By RENEE WINKLER
Courier-Post Staff
CAMDEN

Two Haddon Heights women were added Friday to the pool of jurors qualified to hear testimony in the capital murder trial of Rabbi Fred J. Neulander.

The jury pool now includes 34 people; a total of 60 is needed to allow defense and prosecuting attorneys to whittle the group to the 16 who will actually hear the trial.

One of the women selected Friday works for a community organization that provides mentoring programs for children. The other, a retired food industry worker, said her initial thought when she learned of the beating death of Carol Neulander was sorrow.

"Wherever you go," the juror said, the subject of the charges against the Cherry Hill rabbi comes up. "Everyone has his own speculation about what happened. Everyone is making up scenarios."

The woman served on three previous juries, she said, but all were civil cases.

Camden County First Assistant Prosecutor James Lynch, who will present evidence against Neulander, continues to remind jurors during the interview process that the state is "not asking for volunteers."

When would-be jurors say they would find it troubling to vote not only on the guilt or innocence of Neulander but on a possible death penalty, Lynch says repeatedly, "It's not supposed to be easy."

Superior Court Presiding Criminal Judge Linda Baxter has told almost every juror that the constitutional concept of a defendant's presumption of innocence "is not just a phrase. He's as innocent as anyone in this courtroom."

Fifteen other possible jurors were excused for cause Friday in a series of interviews that stretched over seven hours. Among them were a mother and son from Gloucester City, subpoenaed for jury service on the same day.

Also excused was a Cherry Hill woman who works for a collection company. Her first thoughts, she said, were that Neulander "could not possibly have been involved" with the killing.

However, she said her belief in his innocence wavered when an associate of the rabbi confessed to the murder in April 2000. That associate, former private investigator Leonard Jenoff, said Neulander hired him for the murder that occurred Nov. 1, 1994.

"It left me very torn," the excused juror said. "I couldn' t believe that someone could lie about this."

Jury selection resumes Monday and will be suspended Tuesday and Wednesday in observance of Rosh Hashana.

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