The president of a US synagogue was found dead with stab wounds outside her home on Saturday, as police cautioned against speculation over the motive for the murder.
Police requested FBI assistance in investigating the slaying of Samantha Woll, 40, who presided over the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, which serves metropolitan Detroit.
Police Chief James White urged “that everyone remain patient” while the investigation is underway despite “many unanswered questions.”
“It is important that no conclusions be drawn until all of the available facts are reviewed,” White said in a statement. “An update… will be forthcoming tomorrow.”
The murder came amid escalating tensions in Jewish and Muslim communities across the United States over the Israel-Hamas conflict that has taken thousands of lives this month.
Emergency personnel found Woll dead “with multiple stab wounds to her body,” police said. A trail of blood led officers to Woll’s nearby home, “which is where the crime is believed to have occurred.”
The motive in the killing “is unknown,” a police statement added.
The Detroit office of the FBI told AFP in an email that it “will assist the Detroit Police Department as requested.”
