DETROIT (WXZ) — Two and a half weeks of silence were broken by new developments after Detroit police announced a suspect is in custody for the murder of synagogue leader Samantha Woll. Police in Kalamazoo say they made the arrest.
“I guess it’s good news. Hopefully, it's the guy. We've been worried about it,” neighbor David Lorenz said.
Woll’s neighbors have followed the case closely. Woll was found dead outside her townhome early morning on Oct. 21. Police say she was stabbed to death with a trail of blood leading back to her home, leading them to believe she was murdered inside with no sign of forced entry.
“I've talked to others, at least women, in the area and we haven't been able to sleep at night," neighbor Becky Dudash said. "It’s really affected us.”
Neighbors say the news is a relief, but it’s not over yet. Detroit police have given no information on the suspect, keeping details confidential.
"The fact that they have a suspect after this many weeks of silence is definitely a welcomed development, but we want to know more," said Sam Dubin, assistant director of the Jewish Community Relations Council/AJC. "The Jewish community wants to know more, again to honor Sam's legacy."
Woll served on the board of the JCRC/AJC and was president of the Isaac Agree Synagouge in downtown Detroit. Dubin says he texted with her often in the week before her death.
"Sam was really trying to get humanitarian aid to Israel and Gaza, which is so emblematic to the person that she was," Dubin said. "She did really practice tikkun olam, repairing the world.”
While the war has increased tensions in the U.S., police say there’s no evidence her murder was related to anti-Semitism but with no further explanation, the motive remains unknown.
“How did they rule that out? Why do they think or don't think anti-Semitism was a motive? These are questions that the Jewish community here in Detroit and really around the world, it spooked a lot of people, we need answers to,” Dubin said.
While friends and neighbors continue to grieve, they’re thankful for some news. They're hoping that more answers and potential charges come next.
“I think all the neighbors are going to be happy they have someone in custody,” Dudash said. “I just knew that she was a wonderful person and a lot of people knew her."
"We've been waiting for some kind of news now for a couple of weeks," Lorenz said. "We're glad there’s some movement in the case.”
Detroit Police Departmet Chief James White did caution that although this is a welcome development, the investigation is still not over and they’ll be working with the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office to bring someone to justice.
