Ex-boyfriend of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll testifies
(CBS DETROIT) - Jeffrey Herbstman wrapped up his testimony Tuesday at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in the murder trial of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll.
The man charged with her murder, Michael Jackson-Bolanos, is currently standing trial.
However, Herbstman, who is Woll's ex-boyfriend, initially confessed to killing her during a call to 911 in the weeks following her death in October 2023.
"When he [Herbstman] exited the vehicle, I didn't notice it until I watched my body camera back; it sounded to me as if he said 'I killed her,' when he exited his vehicle," said Alison Baker, a former Kalamazoo public safety officer during her testimony on Tuesday.
During his lengthy testimony that began Monday afternoon, Herbstman said he was in a delusional state of mind from doubling his dosage of anti-depressants and smoking cannabis through a vape pen.
However, defense attorney Brian Brown, during cross-examination, questioned if Herbstman's admission was the result of a delusion or a repressed memory.
Herbstman was released from police custody back in November 2023 after police could not put him at the scene of Woll's murder.
Video evidence of Herbstman inside the Kalamazoo Police Department was played, showing him calling his mother and asking for an attorney.
Other medical experts, including a toxicologist, took the stand outlining which drugs were in Samantha Woll's system. A toxicology report found traces of GHB, also known as the date rape drug, cannabis, and Ambien, in her system.