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DETROIT, Michigan: Police probing the stabbing death of the president of a US synagogue said Sunday that no evidence has emerged of anti-Semitism as a motive.
Samantha Woll, an adviser to Democratic politicians and president of Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, was found stabbed to death outside her home in the Lafayette Park neighborhood of Detroit on Saturday.
Emergency personnel found Woll dead outside her home with multiple stab wounds, police said in a statement Saturday. A trail of blood led officers to Woll’s home, “which is where the crime is believed to have occurred.”
The murder came amid escalating tensions in Jewish and Muslim communities across the United States over the Israel-Hamas war, which has taken thousands of lives this month.
In this photo released by Kimberly Bush, Samantha Woll, left, poses with Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Sept. 4, 2022, in Royal Oak, Michigan. (Kimberly Bush via AP)
Detroit police chief James White said in a brief statement that his force is interviewing “individuals with information that may further the investigation.” He gave no details.
“No evidence has surfaced suggesting that this crime was motivated by anti-Semitism,” White said.
He said the FBI is assisting Detroit police and he asked for patience as the probe proceeds.
“Everything that can be done to bring this matter to closure is being called into service,” White said.
Woll presided over the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, which serves metropolitan Detroit.
The 40-year-old was also politically connected as a campaign staffer for Attorney General Dana Nessel and former aide to Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin.
“I am shocked, saddened and horrified to learn of Sam’s brutal murder. Sam was as kind a person as I’ve ever known,” Nessel posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Slotkin, who served as a CIA officer before entering Congress, said Woll sought to build “understanding across faiths, bringing light in the face of darkness.”
The Detroit Free Press said Woll had been active in a grassroots organization aimed at building ties between young Muslims and Jews.
A Muslim member of the US House representing the Detroit area, Rashida Tlaib, described Woll as a friend and said she was shocked at the killing.
“I have no words,” Tlaib posted on Facebook.
Mourners who attended a funeral ceremony on Sunday noted the crowd was comprised of people belonging to many different religions, which friends and family said symbolized who Woll was. She was credited for her interfaith work, including by Muslim advocacy groups. Family members said she looked for ways to connect to other movements, including Black Lives Matter.
Colleagues remembered how she loved travel, the arts and had an “infectious smile” that would light up a room. The service included moments of levity about her nature, with jokes about her food allergies and how when she was complimented on something she wore, she would remove it and give it away.