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The homicide case against the suspect accused of stabbing Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll to death came undone Friday, more than three weeks after a jury couldn’t decide if he was the killer and cleared him of premeditated murder.
But suspect Michael Jackson-Bolanos won’t avoid jail time completely, a judge determined after he was found guilty of lying to police during the high-profile murder probe last year.
Judge Margaret Van Houten ruled that putting Jackson-Bolanos, 29, on trial again for murder would be unconstitutional “double jeopardy,” but sentenced him to between 18 months and 15 years in prison for the lesser charge — much to the frustration of the defendant and his legal team.
Woll, 40, was found dead of multiple stab wounds outside her Detroit home in October, which quickly raised questions about whether it was an antisemitic attack as the Israel-Hamas raged on following the Oct. 7 attack. Investigators ultimately said they found no connection.
Jackson-Bolanos, who insisted he was innocent, was found not guilty of first-degree premeditated murder, but jurors couldn’t agree on a separate charge of felony murder — which is a killing committed during another crime in Michigan — and a charge of home invasion.
Van Houten cited a 2009 Supreme Court ruling for her dismissal of the murder and home invasion charges, though prosecutors vowed to appeal the decision.
As Van Houten handed down her prison sentence to Jackson-Bolanos, his defense attorney Brian Brown was visibly irritated, according to courtroom footage aired on ClickonDetroit.
“If lying was an Olympic sport, you would get a gold medal, sir,” the judge told Jackson-Bolanos as she noted he was a repeated offender.
Prosecutors argued Jackson-Bolanos was previously convicted of theft crimes and was sentenced to probation before he ended up committing more crimes, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Before sentencing, Jackson-Bolanos said, “I don’t want no more trouble,” according to the newspaper.
Brown insisted his client was in the wrong place at the wrong time — even as he was allegedly breaking into cars in the neighborhood.
Jackson-Bolanos acknowledged touching Woll’s body, claiming he found her lying there and saying he had no role in the killing.
Police initially took Woll’s ex-boyfriend into custody after he called authorities hysterically claiming he might have killed Woll. But he later blamed an adverse reaction to medication and he was cleared of committing the crime following further investigation.
Woll was president of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue and active in Democratic politics in Michigan.
With Post wires
