What to Know
- Authorities believe a man found dead in NY Monday was the shooter who killed a New Jersey federal judge's son and wounded her husband at their home on Sunday, law enforcement sources say
- The two were shot at Judge Esther Salas' North Brunswick home Sunday afternoon; she was believed to be in the basement at the time and wasn't injured
- The body of attorney Roy Den Hollander was found on a property in the Sullivan County town of Rockland; authorities say he took a cross-country train to ill another "men's-rights" figure in California
The self-described "men's rights" attorney suspected in the deadly shooting of a New Jersey federal judge's family took an Amtrak train from New York to California, where he allegedly killed another prominent men's rights figure, officials with knowledge of the investigation tell News 4.
The officials say they believe suspect Roy Den Hollander used the same gun in both the killing of Marc Angelucci in California on July 11 and the shooting of Judge Esther Salas' son and husband in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Investigators say Hollander returned to the East Coast via train after he killed Angelucci to target Salas before eventually dying by suicide in upstate New York Monday.
One official said that Den Hollander left New York for Los Angeles on Independence Day. He was in California until July 14, and returned to the city on Amtrak as well.
A Walther .380 caliber handgun recovered from the suicide scene in Sullivan County is being tested to determine whether it was the same one used to the two attacks.
A search of Den Hollander's vehicle yielded a list of about a half-dozen names, including Salas and Janet DiFiore, the chief judge of the state of New York, and addresses of possible targets, two officials and a third source said.
According to the third source, the possible hit list included information on a second New York state judge who had once heard a civil case involving Den Hollander. Another official said a doctor's name and address was on the list; Den Hollander had been diagnosed with cancer and created a GoFundMe fundraiser for his care.
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That same cache may have also contained details about Angelucci's death. Material about DiFiore prompted Gov. Andrew Cuomo to provide her additional protection. She was also briefed by federal agents.
The revelations come as the FBI's Newark office, which is investigating the shootings of Salas' son and husband, said Wednesday it now has evidence linking the suspect in that case to the murder of a prominent "men's-rights" figure in California.
"We are now engaged with the San Bernardino California Sheriff’s Office and have evidence linking the murder of Marc Angelucci to FBI Newark subject Roy Den Hollander," the FBI's latest statement said. "This investigation is ongoing."
The investigation stems from the shootings of Salas' son Daniel, and her husband, well-regarded criminal defense attorney Mark Anderl. Both were shot at their home in North Brunswick around 5 p.m. Sunday. The son later died. The husband was said to be critically wounded and has had several surgeries.
Preliminary indications are that the husband answered the door and was shot multiple times; the son came running to the door and was shot as well before the gunman fled, the sources said. Judge Salas was believed to be in the basement at the time of the shooting, and she was not injured.
Some reports indicated the shooter may have been dressed as some sort of delivery driver. FedEx issued a statement Monday saying only it was fully cooperating with authorities and, “Our deepest sympathies are with Judge Salas and her family at this time."
Den Hollander was a notoriously anti-feminist men's rights attorney, whose vitriolic website and book condemn women in rage-filled terms. In one of his books, he specifically blasted Salas by name as "lazy and incompetent" and said her only accomplishment was being a high school cheerleader. Den Hollander appeared in her court at one time as counsel in a lawsuit over the all-male military draft.
(Den Hollander previously sued multiple anchors and reporters from NBC News and other networks, alleging they engaged in an illegal conspiracy to prevent Donald Trump's election to the presidency.)
Den Hollander was best known previously for unsuccessful lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of “ladies night” promotions at bars and nightclubs. His litigation, and willingness to appear on television, earned him spots on The Colbert Report and MSNBC.
Another lawsuit argued night clubs were violating human rights by charging men hundreds of dollars for bottle service. In 2008, he unsuccessfully sued Columbia University for providing women’s studies classes, saying they were “a bastion of bigotry against men.”
Den Hollander filed for bankruptcy in 2011, citing more than $120,000 in credit card debt, as well as rent and other expenses. In the filing, Den Hollander estimated he made about $300 a month from his work, with the bulk of his income coming from a $724 monthly Social Security payment.
In more than 2,000 pages of often misogynistic, racist writings, Den Hollander criticized Salas’ life story of being abandoned by her father and raised by her poor mother as “the usual effort to blame a man and turn someone into super girl.”
Salas, a judge of the U.S. District Court for New Jersey in Newark, has been in her seat for nine years. Salas has presided over a number of high-profile trials in her tenure, including the trial of "Real Housewife" Teresa Giudice.
Her and Anderl's son Daniel was the only child and he was studying law to follow in his parents' footsteps. He graduated cum laude with honors from St. Joseph's High School in 2018 and was enrolled at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
"Daniel was a rising junior, enrolled for classes beginning in the next few weeks. He turned 20 last week," a statement from the university read.
New Jersey's political leaders were quick to react to the shootings.
"I know Judge Salas and her husband well, and was proud to recommend her to President Obama for nomination to New Jersey’s federal bench. My prayers are with Judge Salas and her family, and that those responsible for this horrendous act are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice," Sen. Bob Menendez said in a statement.
In a statement, Gov. Phil Murphy said, “Judge Salas and her family are in our thoughts at this time as they cope with this senseless act. This tragedy is our latest reminder that gun violence remains a crisis in our country and that our work to make every community safer isn’t done.”
