Oct. 23 (UPI) — There is no evidence that the killing of a Detroit synagogue president was a hate crime, police investigating the weekend slaying said.
Samantha Woll, 40, head of the Isaac Agree Downtown Detroit Synagogue, was found stabbed to death Saturday near her home in the Lafayette Park neighborhood. She was found stabbed multiple times and a blood trail led back to her residence, where police believe the crime occurred.
Woll was killed some two weeks after Israel launched its war against Hamas, and amid worries in the United States that it will increase hate crimes targeting both Jews and Palestinians.
However, Detroit Police Chief James White said Sunday in a statement that “no evidence has surfaced suggesting that this crime was motivated by antisemitism.”
“DPD investigators are working with the FBI to forensically analyze all of the information obtained up to this point in an effort to ascertain the timeline that ultimately led to Ms. Woll’s death,” James said, calling on members of the community to be patient as investigators work the crime.
“Everything that can be done to bring this matter to closure is being called into service.”
Woll’s death comes amid a spate of potential hate crimes being committed in the United States, seemingly in response to the war in Israel.
Over the weekend, a bomb threat was reported at an Albuquerque, N.M., synagogue, and before that, there was several arrests of people who are accused of uttering threats against Jewish people.
Six-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume was also stabbed to death Oct. 14 and his mother was wounded. Their landlord has been arrested on accusations of attacking the pair due to their Palestinian ethnicity.
