Person of interest taken into custody in killing of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll
A person of interest has been taken into custody in connection to the October death of prominent Detroit Jewish leader, Samantha Woll, the Detroit Police Department confirmed Monday.
“(The Detroit Police Department) can confirm that a person of interest has been taken into custody in furtherance of the investigation into the murder of Samantha Woll,” the department told USA TODAY.
Police did not identify the individual or say when or where they were detained but said more information will be released "in the near future." The department would not specify whether the person taken into custody was the same person the department took into custody last month.
"In an effort to ensure the integrity of this ongoing investigation, no further details will be released at this time," the statement continues.
Woll was found Oct. 21 fatally stabbed outside of her home in Lafayette Park, a Detroit neighborhood just east of downtown. The 40-year-old woman's body was discovered with multiple stab wounds and officials said a trail of blood led investigators to Woll's home, where police believe she was slain.
Police said Woll had attended a wedding the night before she was killed, and there was no forced entry into her home.
Second time a person taken into custody
The announcement came just over a month after a suspect was taken into custody in the killing, who police detained in Kalamazoo, but released without charges several days later. Multiple sources said the person was close with Woll and attended her funeral, The Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network reported at the time.
Suspects cannot be held without being charged for more than three days, under Michigan law.
Police initially said the arrest was a positive step forward but cautioned that it should not be interpreted as the end of the investigation into Woll's killing.
Many people had worried her death could have been motivated by antisemitism relating to the deadly conflict in Israel and Gaza this fall. But Detroit Police Chief James White previously said he is "confident" the killing was not a hate crime or motivated by antisemitism and urged the public not to jump to conclusions.
Sunday updatesNetanyahu says dozens of Hamas militants surrendering; Blinken defends veto on UN cease-fire resolution
Last month, CrimeStoppers of Michigan announced a cash reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case.
Contributing: Andrea May Sahouri and Violet Ikonomova, Detroit Free Press
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.