The murder of Leslie Neulander shocked the close-knit community of Dewitt, New York in 2012. A renowned doctor brutally murdered his charity wife and almost went unpunished due to their shared reputation in the community. It took almost a decade for justice to be served in this case.

Without a new episode of Dateline The famous NBC show, which airs this week, will return on Friday, December 27, 2024, at 9 p.m. EST with one of its classic episodes about the Leslie Neulander murder case. The summary of the case is:

“When Leslie Neulander dies after a seemingly accidental shower fall in her New York home, two friends band together to demand justice on her behalf. Insiders discuss the latest twists and final chapter in the case.”

This case is full of chilling details that will appeal to most true crime fans. Before the episode, let’s dive into five of these fascinating details.

---

Five fascinating details about the murder of Leslie Neulander

1) The murder of Leslie Neulander was initially confirmed to be an accident

Not only did the authorities initially believe Robert Neulander’s version of the incident with his wife, the coroner also assumed that his death was an accident. It was alleged that she slipped and fell in the bathroom.

Meanwhile, there was a worrying amount of blood in the house. But it wasn’t noticed until someone else intervened.

---

2) Robert Neulander would have committed the murder without the involvement of Dr. Mary Jumbelic can get away with it

Dr. Mary Jumbelic, a retired chief medical examiner and a friend of Leslie’s, played a crucial role in solving the case, having first become suspicious when Robert planned to leave for Israel after Leslie’s death.

She came out of retirement and examined the crime scene herself, just to make sure this was clearly not a case where someone had fallen and died. She raised several discrepancies in the original audit.

---

3) Soon, authorities discovered several cracks behind the renowned doctor’s perfect image

One of the reasons Robert Neulander didn’t seem like an interesting person was his seemingly perfect life. However, authorities soon found evidence of a troubled marriage. They also discovered that Robert was involved in a legal dispute with an insurance company over billing practices that had cost him millions.

Her marriage was also on the brink of collapse and Leslie was also reportedly exchanging flirtatious text messages with a younger man.

---

4) A small but important statement from the housekeeper rounded off the record against Neulander

While everything was going against Neulander at this point, two significant developments took place.

The couple’s longtime housekeeper claimed that the sheets they found when Leslie was found murdered were not the same ones she had put on that day. She also claimed that a pillow was missing. This is well-established evidence tampering.

Officers re-examined the bedroom and discovered pools of blood on the subfloor. This was enough to suspect Robert Neulander of murdering his wife.

---

5) Robert Neulander was found guilty of the murder of Leslie Neulander in two separate trials

Robert’s first trial was ruled a mistrial, although he was unanimously found guilty. He was back in court in 2022, where he was found guilty again and sentenced to 20 years in prison for second-degree murder.

He remains incarcerated at the Elmira Correctional Facility in Chemung County, New York.

---

The upcoming episode of Dateline on NBC will cover this case in more detail.