Just weeks before she was set to fulfill the dream of becoming a doctor that she had when she came from Jamaica, Samantha Woolery’s colleagues went looking for her when she didn’t show up for work on the morning of June 16.
When they visited her Marietta, Ga. apartment they found Banton-Woolery’s body with “large lacerations” on her back, neck, and shoulder. A bloody machete was also found near Woolery’s bed, Fox 5 reported.
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The next day, Woolery’s ex-husband, Mickey Woolery, 49, was arrested and charged in connection to her murder. According to police, door camera footage caught Mickey walking away from her apartment covered in blood the night before her body was discovered. Also, a bloody fingerprint matching Mickey puts him at the scene of the crime.
Mickey was later apprehended in Indiana at the family’s home after allegedly attempting to flee from officers. He was charged with felony murder, malice murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery and possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime, per Atlanta News First.
Woolery, 42, was set to start her surgical residency at Grady Memorial Hospital through the Morehouse School of Medicine on July 1. She was the recipient of the 2023 Surgery Intern of the Year and loved by many.
On June 17, the Morehouse School of Medicine released a Facebook statement saying: “Dr. Woolery’s dedication to advancing health equity and her compassionate care for patients made a significant impact on our community. Her legacy will continue to inspire us all.”
Dr. Woolery’s best friend, Mfoniso Ekpo, described her as “love and light and generosity.” The pair met while Dr. Woolery was completing her doctorate degree.
The Morehouse Surgical Residents Instagram account also shared a post in memory of Dr. Woolery.
“Samantha was a beautiful soul. Her voice soft, yet outspoken. She loved and nurtured each of us as a mother. She fed us at every opportunity she had. An educator. The hardest worker in any room, always striving to be her best,” the post reads
Woolery and Mickey shared two teenage children. The oldest, 18-year-old Naeema, told Atlanta News First “it felt like my heart got ripped out of my chest” after receiving the call of her mother’s death.
Naeema said she “kind of had an idea” that her father was involved in her mother’s murder but “didn’t want to believe it.” She asks for prayers and privacy for her and her 14-year-old brother during this time.
“We lost both parents,” she said.
Naeema has also set up a GoFundMe to help cover the cost of her mother’s funeral.
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