Dateline NBC - The Grudge

Episode Date: January 26, 2021

Andrea Canning speaks with U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas about the deadly shooting at her home in 2020 that killed her son Daniel and critically injured her husband Mark.

I'm Lester Holt, tonight on an all-new Dateline. She and her son Danny were in the basement of their home when the doorbell rang. Danny bounded up the steps to answer the door, and then the shots rang out. Danny was hit. Mark was shot in the abdomen. I saw my son holding his chest. I knew he wasn't going to make it. Why Daniel, out of all people, one of the sweetest kids I've ever met. Her husband was rushed to the emergency room for surgery.

I was just in total shock. You get a call that there's been another murder. Correct. A man knocked on the door and said, are you Mark Angelucci? And he said yes, and then just started shooting. We weren't expecting to link up a murder in California to the attack here in New Jersey. I just thought, this is crazy. Nobody's safe.

I had a feeling that the person probably wanted me. It's personal. This was revenge. Most assuredly, yes. That someone would come to my door and take my only child. It's unfathomable. Here's Andrea Canning with The Grudge. Summer 2020.

In the throes of a pandemic, a killer had devised the perfect plan for murder. Our guard was down because that bell was ringing so often. Home deliveries had become a way of life. Some of these packages were being delivered by people out of their own cars. So there was no cause for alarm when on a lazy Sunday afternoon, a man rang the doorbell at the home of a prominent family in North Brunswick, New Jersey. And I remember my son looking at me and going, who's that? They had no idea.

Evil was waiting on the other side. I saw my son lying perpendicular to the door, holding his chest, and then I remember just screaming. On a warm summer Friday evening, Esther Salas, her husband Mark Andrel, and their son Daniel were celebrating, in a socially distant way, Daniel's 20th birthday. We rented a tent in the backyard and set up this real long table, and a few of his friends from Catholic University came. It was a glorious weekend. Daniel was just, he was jumping out of his skin, he was so excited. Daniel and his friends continued the celebration the next day with a trip to the beach.

By Sunday afternoon, everyone had gone home. It was July 19th, around 5 p.m. Mother and son were cleaning up the basement and sharing a special, albeit fleeting moment. I think he was swinging a wiffle bat or something, and I remember him saying, let's keep talking, Mom. I love talking to you, Mom. And at that exact second, the doorbell rang.

Curious, Daniel shot up the stairs to answer the door. The next thing I heard were these, this bang, this loud sound that I had never heard before. And I hear Mark say, no. And then I hear bang, bang, this loud sound that I had never heard before. And I hear Mark say, no. And then I hear bang, bang, bang. And I just screamed, what is happening? And I ran up the stairs. What do you think is happening? Do you have any idea at all?

No, the only thing I could think of is that it was a bump. And I was preparing myself as I'm running up the stairs to see, like, body parts everywhere. But what I saw was just as worse as anything that I had imagined. She saw Daniel lying on the floor by the front door. Her husband, Mark, was crawling on the porch, trying to catch a glimpse of the attacker's license plate

as he drove away. I remember Mark crawling back and we were both just screaming, Danny, hold on, hold on. I heard him moaning softly. And I actually lifted his shirt and saw the bullet hole. Did you say anything to him knowing that this might be the last time that you would be with him? No, no. I just kept saying, hold on, honey. Hold on. And I knew he was such a fighter that there was a part of me that, you know, if anyone could do it, Daniel will. Mark had been shot, too, multiple times.

I know Mark was screaming, call 911. Patrol officers with the North Brunswick Police Department arrived within minutes. Deputy Chief Joseph Battaglia was at a family picnic when he got the call. In North Brunswick, shootings are rare, so this one especially caught him by surprise. It was at the home of a federal judge. What details are you given about what has happened at this house? They told me that there was two individuals were shot, and it was the house of Judge Salas. Do you know right away who Judge Salas is?

Yes. I'm familiar with the name, yes. Judge Esther Salas was the first Latina federal judge to preside in New Jersey, appointed by President Obama in 2011. Battaglia quickly learned it was Salas' husband Mark, a defense attorney, and their son Daniel who'd been shot. When the first responding officers arrived, Daniel had a pulse and he was breathing. They administered basic first aid. What condition was Mark in? Surprisingly, Mark was talking and he was sitting up and he was tending to Daniel. EMTs raced Mark and Daniel to the hospital.

Officers searched the area. They secured the home, they secured the perimeter, and then they set up a canvas of the area. Did they find anything that's of significance? We spoke to the neighbor next door, who had actually very good information. Said he saw an individual, white male, tall, thin, wearing a mask, had a FedEx messenger bag,

got into a silver or blue Nissan Sentra and fled the area. Based on eyewitness accounts, the deputy chief felt confident the shooter had left the area. Our concern was where was he going next, being that this was a federal court judge. Were those his targets? More federal judges. Yes. So you're thinking maybe this guy has a hit list of some kind? Yes.

Battaglia's gut was telling him the judge was the intended target, but he couldn't be sure. Because Mark also was a defense attorney who had probably made some, you know, possibly some enemies over the years. He called in the cavalry. FBI, ATF, state police, county prosecutors, U.S. Marshals, U.S. Attorney's Office, our agency. This was serious. It was a large operation, yes.

The largest police operation he'd ever been a part of. And they were all worried about the same thing. Would the shooter strike again? The clock was ticking. When we come back. I kept asking, how's my son? How's my son? For Judge Salas, pure agony. I remember just screaming, screaming.

While investigators turned to her husband for what could be critical clues. He couldn't actually speak, but he was able to tap out certain words to talk about what he saw. As law enforcement hunted the shooter, a police officer raced federal judge Esther Salas to the ER. Her husband and son were fighting for their lives. Daniel, her only child, had been shot in the chest. What do you learn when you get to the hospital? You know, I knew it was bad because I kept asking, how's my son? How's my son? Somebody tell me something.

And nobody was saying anything. And the doctors came in and broke the news to me that he didn't make it. And I remember just screaming, screaming and shaking one poor doctor. I felt so bad. Her son was gone, and she had no idea what was happening with her husband. She shouted to anyone who would listen. Can someone tell me about Mark? I need to know if I'm planning one funeral or two.

As she waited for an answer... It just became way too much for me to deal with, and I remember literally passing out. When she came to, she learned Mark was in surgery. A bullet had ripped through his liver and intestines. The thought of also losing her husband was too much to bear. They had met 28 years earlier in the prosecutor's office. She was an intern. He was working homicide. I think it was love at first sight for us. And we've been inseparable since 1992. And he's just the love of my life. And now the life they had built together

flashed before her eyes. A deeply religious woman, she focused on praying for her husband. Whoever did this was out there. And that has to be absolutely terrifying. It was, but, you know, it was the last thing I was thinking about at that point. But back at the crime scene where FBI Special Agent Joe Denahan had now taken the lead on the case,

he thought about little else. The first thing that ran through my mind was we are going to be having to gear up for a pretty serious manhunt. The subject was in the wind. We knew there could be additional threats to public safety. His team fanned out, interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence. Were you able to find anything as far as physical evidence at the scene? We attempted to get prints and DNA from the door frame, the door jam, the doorbell, and the doorknobs,

which we rushed to Quantico. Along with the bullets and casings from a.380 handgun, they were recovered in the judge's front hallway. He also sent agents to the hospital hoping to interview Mark, who'd seen the shooter up close. But when they arrived, Mark was being prepped for his second surgery. So he's got to get into surgery, and you need your information because this guy's on the loose.

Correct. And Mark is now able to speak with you all? So Mark was intubated, so he couldn't actually speak, but he was actually able to spell out and tap out certain words for us to try to talk about what he saw. Mark moved his fingers over a laminated alphabet, spelling out what he remembered. What was he able to tell you in this intubated state?

So he indicated that it was a single male who had dressed up like a delivery person. He provided a little bit of a physical description, which matched generally what we had from witness statements. There were conflicting reports about the man's race. He'd been described as Caucasian, Hispanic, or Middle Eastern. But they all agreed on one thing. His height was either 6'2 or taller. You know, the demographic was broad, but his height was unusual. And we felt that 6'2 or taller was something that we could work with. Mark pulled through that surgery, which gave the judge some relief, but she still struggled to process all that had happened. It's just hard to imagine that on a Sunday,

after such a beautiful weekend, five o'clock in the afternoon, that someone would come to my door and take my only child. It's unfathomable. Who would do this to their family? As the hours ticked by, an army of law enforcement officers was trying to answer that question. Agent Denahan had his theories. At the top of our list was someone that had a personal grievance against Judge Salas herself. We also, though, had to consider, could it be someone that was targeting our husband, Mark? And lastly, and even though it was unlikely, could someone have been targeting Danny himself? Shortly after the shooting, the FBI paid a visit to Danny's good friends, brothers Casely and Colson Goodwill.

We basically sat there and spoke with them for about 30 minutes to an hour. Did they ask you if Danny had any enemies? Yes. Someone who might have wanted to hurt him? Yeah, but I told them, I mean, there was no one, even when I think now, there's no one that ever had any resentment towards him. In fact, they say it was quite the opposite. Why Daniel, out of all people, one of the sweetest kids I've ever met in my entire life, the nicest, hardworking,working you know just to this day the brothers couldn't believe that anyone would want to kill their friend they'd just been with daniel a few days before playing football something they did regularly he could throw like 50 yards off one step so we'd be playing for about an hour and he's just throwing the ball so far me and my brother

running we get tired we're like all right then we're tired. They said Daniel was a tough competitor, but also the most selfless person they knew. When his high school baseball coach offered to take the entire team out to Buffalo Wild Wings if anyone could memorize 75 ways to be a good player. Respect for your opponent. Thank your parents. Relax. Daniel did it. What do you think when you see that video? It's very inspiring, I'd say. I know that's him, and everything he's saying, that's what he encompasses as a person and as a sportsman.

He wants to see the best out of himself and everybody else around him. Another friend of Daniel's, Connor Quigley, agreed. Danny was always looking out for everyone else. He just always had my back. I always can count on him. He'd be that person to come over and just be able to tap me on the back and say, hey, I'm with you, whatever you're going through. Where do you think this comes from?

I think definitely his parents. His parents were just such loving people to Dan and to everyone around him. And I think that really shows where Dan gets it from. Loving parents who felt incredibly blessed to have Daniel. After multiple miscarriages, the judge says they weren't sure they would ever have children. I lost three children before Daniel and I lost one after Daniel. So Daniel was literally our miracle baby. She couldn't think of anyone who would want to harm her son.

Neither could the FBI. After talking to Daniel's friends and searching his social media, they had all but ruled him out as the target. By nightfall, they were no closer to finding the shooter. With the pressure mounting, they focused on Mark and the judge and anyone who might have a grudge against them. Coming up, a hard look at Judge Salas' most contentious cases. One involving two men and a brutal crime.

They had a bad reaction to one of the rulings the judge had made and they were over six foot two with a violent criminal history. When Dateline continues. The high-profile murder of a federal judge's son quickly made national news. This was a brazen crime. A gunman apparently disguised as a delivery man. The FBI was asking anyone with information to contact them. Special Agent Denahan and his team were following every lead, knowing the stakes were high. We needed to identify, locate, and neutralize that subject before anyone else could be heard. You have a killer on the loose.

Correct. Agents worked through the night. With the judge's son crossed off their list as a possible target, they turn to her husband, Mark. Was there anyone that you could think of that might have wanted to harm Mark because of a case that he had handled? Mark is a very well thought of defense attorney. So although he's represented some individuals accused of very serious crimes, we weren't aware of any that had serious grievances against him. As law enforcement raced to find her son's killer, Judge Salas spent those early morning hours at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital. The loss of her only child was sinking in.

Daniel was your everything. He was the center of my universe, our universe. He was everything. Was he a mama's boy? Oh, the biggest mama's boy. He and I had a connection that, you know, quite frankly, is amazing. Her despair from Daniel's death was compounded by a horrifying realization. Her job as a federal judge was most likely the reason her son was gone. There's a part of me immediately after everything happened that I sort of said to myself, you know, did I make the right decision? But then I think about my son and how proud he was. She remembered when she was being considered for the judgeship.

Curled up in bed with Daniel, who was 10 at the time, she told him she was unsure if she should take the job. And he's like, why, Mom? And I said, well, honey, it's going to require a lot of Mommy's time, and, you know, I just worry about the impact on you. And he says, oh, I get that, mom. I get that. And there was this pause.

And then all of a sudden he goes, but if it was me, I'd take the job. Did that seal the deal right there? That sealed the deal. That was his way of saying, go for it. Agents dug through the judge's cases. One in particular caught Denahan's attention. It involved a violent crime with the defendant

and an accomplice. They had a bad reaction to one of the rulings the judge had made, and they were over 6'2", with a violent criminal history. Just hours after the shooting, it was enough to put them at the top of the suspect list. Around midnight that evening, we had moved a significant number of assets towards them.

So secretly watching this person and his accomplice? Correct. Utilizing cell phone analysis, geolocating where their cell phone was, where they were and stuff of that nature. But by 3 a.m., investigators had ruled them out. So based on, like, maybe where they had been? Correct. At the time of the shooting? Correct.

Investigators also looked into Judge Salas' most high-profile case in recent years, the sentencing of Real Housewives of New Jersey reality TV stars Teresa and Joe Giudice for financial fraud charges. Joe was pretty upset. He got deported to Italy from all of this. Did you think that there was any chance that a relative was seeking revenge? We took a look at all the high-profile cases, but

they really did not produce any evidence that led us to believe that. Judge Salas also doubted anyone from that case would be involved. That case definitely made you a more high-profile judge because there was so much media around it. I really approached that case like I approached every other case that has come before and after. I treated them, I hope they would say, with respect. And I gave them the same treatment I would give anyone else, no matter who comes before me. I treat everybody the same. It was another dead end. Every theory Agent Denahan and his team chased down left them

empty-handed. Throughout the entire evening, as we were waiting on the evidence to arrive at Quantico, we were really building out our theories, but we had no one at that time. But things were about to change as the sun came up the next morning. Deputy Chief Battaglia was preparing for a debriefing with the FBI. That's when one of his officers got a call. It was a detective from the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department in California. The detective happened to be watching TV. He saw the broadcast on a FedEx individual with a mask going up to our house and shooting two people. The detective said just days before they had had a similar case.

He said, I know it probably has nothing to do with it, 3,000 miles away. And we said that's exactly what happened, dressed up as a UPS guy. Are you thinking it's a long shot, but yeah, maybe this is connected? That's what we were thinking. It was highly unlikely, but we had to follow every lead. Coming up, another sudden, savage attack in a doorway. This person said, are you Mark Angelucci? And he said, yes.

And then the individual just started shooting. Were you just shocked when you heard that? It was shocking. We weren't expecting to link a recent murder in California. And as he learned more details, it sounded eerily familiar. You are dealing with the same M.O. You've got someone dressed as a delivery man with a gun. And we also know that the shell casings are the same caliber used in New Jersey. So this is a real possibility that these cases are connected.

Yes. Where do you go from there? I immediately notified the FBI. Agent Denahan was told the victim in California, Mark Angelucci, a 52-year-old lawyer, had been shot in his front hallway eight days before the shooting at Judge Salas' house. Were you just shocked when you heard that? It was shocking. We weren't expecting to link up a murder in California to the attack here in New Jersey. In California, Mark Angelucci's colleague, Michael Konzaki, got a call from a mutual friend just hours after the shooting.

I could tell that he was crying, and he kind of came out and said, Mark's been murdered. As a private investigator and former homicide detective, he needed to know more. He started making calls and quickly learned it was Mark's roommate's father who answered the door. This person said, are you Mark Angelucci?

He said no. He offered to sign for the package, but the delivery man said he needed to see Mark in person to get a signature. So Mark came up and this person said, are you Mark Angelucci? And he said yes. And then he pulled the gun. Mark saw the gun and he turned to run and then the individual just started shooting. I had heard that he had been hit in the back of the head. The shooter fled. Mark's roommate called 911.

Mark was declared dead at the scene. For Michael, it was a crushing loss. What did you think of Mark? Mark is a tremendous human being. Another friend of Mark's, Harry Crouch, was also devastated by the news. I wish I could describe his smile. He enjoyed life. Everything to Mark was an adventure.

He was afraid of nothing, you know. Go climb pyramids in Peru, party in Las Vegas, and wherever he was, the world was better off for it. Harry and Mark were leaders of the National Coalition for Men, a controversial organization that argues men are often the victims of discrimination in the courts, in media, and elsewhere. Critics, such as the Southern Poverty Law Center, call the group a, quote, male supremacist organization. Perry argues they are not anti-women. What would you say to anyone who calls this a woman haters club?

I would say they should do their research. We have a lot of women members, so obviously that can't be the case. I would say they should do their research. We have a lot of women members. So obviously that can't be the case. Mark did pro bono work for the group. He took on custody battles and other cases where he thought men were being discriminated against. In one case, he successfully argued for men's equal access to domestic violence shelters. He spoke about it at a conference. You can at minimum provide at least the same counseling and legal services you give to women. San Bernardino Sheriff's detectives asked Harry

about the cases Mark had been working on. I talked to the homicide investigator a couple times. Detectives were interested in the organization's most high-profile lawsuit. It had taken on the federal government, arguing it was unconstitutional to require only men to register for the draft. Mark was the lead attorney when the case went before a federal court in Texas. The judge ruled in his favor. We'd actually secured at that time a positive ruling from that level of court. But Harry wasn't convinced there was a connection. Mark was involved in a few other high conflict cases. What cases jumped to mind as far as possibly being connected to his murder? There was a situation up in Santa Barbara and apparently there was even an altercation in

court that erupted into something physical where I think Mark decked the attorney. Are you serious? Well, that's what I've heard. The rumor had made the rounds, but that case didn't concern Michael Konzaki. He had a different theory. I was interviewed by the sheriff's detectives on there, and I says, well, you know, I don't have any proof of anything. I says, but here's a theory. He had zeroed in on a case of Mark's involving public officials and alleged corruption. Did you think that there could have been a motive

in there somewhere to want Mark dead? Oh, yeah. And if he was right, what, if anything, did it have to do with the judge? Coming up, who else might be in danger? Mark's colleague now scared for her own life i got one call from a strange guy that said mark didn't learn his lesson is ronda gonna learn her lesson oh that's creepy it's very creepy when dateline continues The morning after the shooting in New Jersey, law enforcement was working to solve a case that got more complicated by the minute. A shooting on the East Coast, another on the West Coast. They had no idea how they were connected.

In San Bernardino, California detectives were now on their ninth day investigating the Mark Angelucci murder. They were working around the clock and they had no clues, no motives. They were just on ground zero. Lawyer Rhonda Kennedy had been with Mark in court the day before he was killed. Detectives called her shortly after the murder. Paranoia sets in and you were like, well, maybe it was this one. She told them all about the cases she and Mark were working on together. How many cases did you have with him at that time?

We had three. So it could have been one of those three cases, potentially. Exactly. It terrified me. I don't know if, you know, if I'm a target. Rhonda was also in the middle of a campaign running for U.S. Congress. Right in the middle of a congressional campaign, yeah. And then that's when the crazies came out. I got one call from a strange guy that said that Mark didn't learn his lesson. Is Rhonda going to learn her

lesson? Oh, that's creepy. It's very creepy. Fearing for her life, she got proactive and sent out this tweet. I'm sure the cowards that murdered my friend in cold blood won't be stupid enough to come after a congressional candidate. Yes. That's a pretty bold tweet. What were you hoping to accomplish with it? That if they came after me, I'm a congressional candidate. Don't be stupid. Rhonda highlighted one case in particular that had made local headlines.

It was the case Michael, the PI, had also mentioned to police. Mark's client, a man cleared of rape charges, was suing county officials, claiming they unfairly seized his land while he was under investigation. Is there one person in particular in that case that's popping into your head? Yes.

Were the detectives looking at this person? Yes, they were. Like in the Salas case, detectives were looking for someone seeking revenge. But they, too, had come up with nothing. The days dragged on with no break in the California case until that detective saw the judge's story on TV. Judge Salas was told about the development. This story got so much crazier when you discover that this attorney in California

has been murdered. What did you think of that? I was at first shocked, and then I just, I didn't understand the connection. The judge hadn't given it much thought. Her attention was understandably elsewhere. I was focused on Mark. Is he going to

make it? How serious is this and what could I do? Her husband Mark was clinging to life in the ICU and for the moment she felt safe. You're in sort of a cocoon right now. You're surrounded by security, but you're going to have to leave this hospital and continue to live your life with this man out there. Does that cross your mind at all? You know, yeah, you are fearful. And something else crossed her mind. As she sat by her husband's bedside, she realized whoever did this had easy access to her personal information. Federal judges' data, like home addresses and phone numbers, is not protected.

Like everyone else's, it's available online through Google searches and data brokers. This information can be used for such nefarious purposes that we have to start thinking about what we allowed us to be out there. A plan began to form. She made a vow to do everything in her power to affect change, to make judges' personal information hard to access. Judges need to feel that they are being protected, that we are going to be able to do our jobs without fear of being gunned down,

literally in our homes. In this case, Agent Denahan believed the killer had easily found the judge's address and likely stalked her. I believe he conducted a lot of research prior to doing the attacks. So who was he? While the agent waited for reports to come back from Quantico, an unexpected lead came in from police in upstate New York. A dead body.

So this individual was found outside of the car with a gunshot wound? And something else. A dossier on Judge Salas, along with an envelope that looked like a ruse envelope. And secondly, we found a dossier on Mark Angelucci. Now, law enforcement knew for certain the two murders were connected. But how?

Coming up, finally a suspect and a mind-boggling possible motive. It sort of put his anger on steroids, so to speak. As Sunday turned into Monday, the FBI Crisis Command Center was still buzzing. Agent Dennehan had just gotten a big break in the case. You now have another dead body. Correct. Agents raced to Rockland, New York, two hours north of New York City. Where was his body found? 20 feet from his vehicle in an open field.

Dennehan got an update from his agents. They believed the man had parked his car, walked into the field, and shot himself. Self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head with a.380 caliber handgun. A quick search of the man's car, and agents found those dossiers on the judge and Mark Angelucci. They also discovered the dead man's car, and agents found those dossiers on the judge and Mark Angelucci. They also discovered the dead man's name, Roy Den Hollander. What were you learning about him?

He was 72 years old at the time of his death. He was highly educated, was a practicing attorney. Anything else the agent wanted to know about Den Hollander was found in a 1,500-page manifesto on his computer. The pages dripped with hatred of women, like his ex-wife, a Russian bride who dumped him when she got to America. But Den Hollander saved the brunt of his anger for his mother, writing, May she burn in hell. So he was clearly a misogynist. All the failures of his life, all the shortcomings which were his doing, he blamed on women.

The FBI learned he appeared on TV several times ranting about anti-feminist lawsuits he'd filed. Several years ago, he appeared on the Colbert Report showing off his breakdancing moves and was mockingly called, quote, a difference maker for a suit arguing ladies' nights at bars were discriminatory. They want equality. Let's give them 51% of the worst of the society. Then they'll change their tune and they'll start whining, where's the kitchen? It was looking very likely that this was the man responsible for both shootings. The judge and Mark Angelucci were on what appeared to be a lengthy hit list found in Den Hollander's car. Also on that list, other judges and attorneys and something unexpected. There were people in the medical field. Doctors who had treated Den Hollander. The FBI learned from reading his website that he was dying of a rare form of melanoma.

Do you think that played into what he did and kind of going out in a blaze of glory? That's a logical theory that it sort of put his anger on steroids, so to speak. Now, the FBI scrambled to connect the dots between Den Hollander, the judge, and Mark Angelucci. Throughout the next few hours, we were able to piece together that the subject, Roy Denhollander, had a professional relationship

with Mark Angelucci in California. They were both part of what is described as the men's rights movement, which embraces all things masculine. California detectives had interviewed Harry Crouch about his organization, the National Coalition for Men. Now, the FBI was calling him. He knew the shooter.

Roy Denhollander was actually in your group at one point, in your organization. And I threw him out. Why? Well, I mean, because of his character, because of his antics. He threatened to come out to California and kick my ass. That's a quote. According to Harry, Denhollander wanted to join the group's federal lawsuit, the one arguing against a mail-only draft. I told him that wasn't going to happen. I'm surprised he didn't come shoot me instead of Mark. Do you think Den Hollander was jealous of

Mark? Absolutely. Remember, Mark had a win in that case. This was revenge. Most assuredly, yes. The pieces of the puzzle were now coming together quickly. The FBI determined the gun Den Hollander used to kill himself was the same one he used to kill Daniel and Mark Angelucci. Same.380 caliber handgun, which was legally purchased in the 1980s. Agent Denahan and his team tracked Den Hollander's movements minute by minute. His two-week spree began when he got on a train in New York City. He took Amtrak out to California, bringing the weapon with him. Surveillance cameras captured him at the Los Angeles train station and at the one in San

Bernardino. He spent a few days in the area, Denahan says, most likely tracking Mark, waiting for the perfect time to kill him. And then how does he get back? Same way. He immediately returns same way. He then picked up the silver rental car in Philly and drove to New Jersey. Tracking his cell phone, we were able to put him down near, very close proximity to the judge's residence, hours and days before the attack, which indicated to us that he was watching her and trying to develop a pattern in life. So why was Den Hollander targeting the judge? She had nothing to do with Mark Angelucci's

lawsuit. Turned out, Den Hollander had filed a similar lawsuit involving the draft. His case was in New Jersey, and presiding over the case was none other than Judge Esther Salas. I knew the case, but it wasn't one that sort of even registered as a potential threat. And you were sort of on his side. I mean, you ruled for him. That's the ironic part. The judge had allowed Den Hollander's case to move forward. You must have asked yourself, well, why? Why my family? No, but as someone once told me,

he hated you the moment you were born. And that is something I couldn't change. Because you're a woman. Because I'm a woman, I'm Hispanic. Among the hundreds of pages in the manifesto, Dennehan found multiple references to Judge Salas. He said things about her that she was hot, but then he said she was lazy. Yeah, he impugned the judge extensively. He had problems with her. He had problems with a lot of women. But perhaps his biggest problem with the judge was that he thought the case was moving too slowly.

His case was lagging far behind Mark Angelucci's. And he began not to focus on the legal side of it, but on her personally. He believed that she was specifically slowing down his lawsuit. Agents were left to wonder, if Den Hollander's vendetta was against the judge, why didn't he finish the job and shoot her? Danny and Mark basically put up a strong enough defense of their home that it precluded him from coming forward. Whether it was just their body posture, the way they angled the door, the attitude they portrayed, whatever it was, Hollander must have felt that way. And that's why he fired immediately and then fled.

I asked the agents, why do you think he didn't come into the house to come finish me? I was his target. And the agent's line, which will stay with me forever, is that he was met by superior forces. My son and his father. And now his mother hopes that her son's sacrifice will save other lives. A bipartisan bill named after Daniel was introduced in both the House and Senate. It would address increasing the security systems in all judges' homes, as well as increasing the ability for the U.S. Marshals to protect judges, both in manpower and appropriations. The bill would also take measures to prohibit data brokers from selling judges' personal information, like their home

addresses, phone numbers, and tax records. A similar bill was recently signed in New Jersey. Daniel's death is speaking to us, but are we listening? You know, maybe we can't stop every bad thing from happening to any federal judge in the future, but we can make it darn hard for them to track us down. The judge has begun to pick up the pieces of her life, staying by her husband's side as he recovers. Has this made you two stronger? It has. It has. It's just us two now and our dogs.

We've been inseparable since this happened. And she took a bold step to help her move forward. I forgave this man during a mass at our home. I don't know how you did that. I remember holding Mark's hand, bowing my head and saying, God, I forgive him. And I said it three times. And from that moment on, I feel lighter. Once Mark has completely recovered, this trailblazing judge plans to return to the bench. I absolutely love being a United States District Judge. It's a dream come true.

And this man took the most important thing in my life. I can't let him take anything else from me. You don't want Daniel to be forgotten. Yeah. What do you want people to leave with? You know, I want people to remember Daniel for what he was. He was pure joy. He was pure love.

He was a boy who thought of everyone before himself. That's all for now. I'm Lester Holt. Thanks for joining us. before himself. That's all for now. I'm Lester Holt. Thanks for joining us.