According to officials, a New Jersey rabbi who was sentenced to 30 years in prison for hiring hitmen to murder his wife has been discovered deceased in a prison infirmary.
Fred Neulander, aged 82, was discovered in an unresponsive state by correctional officers at the New Jersey State Prison on Wednesday, as reported by NBC 10. Upon finding Neulander, prison staff promptly administered CPR and subsequently transported him to a nearby hospital. Unfortunately, he was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m. The cause of his death has not yet been disclosed, according to a report.
Fred Neulander served as the senior rabbi of a Cherry Hill synagogue, while Carol co-founded Cherry Hill’s Classic Cake bakery, a charming boutique shop in the town.
Investigators at the time found it peculiar that almost nothing had been disturbed inside the house, given that the murder plan involved making it look like a robbery had taken place.
While conversing with her daughter Rebecca Neulander Rockoff over the phone, Carol Neulander found herself interrupted by the sudden arrival of the hired assassins in their residence, as stated in a police report.
In 2016, Fred Neulander’s request to overturn his sentence was rejected by a state appeals court.
Neulander, the esteemed rabbi, established Congregation M’kor Shalom, a vibrant Reform Jewish synagogue located in Cherry Hill. Regrettably, the synagogue ceased its operations in 2022 following a merger with another congregation.
Neulander had spent 22 years in prison, out of his 30-year sentence, when he passed away.
The Philadelphia area was captivated by the case, which garnered a significant following on cable television, inspired docu-dramas, and even became the subject of a musical.
Before the production was eventually suspended, the show faced strong opposition from the Neulander family, former congregants, and synagogue officials.
