Slain Detroit synagogue leader mourned at Sunday funeral; police seek motive By Reuters

(Reuters) -A funeral was held on Sunday for the president of a Detroit synagogue who was killed over the weekend as police searched for 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.

In an obituary published on the website of the Hebrew Memorial Chapel, where the funeral was held, Woll, 40, was remembered as a patron of theater, opera and music and a keen hiker of mountain trails.

The Detroit Police Department said Woll’s body was found in the 1300 block of Joliet Place, where a trail of blood led to her home.

Police did not have an update as of Sunday afternoon. On Saturday, Detroit Police Chief James E. White stressed the importance of not drawing conclusions as the investigation continued.

“Understandably, this crime leaves many unanswered questions,” White said in a statement.

Woll’s death sparked an outpouring of grief in Jewish and Democratic circles.

U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin, on whose election campaign Woll worked, said in a statement she “dedicated her short life to building understanding across faiths, bringing light in the face of darkness.”

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel remembered Woll as being driven by “her sincere love of her community, state and country.”

“Sam was as kind a person as I’ve ever known,” Nessel wrote on X, formerly called Twitter.