Episode Overview

Podcast: The Free Press Investigates
Series: Spiral: Murder in Detroit
Episode: 5. A Beautiful but Imperfect System
Date: November 11, 2025
Host/Reporter: Frannie Block

This final episode of Spiral: Murder in Detroit explores the tragic murder of Samantha Wall, beloved Detroit community leader, and the profound shortcomings of the justice system that followed. Through a deeply personal and legal lens, the show traces how decisions made in the investigation and prosecution led to an unexpected legal dead-end, leaving Sam’s family, friends, and the Detroit community searching for justice, understanding, and closure.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Scene of the Crime – Randomness and Vulnerability

• Location, Neighborhood & Sam's Legacy
  • Frannie and producer Poppy visit the well-lit suburb where Sam lived and was murdered. (03:00)
  • Reflections on how Sam’s connections and community spirit made the loss even more shocking and how a series of coincidental events (an unlocked door, bad luck) set the tragedy in motion.
    • “It does just feel kind of shocking that something like that could happen here and then for there still to be so much mystery about what actually happened and how it happened.” (04:10, Frannie)
• Community Fractures
  • The case exposed and deepened societal fissures: “Sam’s death... has been used as a template to understand so many ills in our society. Antisemitism, racism, malice, pathology. But... even more is how Sam’s death exposes our vulnerabilities to randomness and chance...” (05:20, Frannie)

The Prosecution’s Fatal Error – The Legal Bomb

• Judge King’s Unorthodox Move
  • During the preliminary hearing, Judge Kenneth King encouraged the prosecution to add a first-degree premeditated murder charge, a rare move for a judge. (08:00)
    • Quote from Judge King (actor): “Whoever did this had ample opportunity to reflect on their actions when they stabbed her... it’s a possibility he did in fact cause the death of Samantha Wall and intended to kill her.” (09:50)
• Why That Charge Changed Everything
  • Adding premeditated murder, alongside felony murder, set up a scenario where the jury could acquit on premeditated murder but be deadlocked on felony murder—prompting a legal loophole.

The Yeager Precedent and Double Jeopardy

• Supreme Court Case: Yeager v. United States (2009)
  • If a defendant is acquitted of one charge, and the jury is hung on related charges, double jeopardy can bar retrial on the latter if they share core elements. (14:10)
    • “Because if double jeopardy did not exist, then we would all be screwed… everyone would be getting retried over and over and over.” (16:35, Michael’s lawyer, Parnakrishnamoorthy)
• Application to Michael’s Case
  • Michael Jackson Bolanos was acquitted of premeditated murder but faced a hung jury on felony murder and home invasion, meaning he could never be retried for either once the Yeager precedent was raised. (17:50)
• Systemic Oversight
  • No one—judge, prosecution, defense—realized the implications of this legal doctrine until defense attorneys found it months after trial.

Aftermath: Sentencing and Ongoing Appeals

• Maximum Sentence for Lying to Police
  • Michael is convicted solely for lying to authorities, receiving the maximum sentence (18 months to 15 years)—far more severe than recommended.
    • “If lying was an Olympic sport, you would get the gold medal, sir, because you told lie after lie after lie.” (21:35, Judge Van Houten)
• Family’s Response
  • Sam’s family supports the long sentence, viewing Michael as a public safety threat; they remain active in opposing his parole. (24:10)
  • “I think that this will give us more time and not have to worry about someone who is very dangerous being on the street.” (24:55, Monica)
• Prosecution and Defense Appeals
  • Prosecution appeals to overturn the Yeager precedent to allow a retrial; Michigan AG Dana Nessel supports the appeal. Defense counters that Sam’s murder, for which Michael was not convicted, should be excluded from parole considerations. (27:20–32:40)

The Jury and the Jury System

• Unaware of Consequence
  • The foreman, Bruce, says the jury didn’t realize acquitting on premeditated murder barred retrial: “None of the jury have… passed the bar exam. We’re not legal experts on this... I think we would have just had to have shown deadlocked on all those other charges…” (29:45)
• On Systemic Imperfections
  • “We all play a role in this imperfect but beautiful system. But that doesn't mean that the right outcome is always what you get.” (31:30, Alana Block, lawyer and Wall family friend)

The Human Cost – Families Endure (33:00–39:00)

• Sam’s Family: Loss and Exhaustion
  • Margo and Doug Wall, Sam’s parents, doubt justice will be done.
    • “Are you optimistic in life in general? Yes. In this case, no, I’m not. I really am not. I feel really let down by the whole justice system.” (36:10, Margo)
  • Doug describes the emotional toll of six weeks of trial regarding his daughter's murder: “I had to walk out several times… I just couldn’t listen or watch what was going on.” (38:20, Doug)

Michael’s Voice and Legal Limbo (42:30–47:00)

• Michael’s First Letter to the Media
  • Michael claims innocence and reflects on his identity and actions.
    • “I am not, nor have I ever been, the kind of individual capable of violence, let alone the murder of Samantha Wall.” (43:05, Michael via actor)
  • Defense lawyer Perna shares her rare empathy, having lost her own brother to an unsolved crime.

Parole, Acquitted Conduct, and Systemic Critique

• Parole Board’s Discretion
  • Parole documents include details of Sam’s murder, despite Bolanos not being convicted for it—a “breach” of “innocent until proven guilty.” (48:00–52:00)
    • “Why would we be talking about everything that he’s been acquitted of, but nothing of what he was actually found guilty for?” (50:10, Perna)
• Legal and Ethical Dilemmas
  • The episode explores the tension: is Michael being unjustly imprisoned for a murder he was not convicted of, or is the system failing to keep a dangerous person off the streets?

Sam’s Life and Legacy – Remembrance and Meaning

• Sam’s Community Impact
  • The podcast returns to Sam’s joy, activism, and art—her signature “spiral” and community-building efforts (53:00–56:00).
• Rabbi Lapontin on Justice
  • “Justice, in a sense, is not allowing the forces of evil to win... we have to spread her love… her sincere commitment...” (58:25, Rabbi Asher Lapontin)
• Friends and Family Remember
  • “I think about Sam almost every minute of every day… and I think about how she would act in certain situations all the time.” (60:10, Monica)
  • “There’s no sentence that will bring her back… but they need some peace.” (61:45, Senator Alyssa Slotkin)

The Synagogue, Community, and Memory (63:00–68:00)

• The Downtown Synagogue and Demongo’s Bar
  • Recalls efforts by Sam and others to save and revitalize Detroit’s historic Jewish center, tying together diverse Detroit communities with the bar next door.
    • “So when I saw the name Samantha, I knew she’ll live the next hundred years. Her spirit.” (67:05, Larry Mongo)
• Jewish Tradition of Remembrance
  • Larry Mongo ties the naming of the synagogue to the Jewish and African-American traditions of enshrining memory.

Spiritual Closure & the Spiral Symbol (70:00–74:00)

• Sam’s Parents and the Medium
  • A medium, unprompted, drew Sam’s spiral, giving the family both wonder and comfort.
    • “So she takes her pen and pencil out and she draws this. The spiral... she’s drawing the spiral...” (73:10, Doug Wall)

Final Words – Sam’s Own Voice and Continuing Her Light (76:00–End)

• Sam’s Speech

  • The episode closes with a moving clip of Sam at the synagogue’s reopening:
    • “We honor the memory of those who came before us and we practice our tradition to make sure that it is there in the future.” (76:50, Sam Wall)

• Sam’s Nephew (Hanukkah/Diwali event)

  • “My Aunt Sam lived the values of kindness and goodness, and she was a light unto others. May her memory continue to be a blessing for everybody.” (79:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On random tragedy:

  • “I’m struck by... it was Sam who was wrong place, wrong time. Because I think it was incredibly bad luck... that she happened to have her door open.” (06:12, Frannie)

• Legal technicality:

  • “One flick of the pen and the entire murder case is over, possibly forever.” (18:12, Frannie)

• On justice and exhaustion:

  • “I feel really let down by the whole justice system.” (36:10, Margo Wall)
  • “I honestly wanted to make sure that I was doing the right thing. Nobody wants to see anybody go away for something that they didn’t do. And nobody wants to see a victim go without any justice.” (31:00, Bruce, Jury Foreman)

• On Sam’s legacy:

  • “She was so kind, and I have really been trying… just be a kinder person… It sounds cliche. I try to remind myself to live in the present, and anything can change at any minute.” (61:15, Monica)
  • “Justice is not letting evil win.” (58:25, Rabbi Lapontin)
  • “When I saw the name Samantha, I knew she’ll live the next hundred years. Her spirit. And if one said, why is the name Samantha? You got a great story. You getting ready to hear with a sad ending.” (67:05, Larry Mongo)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Scene-setting and community reflection: 03:00–07:30
• Judge’s legal decision: 08:00–12:00
• Yeager precedent explained: 14:10–18:00
• Application to case & double jeopardy: 17:50–20:45
• Sentencing and family reaction: 21:35–26:00
• Appeals and ongoing legal fight: 27:20–32:40
• Jury system reflections: 29:45–31:30
• Family’s pain & systemic exhaustion: 33:00–39:00
• Michael’s defense & prison letter: 42:30–46:30
• Parole and acquitted conduct: 48:00–52:00
• Sam’s remembrance and synagogue: 53:00–68:00
• Spiral symbol and spiritual matters: 70:00–74:00
• Sam’s final words/speech: 76:00–77:30
• Sam’s nephew (Hanukkah/Diwali): 79:10–End

Tone and Language

The tone is reflective, mournful, and inquisitive, balancing legal analysis with tender personal testimonies. The language is clear, direct, and frequently intimate, focusing not only on the legal journey but also on emotional truth and communal bonds.

Conclusion

This episode lays bare the limits of even the best-intentioned justice system. Through technicalities, human fallibility, and unrelenting randomness, the story of Samantha Wall’s death refracts into an unresolved quest for justice. Yet, the episode doesn’t let Sam’s story end in suffering or legal ambiguity; instead, it circles back (like her spiral) to the light and joy she brought into the world, the bonds she forged, and the legacy her loved ones strive to uphold. As Rabbi Lapontin reflects, justice is about not letting evil win—and in the maintained memory, kindness, and unity Sam represented, there’s a flicker of victory and hope.