Law enforcement officials at Detroit, Michigan are searching for answers in the wake of the stabbing death of a prominent Jewish leader. No suspect or motive have been uncovered since the victim was discovered dead outside of her home on Saturday. 

The president of the board of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, Samantha Woll, was found dead outside of her home on Saturday morning with multiple stab wounds and “a trail of blood leading officers to the victim’s residence.” She was 40 years old. Funeral services were to take place Sunday afternoon in suburban Detroit.

Detroit’s police chief, James White, said in a statement that both the community and members of the media should not speculate about the nature of Woll’s murder.

“Understandably, this crime leaves many unanswered questions,” Mr. White said. “This matter is under investigation, and I am asking that everyone remain patient while investigators carefully examine every aspect of the available evidence. It is important that no conclusions be drawn until all of the available facts are reviewed.”

The Detroit Police Department did not respond to a request for comment on Sunday and did not provide any public updates about the ongoing investigation. 

Woll previously worked for Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin and the state attorney general, Dana Nessel, before beginning her tenure as board president at the synagogue in 2022. 

In a statement posted to X on Saturday, Ms. Slotkin said she will “miss her relentless desire to serve & her bright smile seemingly everywhere across the Detroit area.” Ms. Nessel echoed those sentiments, writing that she was “shocked, saddened and horrified to learn of Sam’s brutal murder. “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,” she said.

Woll’s murder comes at a time of rising tension between many in the Jewish and Arab communities. Jewish leaders, though, echoed the police chief’s statement and cautioned not to jump to conclusions and immediately tie her death to the ongoing Israel–Hamas war.

The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit said in a statement on its Facebook page that it is “in touch with area law enforcement and reports that there are no known threats to the community at this time. No evidence has been shared to indicate this was a targeted act motivated by antisemitism.”

Many online have speculated, though, that Woll’s murder could be tied to the unrest here in America as a result of the war in Israel. Just days ago, a young Muslim boy from the Chicago area was killed after being stabbed 26 times by his landlord who was yelling  about the Hamas attack in southern Israel. The boy’s mother, who fled Gaza to make a better life for her family, was also attacked and spent days in the hospital before being released. 

Michigan has also been home to some of the most virulent anti-Israel protests since the war began. In Dearborn, hundreds packed a local theater on October 11 to declare Israel an apartheid state that ought not have the backing of the American government.