Cherry Hill, New Jersey – The New Jersey community mourns the passing of Fred Neulander, the former rabbi sentenced for orchestrating the murder of his wife, Carol Neulander. Neulander, 82, was found unresponsive in his cell at New Jersey State Prison on Wednesday, April 17, and despite efforts to revive him, he was pronounced dead shortly after. The exact cause of his death has not been disclosed by officials.
Neulander, once the esteemed founding rabbi of Congregation M’kor Shalom, a prominent Reform Jewish synagogue in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, had his life take a dark turn in 1994. He hired two individuals to carry out the horrific murder of his wife, Carol, a tragedy that shook the community to its core. The hired killers brutally took Carol’s life inside their family home, leaving behind a legacy of grief and unanswered questions.
Throughout the highly publicized murder trial, disturbing details emerged about Neulander’s motives. Testimony revealed that he sought to eliminate his wife, Carol, in order to pursue a relationship with a Philadelphia radio personality. These revelations painted a chilling picture of betrayal and cruelty that resulted in Neulander’s conviction for murder in 2002.
Despite attempts to appeal his conviction in 2016, Neulander’s legal efforts were unsuccessful, cementing his fate as a convicted murderer. The tragic saga of Fred Neulander serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of trust and the devastating consequences of betrayal within the sanctity of marriage. As the community reflects on this dark chapter in its history, the legacy of Carol Neulander lives on, her memory a testament to resilience in the face of unspeakable tragedy.