A judge in Detroit dismissed a remaining murder charge against a man accused of killing a synagogue leader, citing constitutional concerns of double jeopardy. The accused, who had been acquitted of a similar charge three weeks prior, expressed his innocence in the fatal stabbing of Samantha Woll.
Woll, 40, was found dead outside her Detroit home last October, sparking speculation about a possible antisemitic motive, although police found no evidence to support this theory. The accused was acquitted of first-degree premeditated murder but faced a hung jury on a felony murder charge related to a home invasion.
The judge's decision to dismiss the pending murder charge was based on a 2009 U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding partial jury verdicts, preventing a retrial. The accused was sentenced to 18 months in prison for lying to police during the investigation, his only conviction in the case.
Investigators believe Woll was attacked inside her home before collapsing outside. The accused, a Black man, testified that he stumbled upon Woll's body while in the neighborhood, leading to blood spots on his coat. He claimed innocence but admitted to touching the victim's body.
Prior to the accused, a former boyfriend of Woll was briefly a suspect after making a distress call to 911, suggesting he might have killed her. However, he attributed his statements to a medication reaction and was not charged.
Woll, a prominent figure in the community as the president of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue and involved in Democratic politics, was remembered as a beacon by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The case, which garnered significant public attention, ended with the dismissal of the remaining charges against the accused.
