Cherry Hill, New Jersey – Fred Neulander, the former rabbi convicted of hiring hitmen to murder his wife, has passed away at the age of 82. Neulander was found unresponsive in the infirmary unit at New Jersey State Prison on Wednesday and was pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital. The cause of his death has not been disclosed by officials.
Neulander, who was the founding rabbi of Congregation M’kor Shalom in Cherry Hill, made headlines in 1994 when he paid two men to kill his wife, Carol Neulander. The hired killers brutally murdered Carol inside their home, leaving a tragic aftermath of grief for their three children and the community.
During the highly publicized trial, one of the hitmen testified that Neulander orchestrated the murder because he wanted to pursue an affair with a Philadelphia radio personality. This revelation shocked many and shed light on the dark motives behind the heinous crime.
In 2002, Neulander was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 30 years in prison after a hung jury in the previous trial. Despite attempting to appeal his conviction in 2016, a state appeals court upheld the ruling, ensuring that he would serve his time for the cold-blooded crime.
The closure of Congregation M’kor Shalom in 2022 marked the end of an era tainted by tragedy and betrayal. The legacy of Fred Neulander will forever be intertwined with the sorrow and disbelief that surrounded his actions, leaving a lasting impact on all those involved in the case.