Defense argued passionately and persuasively during Jan. 23 preliminary exam; mainstream media limited that coverage
Go to 8:16:00 on video above to hear Atty. Brian Brown’s presentation followed by 36th District Court Chief Judge Kenneth King’s ruling
Defense points:
- Did the murder happen @ 1:30 am, not @4:30 am as prosecutor posits?
- Evidence at P/E shows prolonged struggle with 8 stabbings, copious blood, multiple bruises from beating
- Murder could not happen in time posited by AP, from 4:20 am (motion on liv. room sensors) to 4:23 am, (Jackson-Bolanos on video 1/4 mile away)
- Jackson-Bolanos would have been covered with blood, not 2 microscopic dots on sleeve, not visible to naked eye
- No direct video, cell phone, eyewitness evidence that Jackson-Bolanos was ever in Samantha Woll’s apartment
- “I know this is the preliminary exam, but they have to show specific and articulable facts.” –Atty. Brown, responding to Judge King’s inquiry re: why he should not just bind it over for the fact-finder
Michael Jackson-Bolanos with atty. during Pre/Exam Jan. 23, 2024/Photo: DFP
VOD Editorial
On Jan. 23, VOD watched the second half of the Michael Jackson-Bolanos preliminary exam on felony murder and other charges in the death of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll last October. While the mainstream media touched on various issues, it did not reflect the full extent of defense Attorney Brian Brown’s detailed and persuasive presentation. We are publishing the entire video here.
Below, VOD has summarized the most salient points in the defense presentation, which was interrupted several times by 36th District Court Judge Kenneth King.
Samantha Woll, Pres. Isaac Agree Synagogue
In the earlier parts of the hearing, AP Elsey presented multiple videos from building and street cameras showing an individual alleged to be Jackson-Bolanos leaving his place of residence at 494 W. Alexandrine at 12:25 a.m, walking downtown on Woodward and then over to general area of the victim’s home (not inside the complex or home), then onward down E. Jefferson by the Robinson Furniture Store and Pizza Papalis, then traveling back to the parking lot of the Chrysler Elementary School parking lot at 1445 E. Lafayette (4:20 a.m) then to the I-375 service drive walkover (4:23 a.m.).
Note: Judge Kenneth King interrupted Brown repeatedly and impatiently.
BRIAN BROWN: The Officer in Charge stated she used records to indicate that Woll came home and there was motion around 12:32 a.m. at the front door. But the prosecutor failed to illustrate that at 12:35 am and 12:38 am the back door was opened. Also there was motion . . .
(Judge Kenneth King interrupts—”why is that significant?”)
Atty. Brian Brown/DN photo
She came through the front door, then opened the back door later, maybe she let somebody in.
(Judge King again: Maybe she was putting something out the back door who knows?)
DID THE MURDER OCCUR AT 1:30 AM, NOT 4:20 AM as prosecution says?
BRIAN BROWN: There was living room motion detected at 1:24 a.m. The last time Woll used her phone was at 1:30 a.m. We also know from the OIC that at 1:38 am a neighbor heard a scream. We also have photos from inside the house that would seem to indicate that she may have been stationary in the same place by closet door for a long time. There is a high concentration of blood there and streaks on the wall. A detective testified that there were footprints in the blood leading to the back of the apt. The OIC said that movement likely triggered the threshold of alarm system. So it’s very possible this murder could have happened much sooner than the prosecutor contends [at 4:20 pm.]
A PROLONGED STRUGGLE DURING BEATING, STABBING OF SAMANTHA WOLL, PRODUCING COPIOUS BLOOD SPILLS, NOT POSSIBLE IN 3 MINS.
Samantha Woll’s Lafayette Park apt.
BRIAN BROWN: Based on their opinion, it shows a struggle. There was fruit that was knocked down inside the kitchen, also blood in the living room and in the hallway. The prosecution’s timeline is that all of this happened in a matter of one minute. They claim my client entered the home at 4:20 am, beat her up—because there were bruises. The prosecutor omitted the bruises shown in the medical examiner’s report. They didn’t want the court to know that Samantha Woll had bruises on an eye, bruises on her head, bruises on her elbow, bruises on her knees.
Whoever did this crime had sufficient time, more than a 60-second window, in order to fight and tussle with her. There was blood in the living room, over by the laptop, and material that hadn’t been tampered with—such as her credit cards. There was no sign of a home invasion or a burglary. Whoever did this was not concerned with stealing any items. Her phone was on the floor. The FBI Special Agent testified that . . .
(Judge King interrupts again–how do you explain Ms. Woll’s DNA on the defendant’s jacket.)
It could be the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s possible he could have come across body, maybe touched the body, had blood just on two spots on the sleeve. (Brown noted neighbor who found the body may have touched it, but was never screened for blood traces.)
36th District Court Chief Judge Kenneth King binds Michael Jackson-Bolanos over to Third Circuit Court Jan. 23, 2024; next hearing there January 30, 2024.
(Judge King: Tell me why that wouldn’t be a question for trier of fact?)
BRIAN BROWN: I don’t even believe they have enough evidence to fit into thejr time frame. They saw my client walking in front of the casino at 4:23 am a quarter mile away from the home, where there was motion at 4:20 a.m. They want you to think my client went inside this apartment, struggled with her, beat her up, and stabbed her 7 to 8 times, and went from room to room to room and then was able to make it a quarter mile away by 4:23 a.m. They can’t show us where my client actually entered this location.
Based upon all the blood and the nature of this crime, had my client stabbed her 8 different times on at numerous points in her body—she got stabbed in the back, in the bottom of her neck, he would have a lot more blood on his jacket.
Why don’t they have the longitude and latitude [on my client’s I-phone, for where my client was at that particular time. On Woll’s phone, they got longitude and latitude. Nothing pinpoints my client walking into that particular location. He was in that area but there was no evidence that my client was ever inside the location.
Brian Brown: “I know this is the preliminary exam, but they have to show specific and articulable facts here. They want the fact-finder to fill in the blanks. They left out specific things because it does not fit their narrative. It looks like she was there for an amount of time—she got up, got her bearings, tried to walk to the neighbor’s house. There is no evidence whatsoever that my client was involved. People purposely left out particular information. Would ask that you not bind this case over.”
Samantha Woll with Michigan State Attorney General Dana Nessel.
VOD notes that stringent scrutiny of this case by the public is necessary in light of it’s high-profile nature. We extend our sincere condolences to the family of Samantha Woll in the wake of her horrific murder, which “should never have taken place” as Judge King noted.
But it comes at a time when there is massive bias in U.S. mainstream media and the stance of the ruling Democratic Party here, regarding the slaughter of over 25,000 Palestinians in Gaza after the Hamas incursion into Israel Oct. 7.
THIS SHOULD NOT TRANSMOGRIFY INTO THE RAILROAD OF A YOUNG AND POOR BLACK MAN IN A RUSH TO JUDGMENT ON A REPREHENSIBLE MURDER OF A PROMINENT JEWISH LEADER IN DETROIT. TO OBTAIN JUSTICE FOR SAMANTHA WOLL AND HER FAMILY, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THE ACTUAL MURDERER BE FOUND, CHARGED AND TRIED. VOD IS NOT SATISFIED THAT OTHER SUSPECTS, INCLUDING ACTUAL ANTI-SEMITES, HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENTLY INVESTIGATED.
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Abdul Hakeem
I couldn’t screen shot this message on the Bolanos case that I sent to the prosecutor’s office last week after the preliminary exam but I will copy and paste it here. Yes, I go for the jugular quite often with that office and this case is no different. And interestingly enough, the prosecutor’s spokeswoman forwarded my email to Kym Worthless and copied me on it. My only thought was, “Yeah, go ahead an bite, lady.” like she did back in July when she and I had a war of words about her political jockeying bullshit in these cases. Needless to say, she has not responded to this. O course not, because it’s not the typical, ass-kissing praise she’s become accustomed too. She usually only respond with thank-yous and appreciation to all the ass kissing she gets.
From: Roberto Guzman
To: Maria Miller
Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2024 at 07:26:34 AM EST
Subject: Michael Jackson-Bolanos: Another Innocent Man Heading Down a Dark Tunnel
I am writing you regarding the Michael Jackson-Bolanos case. I always had concerns that once police had their sights set on that young man Mr. Jackson-Bolanos, they were determined to charge him for her murder. At all costs. I watched and listened to developments at yesterday’s preliminary examination and left even more concerned that here we are, once again witnessing an innocent black man being railroaded for a murder he did not commit to satisfy the community’s demands for justice. But justice is anything but that when you wrongfully convict a person for a crime.
Principally convincing among the arguments put forth by the defense yesterday was the pointed thought that the true killer’s outer clothing should have been soaked in blood. I too questioned that, immediately upon hearing that police allegedly found “specks” of the victim’s blood on Mr. Jackson-Bolanos’ jacket at the time of his arrest, even though the evidence shows the crime scene was a bloody mess, let alone that the crime itself seemed to have been more personal in nature, as opposed to some random act.
Oh, I wouldn’t dare accuse Detroit Police, with its history of corruption and misconduct, of planting that blood! Who me? No not at all. Or that the defendant may have also innocently walked upon the victim and came into contact with her after the murder.
We’ve been down this path before. Many times. But now we are witnessing it before a verdict even comes in. And so I thought to myself, “Why aren’t Detroiters attending these proceedings to monitor it as guardians of justice, witnesses with vigilance that the presumption of innocence and all the concomitant constitutional rights to due process of law and more are protected for this young man?” And that includes the so-called exonerees of late, who are more concerned with reaching stardom and profiting off their stories while the assault on innocence continues. But there they’ll be, no doubt, when an innocent man is freed, with all the media fanfare in tow and photo ops, just to make themselves look good and wisk the unsuspecting defendant off to their lawyer as business development in a civil suit. It has become that perverted, yes indeed.
It is a disgrace and a shame before God all the corrupted ways in which everyone from dirty cops on down to Detroit’s exonerees are behaving. Its not about true justice with them any more than it is with Detroit Police. There, I said it, and it’s true.
But just like Detroit ignored all the misconduct and corruption once upon a time in another case involving a 14 year old boy named Davontae Sanford (whom they didn’t become fans to until he got his millions), so too today they are about to see history repeated as it concerns Mr. Jackson-Bolanos, thanks to a community’s collective indifference. They will wait until he’s convicted and lucky enough for the media to cover his story before they’ll be stirred to act.
The cycle continues. The assault on innocence and justice forges ahead because real accountability against dirty cops and others is not there. And Detroit, you share a large portion of the blame.
Sent from AT&T Yahoo Mail on Android