Fred Neulander, a New Jersey rabbi convicted for orchestrating the murder of his wife, has passed away in prison.
According to NBC Philadelphia, correctional officers found 82-year-old Neulander unresponsive in the infirmary unit at New Jersey State Prison on April 17. Despite CPR efforts, Neulander was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m.
The cause of death has not yet been disclosed.
Neulander was the former leader of Congregation M’kor Shalom, a Reform Jewish synagogue in Cherry Hill, which closed in 2022. In 2002, he was convicted of hiring two men to kill his wife, Carol Neulander, 52.
Carol, the mother of three children and a co-founder of a boutique bakery, was found fatally bludgeoned inside the couple’s home in 1994. Prosecutors said the killers used a metal pipe to beat the victim, then staged the scene to look like a robbery.
During his trial, one of the killers testified that Neulander wanted his wife out of the way to pursue a relationship with a Philadelphia radio personality, Elaine Soncin, DailyMail reports.
Soncini met Neulander when he conducted religious services at her husband’s funeral in 1992. She later testified for the prosecution during both of Neulander’s trials.
After a mistrial in 2001, Neulander was sentenced to 30 years in prison following a 2002 conviction.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Kol Ami Rabbi Jennifer Frenkel released a statement Friday, following the news of Neulander’s death.
“Fred Neulander’s … leadership of the congregation ended many years ago under well-publicized circumstances that ran counter to the values our congregation holds dear.”
“Rather than dwell on the past, we at Congregation Kol Ami … choose to focus on our future. … We are building a vibrant and inclusive Jewish community guided by shared values and traditions, supporting each other through life’s joys and sorrows, and finding purpose and connection through prayer, learning, and acts of compassion and kindness.”
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[Feature Photo: Carol Neulander; Handout/ Rabbi Fred Neulander answers questions during his testimony in his murder trial Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2001 in Camden, N.J. Neulander, accused of having his wife murdered so he could continue a dalliance with another woman denied any role in the slaying and testified Tuesday that he and his wife had an “open marriage” in which they were free to carry on with others. (AP Photo/David Maialetti, POOL)]
