A Michigan jury on Thursday acquitted Michael Jackson-Bolanos of first-degree murder in the 2023 stabbing death of Detroit synagogue president Samantha Wall.
Jurors found Jackson-Bolanos guilty of lying to police and could not agree on charges of felony murder, murder committed during another crime and burglary.
FOX 2 reports the suspect could be retried on the stalled charges, with a pretrial hearing scheduled for next Thursday.
“I think they felt there was no premeditation in terms of the murder, but they disagreed on whether there was a first-degree felony, which includes burglary,” Jackson Bolanos’ attorney, Brian Brown, told FOX 2.
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A Michigan jury on Thursday acquitted Michael Jackson-Bolanos of first-degree murder in the 2023 stabbing death of Detroit synagogue president Samantha Wall. (FOX2)
He added: “The truth will come out. The truth will set him free.”
Brown said he was “frustrated” with his client but “optimistic.”
The jury began deliberations on July 9 and, during deliberations, one juror was dismissed and replaced, but revealed Thursday that they could not agree on two of the charges.
Jurors said Tuesday they could not agree on the charges, but the judge asked them to continue deliberations until Thursday and said they would declare a mistrial if they still could not agree at that point.
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Samantha Wall was stabbed to death in her Detroit home last October. (FOX2)
Jackson Bolanos was accused of stabbing Woll to death in her home last October.
Prosecutors said stains of her blood were found on his jacket. In his self-defense testimony, Jackson Bolanos said he broke into a car that night, touched her body after finding it outside, but had nothing to do with the murder.
He admitted to lying when questioned by police about the murder, testifying that he did not report finding the body because he was committing a crime at the time.
Wall was stabbed inside his home but managed to crawl outside and die.
Testifying in his own defense, Jackson Bolanos said he broke into her car that night and touched her body after finding it outside, but had nothing to do with the murder. (Sarah Rice/AFP via Getty Images)
“I stated that I had touched the body,” he testified. Fox 2“I was telling the truth. I’m here today to swear and affirm that I am telling the truth. I may have lied in the past, but today I am telling the truth. I was telling the truth last week.”
The defense speculated that a man called police a few weeks after the murder to say he thought Woll’s ex-boyfriend had killed her, but he later recanted, saying he was under the influence of drugs at the time, and was granted immunity as a witness for the prosecution. Police found no connection between Woll’s ex-boyfriend and the murder.
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“The allegations against Jeff Herbstman are unsubstantiated,” Deputy District Attorney Ryan Elzey said of Wall’s ex-wife, according to FOX 2. “We are charging the defendant with murder and we support that with solid evidence.”
