The head of a Detroit synagogue was found dead in front of her home. Michigan's top prosecutor said Samantha Woll was the victim of a murder.
AP Photo/David Eggert, File
The president of a Detroit synagogue who was found dead in front of her home Saturday morning was the victim of a "brutal murder," according to Michigan's top prosecutor.
Samantha Woll, 40, had been president of the Isaac Agree Downtown Detroit Synagogue since last year, according to the Detroit Free Press. She was found outside her home at 6:30 a.m. in the Lafayette Park neighborhood, the newspaper reported, citing a police spokesperson.
Police have not reported a cause of death. The department did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
But Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, in a statement issued Saturday afternoon, said Woll was the victim of a murder.
"I am shocked, saddened and horrified to learn of Sam's brutal murder," Nessel said. "Sam was as kind a person as I've ever known. She was driven by her sincere love of her community, state and country. Sam truly used her faith and activism to create a better place for everyone."
A spokesperson for Nessel's office declined to provide more details "at this time."
Though the attorney general did not indicate a possible motive, Woll's death comes during a time of heightened concern for members of the Jewish community. In 2022, the FBI reported a record number of hate crimes in the United, including a 37% increase in incidents targeting Jews.
The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict has also increased fears that Jews and Muslims alike will be targeted over ostensibly political grievances. Earlier this week, an Illinois man was charged with fatally stabbing a 6-year-old boy of Palestinian descent.
