Fred Neulander

Rabbi Fred Neulander (born August 14, 1941) was the founding Rabbi of the "Congregation M'Kor Shalom" Reform Temple in Cherry Hill, New Jersey in the summer of 1974. Previously, he was the assistant Rabbi at Temple Emanuel, also in Cherry Hill. Neulander graduated from Trinity College in 1963.

He was convicted of paying hitmen Len Jenoff and Paul Daniels $18,000 to kill his wife Carol on November 1, 1994. The case took many twists and turns.

Neulander's apparent motive was to continue a relationship with a former Philadelphia area radio personality, Elaine Soncini. He apparently felt that a divorce would compromise his authority as a spiritual leader, and thus possibly his job; hence felt the need to have his wife killed.

Soncini would go on to testify at trial that when her previous husband, another Philadelphia radio personality died, she turned to Neulander for comfort. Their relationship became physical and Soncini would eventually convert to Judaism under Neulander's tutelage. Soncini was being pressured by the Prosecutor with a conspiracy indictment when she agreed to testify against Neulander. She testified twice that Neulander wanted to be with her and told Soncini how he "dreamed" of finding Carol Neulander dead and the life he and Elaine would live. Soncini was awarded protection from the Cherry Hill Police after she agreed to cooperate. Soon after the protection commenced, the Cherry Hill Officer responsible for her protection, Larry Leaf, would find out exactly what kind of flighty trick Soncini was, in that they wound up marrying and moving to Florida before the trial commenced. At trial, Officer Leaf testified regarding how he resigned in a rush when he was confronted about looking into the Soncini investigative file.

Suspicion swarmed around Neulander from the day of the killing, but it was not apparent who did the deed. Five years after her death, the prosecution had lots of rumors surrounding Neulander but very little fact. Regardless, Prosecutor Jim Lynch decided to press forward with a trial against Neulander. Apparently, the State thought there was enough evidence to establish a conspiracy case against Neulander, even if his co-conspirators were unknown.

As of 2002, Neulander was in a relationship with Victoria Lombardi, better known as Miss Vicki, the former wife of "Tiny Tim". [Hanley, Robert. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B05EED81539F931A15752C1A9649C8B63 "Younger Son Asks Jury to Spare Rabbi's Life"] , "The New York Times", November 22, 2002. Accessed January 1, 2008. "The Philadelphia Daily News today quoted the woman, Victoria Lombardi of Haddonfield, N.J., as saying of the rabbi, "He is mine and I am his."]

On the eve of Neulander's conspiracy trial, the actual killer, Len Jenoff, confessed to "The Philadelphia Inquirer" reporter Nancy Phillips. Upon receiving the confession, the Prosecution re-indicted and amended the charges against Neulander. The conspirators had been revealed. Jenoff had been communicating with Phillips for some time. Phillips was aware of Jenoff, and she knew he was a shady character, and that he was good friends with the rabbi. Although from a prominent Cherry Hill family, Jenoff had apparently led a troubled life. He had fabricated large segments of his history (including his representation that he was an undercover CIA agent), apparently in order to mask ongoing career troubles, marriage troubles, etc... Then Jenoff had met Neulander, and things were looking up. Neulander apparently befriended Jenoff, even performing Jenoff's wedding in the very room where Carol was found murdered. However, at some point Neulander allegedly manipulated Jenoff into murdering Carol in exchange for money. Jenoff then recruited Paul Daniels, an even more troubled young man who had been a roommate of Jenoff's. Jenoff would eventually come forward and in the dining area of Weber's, a popular South Jersey Diner in the town of Audubon, he confessed to Phillips. The Inquirer reporter then convinced Jenoff to tell his story again to then Camden County Prosecutor Lee Solomon in the very same diner. Jenoff would go on to tell his story to two juries.

Jenoff's story went like this: Jenoff had apparently "cased" the Neulander home by meeting Carol at the home alone on the premise of delivering a package and requesting to use the bathroom. Jenoff's use of the bathroom earned him the moniker "bathroom man" from Carol Neulander. The murder allegedly occurred when Jenoff and Daniels returned a few weeks later and entered the Neulander home while only Carol Neulander was home. On the premise of delivering a package for the rabbi, Jenoff entered the home. Carol was on the phone with her daughter and identified Jenoff as the "bathroom man." It would be the last time Carol Neulander's daughter ever heard her mother's voice.

Jenoff, in exchange for a plea, would go on to testify that Paul Daniels only struck Carol Neulander once, but that Jenoff himself struck her repeatedly over her cries of "Why?", splattering her blood onto a wall.

Neulander and his defense team, Dennis Wixted and Jeffrey Zucker, contended that Jenoff and Daniels acted independently and that their motive was robbery. The defense contended that Jenoff knew that Carol ran her own business, Classic Cakes, and that she frequently brought cash designated for deposit into the home. Jenoff, needing money and armed with that knowledge, recruited Daniels and killed Carol Neulander for the deposits. Jenoff himself was a dubious character, and the defense spent hours cross-examining Jenoff on the fact that he had lied about CIA ties and work as an FBI informant. Jenoff had apparently also misrepresented his credentials and held himself out as a private investigator. Only Jenoff had met with Fred Neulander, and only Jenoff's testimony could support the allegation that Neulander had paid Jenoff to kill Carol Neulander. In fact, Daniels, obviously suffering from mental difficulties, could not even testify that Jenoff had indicated that Neulander had paid for the killing.

Tried before Judge Linda G. Baxter, the first jury empaneled in Camden County hung. Area newspapers reported rumours that the panel hung 9-3 in favor of guilt. Due to the intense media coverage in Camden County, the re-trial was moved to Monmouth County. At the re-trial, Neulander was defended by Mt. Holly attorney Mike Riley. In Monmouth, Fred Neulander was found guilty. Things had changed, and Neulander's son Matthew, whose testimony at the first trial had been lukewarm, was now thoroughly convinced of his father's guilt. [ [http://www.southjerseynews.com/neulander/m011703ee.htm Neulander's oldest son calls father `coward' ] ]

Following the verdict, Assistant Prosecutor Jim Lynch submitted to the jury on the question of the death penalty which the jury panel declined. Neulander was sentenced to serve 30 years to life in New Jersey State Prison in Trenton.

In December 2006, the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Courts denied Fred Neulander's appeal. [ [http://lawlibrary.rutgers.edu/decisions/appellate/a3616-02.opn.html a3616-02.opn.html ] ] His appellate counsel had argued that the trial Court had erred in not permitting Neulander to argue a third party liability defense based on a similar home invasion burglary murder that had occurred in Cherry Hill. Neulander had also argued Court error on the issue of double or triple layer "hearsay" evidence; i.e., the out of court statement by Carol Neulander as elicited by and through her daughter, about the telephone conversation involving the "bathroom man." Although an appeal and Post-Conviction Relief application are going to be undertaken, Neulander's best chance at a new trial was lost.

Jenoff resides in Riverfront State Prison in Camden, New Jersey. His first parole date will not come until 2010, and he could remain confined until 2023.

Paul Daniels was sentenced similarly, although he resides in a separate facility.

Jim Lynch left the Camden County Prosecutor's Office and is now an Assistant. U.S. Attorney.

Dennis Wixted, Jeffrey Zucker, and Mike Riley remain in private practice.

Judge Linda G. Baxter is now a member of the Appellate Division.

References

External links

* [http://www.courttv.com/trials/neulander/ Complete Court TV coverage of Fred Neulander "hit men for hire" case]
* [http://www.southjerseynews.com/neulander/eboo051603a.htm Courier Post Online]