DETROIT (AP) — A man charged with killing Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll denied any role Wednesday, telling jurors that he never entered her home, but had found and touched her body outdoors.

Michael Jackson-Bolanos repeatedly said “absolutely not” when his attorney asked if he broke into Woll's townhouse and stabbed her in October 2023.

 Woll, 40, was found outside her home, east of downtown Detroit. Investigators believe she was attacked inside the residence, but got outdoors before collapsing.

Police said Jackson-Bolanos' jacket had spots of Woll's blood. Although there is video footage of him walking in the area, there's no evidence of him being inside the home.

Jackson-Bolanos told the jury he was trying to find unlocked vehicles when he saw Woll's body. His story suggested how her blood could have ended up on his coat.

“I didn’t shake the body,” he said. “I just checked the neck — no air, no breath or nothing. Once I realized I just touched a dead person, I just grabbed the bag and I left.”

Jackson-Bolanos acknowledged he didn't call police to report what he had found.

“When I realized she was dead, I wanted nothing to do with the entire situation,” he told the jury. “I'm a Black guy in the middle of the night breaking into cars and I found myself standing in front of a dead white woman. That doesn't look good at all.”

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