

Only one bite of the apple. I guessing the cops want an airtight case before they take it to the prosecutor. Nowhere does it say this guy has been cleared.
ETA: Also, nowhere does it say that DPD somehow dropped the ball in not filing charges, although that is certainly what the headline implies.

moo
 
That's a click-bait article with a very misleading headline.

Buried among the pictures, BBM

A dayslong interrogation ensued, culminating with the suspect being cut loose. The decision was reportedly made after the suspect made an 'ambiguous' statement to cops - one that sources told The Detroit News was not enough to warrant charges. A warrant was never filed, and the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office's hands were left tied. A spokesperson for the office confirmed the situation in a brief statement.

Only one bite of the apple. I guessing the cops want an airtight case before they take it to the prosecutor. Nowhere does it say this guy has been cleared.
ETA: Also, nowhere does it say that DPD somehow dropped the ball in not filing charges, although that is certainly what the headline implies.

moo
Yep.
It is really ambiguous.
As this terrible case.

JMO
 
DETROIT – Police are continuing to investigate the fatal stabbing of a beloved Detroit synagogue president after arresting a man believed to be the primary suspect in the case, and releasing him days later.

A man believed to be involved in the Oct. 21 killing of Samantha Woll at her Detroit home was taken into custody in the Kalamazoo area on Wednesday, Nov. 8. He was brought back to the Detroit area, and was released by police the following weekend.

Sources tell Local 4 that the man, whose identity was not made public, was taken into custody based on statements he provided to detectives. Those sources say the man was released because the statements he made were ambiguous and open to more than one interpretation, which is not enough for authorities to request murder charges.

The suspect also reportedly stopped talking to police by the time he was transported back to the Detroit area, and instead hired an attorney. He was eventually released without being charged. Sources say the man doesn’t have any sort of criminal record...
 

Crime Stoppers of Michigan is offering a cash reward of up to $15,000 for tips leading to an arrest in the murder of Jewish community leader Samantha Woll.

**
Authorities arrested and released a suspect, a male acquaintance of Woll's, in early November, offering no details about his statement to police on the killing.

**
"This crime reflects a common challenge in our line of work, when an arrest is made as the investigation unfolds," the Detroit Police Department said in a statement Tuesday.

"We appeal to the community for any information and appreciate your patience as investigators thoroughly examine every aspect of this case. Our heartfelt thoughts remain with Ms. Woll's loved ones.”

Well, this isn't inspiring my confidence.
 

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