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By MICHAEL T. BURKHART
Courier-Post Staff
CAMDEN
The hit men Rabbi Fred J. Neulander hired to kill his wife will learn their fate this morning when they're sentenced to state prison for their role in one of the region's most sensational crime stories.
Former roommates Leonard Jenoff, 57, and Paul Michael Daniels, 28, pleaded guilty in May 2000 to aggravated manslaughter. They then went on to help prosecutors by testifying against the Cherry Hill rabbi, now serving a life prison sentence for orchestrating the 1994 murder-for- hire plot.
For his role, Jenoff faces a 10- to 30-year sentence. Daniels, who also admitted to burglary, faces 10 to 50 years behind bars, depending on whether his sentences for both crimes run together or separately. Both men could be eligible for parole after serving only a fraction of the time.
"Their sentencing isreally one of the most interesting parts of the case," said Jerrold Colton, a Voorhees attorney who followed the trial.
The factors in the crime are heinous, said Colton, adding that he believes the two will get stiff sentences.
Their attorneys are expected to seek substantially lighter sentences, saying the hit men's testimony helped convict the rabbi. Jenoff, who had not been a suspect, came forward to confess in May 2000. He then tricked Daniels into admitting his role during a taped conversation.
Superior Court Judge Linda G. Baxter has some leeway in determining the sentences. Earlier this month, she was locked into strict guidelines when she sentenced Neulander, 61, to life in prison with no chance of parole for 30 years.
Neulander, former senior rabbi at Congregation M'kor Shalom in Cherry Hill, was found guilty Nov. 20 of hiring Jenoff and Daniels to kill his wife of 29 years, Carol. Prosecutors said he hired the pair to bludgeon her to death so he could carry on an affair with former Philadelphia radio host Elaine Soncini.
Neulander - now Inmate No. 000375614C - is at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, according to Department of Corrections records. He won't become eligible for parole until he's 88 years old.
Some of Carol Neulander's family should be present in Baxter's courtroom today, said Camden County Prosecutor's Office spokesman Bill Shralow. At least one person is expected to give a victim impact statement.
Jenoff, a former private detective from Collingswood who was once among the rabbi's most vocal supporters, said Neulander promised him $30,000 if he killed his wife and made the crime look like a robbery gone bad.
An admitted liar whose false claims included working for the CIA and attempting to assassinate Cuban leader Fidel Castro, Jenoff told jurors he attacked Carol Neulander from behind - clubbing her with a pipe as she led him into the family's Highgate Lane home on Nov. 1, 1994.
Her last words were "Why? Why?" Jenoff testified.
Jenoff will speak to Baxter at today's sentencing, said his attorney, Frank Hartman. Also, several of Jenoff's family members will be present and the court will hear from his son, Martin.
"I'm not going to ask for a specific sentence," Hartman said. "Len is working out what he will say to the judge."
Hartman said he'll talk about the extent Jenoff cooperated with authorities and note he played an important role in cracking the case.
Neulander maintains his innocence and plans an appeal. He has said Jenoff betrayed their friendship and committed the murder on his own.
Long before the hit men confessed, the rabbi was the primary suspect in the murder. Prosecutors charged him in fall 1998 with being an accomplice in the murder, then upgraded the charges after Jenoff and Daniels pleaded guilty.
Although Jenoff and Daniels are colorful characters who received a lot of attention, they were just one piece of the puzzle, according to Lee A. Solomon, who was county prosecutor when Neulander was arrested.
"We believed we had a good circumstantial case before Len Jenoff came forward," Solomon said.
Solomon would not comment on what sentence Jenoff and Daniels might receive.
"(Baxter's) judgment is really all that matters," he said. "It's the court's province."
James P. Lynch, Camden County first assistant prosecutor, said he'll bring to the court's attention the "length and breadth" of cooperation the state got from Jenoff and Daniels. But the prosecutor's office won't ask for a specific sentence, he said.
"I'm confident (Baxter) will be able to fashion a fair and just sentence," Lynch said.
Daniels' attorney could not be reached for comment.
The rabbi's defense lawyer, Michael Riley, said there's nothing he can do to influence the sentences of Jenoff and Daniels. But he believes their penalty will be stiff.
"(Baxter) has some hard decisions to make," Riley said. " She has to punish these guys. What they've done is a horrible, horrible crime."
Reach Michael T. Burkhart at (856) 486-2474 or mburkhart@courierpostonline.com
