Robert Neulander murder trial: Timeline of events explored ahead of NBC's Dateline

One of the most riveting cases and murder trials in American true crime history regarding the murder of Robert Neulander's wife is about to be revisited in NBC Dateline's true crime episode this week.

The episode, which originally aired on October 29, 2020, is going to premiere once again this Friday, May 20, 2022, at 9/8c, with additional footage and crucial information on significant developments in the case. Here is the official synopsis of the episode titled, The House on Shalimar Way:

"Andrea Canning looks into the September 2012 death of Leslie London Neulander in her Syracuse, NY area home. Initially ruled an accident, her doctor-husband is later charged with her murder. Canning interviews investigators, as well as friends of the victim and reveals the latest news about the case."

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This article will go through all the significant events of the murder trial before the airing of the NBC episode.

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Exploring the timeline of Robert Neulander's wife Leslie Neulander's murder trial

On September 17, 2012, Leslie Neulander, who was 61 years old at the time, died at home in what was initially assumed to be a tragic accident. Following her husband's testimony, Leslie slipped inside the bathroom and a blunt injury to her head resulted in her bleeding to death.

While her husband carried her to the master bedroom to perform CPR, their daughter Jenna frantically called 911, asking for help. After Leslie was declared dead in her home, the authorities officially ruled it as a tragic accident.

Despite the official judgement, there were suspicions that Leslie's death was not an accident throughout the community. Investigators continued to look into the matter, and in April 2013, they investigated Neulander's downtown apartment and his family's house.

On June 23, 2014, nearly two years after Leslie's death, a grand jury heard the case, and Robert Neulander was charged with her murder. As per the investigation, it was almost reportedly made to look like a deliberative fall in the shower in order to vex the trial.

On March 16, 2015, the murder trial in Syracuse began, sparking a media frenzy while Neulander's four children were there for him at every turn, trying to prove his innocence. The trial spanned two weeks and fifteen days, at the end of which the jury found Robert Neulander guilty of his wife's homicide on Thursday, April 2, 2015. They also found him guilty of tampering with evidence to conceal the crime scene in order to make it appear as if she had fallen.

On July 30, 2015, Robert Neulander was sentenced with 20 years to life in state prison following a unanimous verdict. Neulander's lawyers used appeals to try to keep the case alive, which was successful.

After charges of juror misconduct, Neulander's guilty verdict was reversed three years after his conviction, and the former doctor was released on bail in 2018. Prosecutors asked the state's highest court to reinstate the guilty verdict, but the New York State Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction was overturned and awarded a new trial in October 2019. However, the second trial had to be moved two years forward, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Robert Neulander was found guilty for the second time of murdering his wife on March 1, 2022, based on the droplets of blood splattered on the master bedroom walls as proof indicating that the deceased was murdered and did not die of natural causes.

Don't forget to watch The Dateline episode on NBC this Friday, May 20, 2022 at 9/8c.