>> you get a call that this is been another murder. >> correct. >> a man knocked on the door, said are you marc angelucci. then just started shooting. >> we were expecting to link up a murder in california to the attack here in new jersey. >> i just thought this is crazy. nobody 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. >> hello and welcome to "dateline". now esther salas was a proud mother. she and her husband had just spent the weekend celebrating their son's birthday. as the festivities wrapped up, they showed a beautiful moment filled with love. then, heat shattered everything. investigators questioned if the attack was part of some bigger plot, and raced to unlock the mystery before the color could strike again. here is "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 went 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 i'm going, who is that? >> they had no idea, ivan 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 anderl, and their son daniel, were celebrating in a socially distance we, daniel's 20th birthday. >> we rented a tent in the backyard and say that a cable and friends from catholic university came. it was a close we can. daniel, he was just jumping out of his skin. he was so excited. >> daniel and his friends continued the celebration the next day with their trip to the beach. by sunday afternoon, everyone had gone home. it was july 19th, around 5 pm. mother and son were cleaning up the basement and sharing a special, albeit fleeting moment. >> i think he was swimming a 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, bang. and i just -- i just screamed, what is happening? and i ran up the stairs. >> what do you think is happening? do you have any idea? >> no, the only thing i could think other is that it was -- and i was preparing myself as i was running up the stairs, to see like -- a 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 was mark crawling on the porch, trying to catch a glimpse of the attackers 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 it saw the blood. >> did you see anything to him, knowing that this might be the last time that you would be with him? >> no, no. i just kept seeing hold on, hold on. and i knew he was such a fighter. that there was a part of me that -- if anyone can do it, daniel will. >> had mark been shot, to. multiple times. >> i know mark was screaming, call 9-1-1. >> patrol officers with the north brunswick police department arrived within minutes. then deputy chief joseph battaglia was at a family picnic when he got the call. in north brunswick, she things 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 were two individuals were shot and it was the house of a judge salas. do >> you know right away who salas is? >> yes, i'm familiar with a name. yes. >> judge esther salas was the first latino judge appointed in new jersey. appointed by president obama in 2011. battaglia quickly learned it was salas's husband mark and her son daniel who had been shot. >> when they first patrol officer rise -- they administered basic for stage. >> what condition was mark? in >> surprisingly, march 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 era. >> did they find anything that's of significance? >> we spoke to the neighbor next door, who had actually very good information. it said he saw an individual, white, male, tall, thin, wearing a mask, had a fedex messenger bag. got into a silver, blue nissan sentra. and fled the area. >> they based on eyewitness accounts, the deputy chief felt confident the shooter had left the area. >> our concern was worry was he going next? meaning that this was a federal court judge. who were his top targets? >> more federal judges. so, you're thinking maybe this guy has a lift hit list of some time? >> yes, yes,. battaglia's that was telling him the judge was the intended target. but he couldn't be sure. >> because mark also was a defense attorney had probably made -- 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 there were all worried about the same thing. would the shooter straight strike again? the clock was ticking. coming up -- >> i knew it was bad because i kept asking, how is my son, who was my son? somebody tell me something and nobody was seeing anything. >> for judge salas, pure agony. >> i remember just screaming, screaming. >> while investigators turn to her husband for what could be critical clues. >> he could actually speak, but he was able to tap out certain words to talk about what he saw. >> when "dateline" continues. feel the clarity and make today the most wonderful time of the year. live claritin clear. mom! i got the job! yeah, i feel like its all coming together. introducing the all-new 2024 chevy trax. with all the tech. here we go. we're going home monty. and all the room... for all of life's firsts. your first new car is here. the all-new chevy trax starting under $22,000. dupixent helps you du more with less asthma. and can help you breathe better in as little as 2 weeks. dupixent is an add-on treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma that's not or sudden breathing problems. dupixent can cause allergic reactions that can be severe. get help right away if you have rash, chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor about new or worsening joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines, including steroids, without talking to your doctor. ask your specialist about dupixent. type 2 diabetes? 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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 20 years earlier in the prosecutors office. she was an intern, he was working on the side. >> i think it was love at first sight. >> really? >> we'd 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? >> we yes. >> and that has to be absolutely terrifying. >> it was, but it was the last thing i was keep 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 carry off a series pretty man hunt. it's subject was in the wind. we knew there could be additional threats to public safety. >> his team found out interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence. were you able to find anything, as far as physical evidence at that scene? >> we attempted to get prince and danny from the door frame, the door jam, the doorbell and the door knobs, which we rushed to quantico. >> along with the bullets and casings from a three 80 handgun. they were recovered in the judges front hallway. he also sent agents to the hospital hoping to interview mark, who see the shooter up close. and that 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 is on the news? >> correct. >> and mark is now able to speak with you all? >> so, mark was intubated, so he could actually speak. that he was able to spell out and about 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 conflicted reports about the men's race. he'd been described as caucasian, hispanic or middle eastern. but they all agreed on one thing. >> his height was either six feet two or taller. you know, the demographic was brought, but his height was unusual. we felt that six feet two or taller with something that we could work with. >> mark pull through that surgery which gave the judge some relief. but she stroll struggled to process all that had happened. >> it's just hard to imagine that on sunday, after such a beautiful weekend, at 5:00 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. agents denahan had his theories. >> we at the top of our list with someone that had a personal grievance against judge salas herself. we also though had to consider could it be someone that was targeting her 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 casey and carlson. >> we sit there and spoke with him for about 30 minutes to an hour. >> they'd they ask you if danny had any enemies? >> yes. >> someone who might have wanted to hurt him? but >> but i told them i mean, there was no one, even when i think now, there is no one that ever had any resentment towards him. >> and 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 life? the nicest, hard working, you know, just to this day. >> the brothers couldn't believe that anyone would want to kill their friend. they had just been with daniel a few weeks before, playing football. something they did regularly. >> he could throw 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 would get tired, for like, daniel, 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 similar 75 ways to be a player -- >> thank your parents -- >> daniel did it. [noise] >> what do you think when you see that video? >> it's very inspiring, i'd say. i know that is him. and everything he's saying, that's what he encompasses as a person and as the sportsman. >> he wants to see out of himself and everybody else around him. >> another friend of daniels, connor quigley agreed. danny was always looking out for everybody else. >> he just always had my back. i always could count on him. he'd be that person that would come over and just -- 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, that they added to everyone around them. and that really shows where danny gets it from. >> loving clearance who's felt incredibly blessed to have daniel. after multiple miscarriages, the doctor says they weren't sure they would ever have children. >> i lost three children before daniel and a loss 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 stroke chief searching his social media, they had all but ruled him out as the target. by nightfall, there 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. investigators suspect mark and the judge may have met the color before in the courtroom. was the shooting some twisted idea of justice? coming up -- a hard look at judge salas's 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. 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[ cheers ] yeah! woho! running up and down that field looks tough. it's a pitch. get way more into what you're into >> the high-profile murder of a when you stream on the xfinity 10g network. federal judge 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 need to identify, locate and neutralize the subject before anyone else could be hurt. >> you have a killer on the loose? >> correct. >> agents worked through the night. with the judges son crossed off their list as a possible target, they turned to her husband, mark. was there anyone that you can think of that might want 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 a very serious crimes, we weren't aware of any that had serious grievances against him. >> as law enforcement raced to find her sons 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? [laughs] >> the biggest moments boy. he and i had a connection that, you know, quite frankly is amazing. >> her dispair 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 is 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 judge ship. curled up in bed with daniel, who was ten at the time, she told him she was unsure if she should take the job. >> he's like, why, mom? and i said, well, honey, it's going to require a lot of mommy's time. and i just worry about the impact on you. and he says, i get that, mom. i get that. and there was this pause. and then all the sudden he goes, but if it was me, i'd take the job. [laughs] >> did that seal the deal right there? >> that sealed the deal. that was his way of saying, go for it. >> agents dug through the judges cases. one in particular caught up 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 six foot two, 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, geo locating where their cellphones was, where they were, and stuff of that nature. >> but by 3 am, investigators had ruled them out. so, based on maybe where they had been, at the time of the shooting? >> correct. >> investigators also looked into judge salas's 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 of 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 it 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 at the next morning, deputy chief battaglia was preparing for a debriefing with the fbi. that's when one of the 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 the 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 your 3000 miles away. but 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 -- you've got someone dressed as a delivery man with a gun. >> then we also know that the shell casings are the same caliber used in new jersey. >> another sudden, savage attack in a doorway. >> this person said, are you marc angelucci, and he said yes. and the individual just started shooting. >> were you just shocked when you heard that? >> it was shocking. we were not expecting to link up the murder in california to the attack here in new jersey. >> when "dateline" continues. it was time for a nunormal with nucala. nucala is a once-monthly add-on treatment for severe eosinophilic asthma that can mean less oral steroids. not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. infections that can cause shingles have occurred. don't stop steroids unless told by your doctor. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. may cause headache, injection site reactions, back pain, and fatigue. ask your asthma specialist about a nunormal with nucala. ♪ it's the most wonderful time of the year ♪ ♪ non-drowsy claritin knocks out symptoms from over 200 allergens. without knocking you out. feel the clarity and make today the most wonderful time of the year. live claritin clear. moderate to severe eczema still disrupts my skin. despite treatment it disrupts my skin with itch. it disrupts my skin with rash. but now, i can disrupt eczema with rinvoq. rinvoq is not a steroid, topical, or injection. it's one pill, once a day. many taking rinvoq saw clear or almost-clear skin while some saw up to 100% clear skin. and, they felt dramatic and fast itch relief some as early as 2 days. that's rinvoq relief. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. serious infections and blood clots, some fatal, cancers including lymphoma and skin cancer, death, heart attack, stroke, and tears in the stomach or intestines occurred. people 50 and older with at least one heart disease risk factor have higher risks. don't take if allergic to rinvoq, as serious reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant. disrupt the itch and rash of eczema. talk to your doctor about rinvoq. learn how abbvie can help you save. >> the u.s. says the death toll in libya has climbed to at least 11,000 following last week's devastating, flooding over 10,000 people remain missing in the city of derna. a team of white house economic officials will travel to detroit this week to help assault a uaw strike on friday. president biden has said he respects the choices of the striking auto workers, while wishing for the return to the negotiating table. now back to dateline. >> welcome back to "dateline". i'm andrea canning. detectives were convinced the deadly shooting at esther salas 's home was connected to her job as a federal judge. but so far, a search for clues among her court cases had come up empty. then, as armies of investigators rush to find the killer, the mystery deepened with a stunning new development 3000 miles away. back now to "the grudge". deputy chief battaglia had just been briefed about a recent murder in california. and as he learned more details, it sounded eerily familiar. you're dealing with the same mo. 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? >> immediately notify the fbi. >> agent denahan was told the victim in california, marc angelucci, a 52-year-old lawyer, had been shot in his front hallway eight days before the shooting at judge salas's 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, marc angelucci's colleague, michael can sake, got a call from a mutual friend just hours after the shooting. >> i can tell that he was crying and he kind of came out and said, marc'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 marc's roommates father who opened the door. >> this person said are you marc angelucci? >> he said no. >> he offered to sign for the package but the delivery man said he needed to see marc in person to get a signature. >> so, marc came up and this person said are you marc angelucci, and he said, yes. and then, he pulled the gun. marc 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. marc's rommmate called 9-1-1. marc was declared dead at the scene. for michael, it was a crushing loss. what did you think of marc? >> marc is a tremendous human being. >> another friend of marc's, harry crouch, was also devastated by the news. >> i wish i could describe his smile. he enjoyed life. everything to marc was an adventure. he was afraid of nothing. you know? go climb pyramids in peru. party in las vegas. wherever he was, the world was better off for it. >> harry and marc 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 called the group a quote, male supremacist organization. harry 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. >> marc did pro bono work for the group. he took on custody battles another cases where he thought men were being discriminated against. in one case, he successfully argued from men's equal access to domestic violence shelters. he spoke about it at a conference. >> you can at minimum provide at least at the same counseling and legal services you give to women. >> san bernardino sheriff's detectives asked harry about the cases have marc had been working on. >> i talked to a 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. marc was the lead attorney when the case went before a federal court in texas. the judge ruled in his favor. >> we actually secured at that time, a positive ruling, on that level of court. >> but harry wasn't convinced there was a connection. >> marc was involved in a few other high conflict cases. >> what cases jumps to mind, as far as possibly being connected to his murder? >> there was a situation at the santa barbara. apparently there was even an altercation in court that erupted, into something physical. where i think marc decked at 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. he had a different theory. >> i was interviewed by the sheriff's detectives. and i said, well, i don't have any proof of anything. i says, but here is a theory. >> he had zeroed in on a case of mark's involving public officials and alleged corruption. did you think there could have been a motive in there somewhere? to want marc 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? >> it terrified me. i don't know if i'm a target. >> marc's colleague, now scared for her own life. >> i get one call from a stranger life that said, marc didn't learn his lesson, is ronda going to learn her lesson. >> now that's creepy. >> it is creepy. >> when "dateline" continues. to be scary. spray flonase sensimist daily for non-drowsy long lasting relief in a scent free, gentle mist. flonase all good. also, try our allergy headache and nighttime pills. ♪ i gotta good feeling about this, yeah ♪ flonase all good. ♪ i'm with it ♪ ♪ i gotta good feeling about this ♪ ♪ yeah, ♪ ♪ so let's get it ♪ ♪ i'm feeling good vibes ♪ dupixent helps you du more with less asthma. and can help you breathe better in as little as 2 weeks. dupixent is an add-on treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma that's not for sudden breathing problems. dupixent can cause allergic reactions that can be severe. get help right away if you have rash, chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor about new or worsening joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines, including steroids, without talking to your doctor. ask your specialist about dupixent. as someone living with type 2 diabetes, i want to keep it real and talk about some risks. with type 2 diabetes you have up to 4 times greater risk of stroke, heart attack, or death. even at your a1c goal, you're still at risk ...which if ignored could bring you here... ...may put you in one of those... ...or even worse. too much? 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>> we had three. >> so, it could have been one of those three cases potentially? >> exactly. it terrified me. i don't know if i'm a target. >> was ronda also in the middle of a campaign, running for u. s. congress. >> we're in the middle of a congressional campaign, yeah. and then that is when the crazies came out. i got one call from a strange guy that said that -- marc didn't learn his lesson, is ronda going to learn his lesson? >> it's true that's creepy. >> it is very quickly. >> fearing for her life, she got corrective and sent out this tweet. i'm >> sure the cowards that killed my friend cold blood won't be stupid enough to come after a congressional candidate. >> that's a pretty bold tweet. >> were you what were you hoping to accomplish with it? >> that if they came after me i'm a, congressional candidate. don't be stupid. >> ronda highlighted one case in particular that had made local headlines. it was the case michael, the private investigator, had also mentioned to police. marc's client, a man cleared of rape charges, was suing county officials aiming 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. >> where the detectives looking at this person? >> yes. they were. >> like in the salas case, that 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 judges story on tv. judge salas was told about the developments. this story got so much crazier when you discovered 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. but for the moment, she felt safe. you are in a sort of a cocoon right now. you're surrounded by security. but you're going to have to leave this hospital and to 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, is it's available online through a google search or data brokers. >> this information can be used for such nefarious purposes, that we have to start thinking about what we allowed to be out there. >> a plan began to form. she made a vow to do everything in her power to effect 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 judges address and likely stalked her. >> we 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 league came in from police in upstate new york. a dead body. so, this individual was found outside of the car, with a gunshot wound? >> correct. >> and something else. >> a dossier on judge salas, along with an envelope. it looked like he used on the. and secondly, we found a dossier on marc angelucci. >> now, law enforcement knew for certain the two murders were connected. but how? investigators move quickly to unravel the clues found at the scene in new york. and the stunning new evidence will blow the case wide open. coming up -- 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. >> finally, a suspect and a mind-boggling possible motive. >> it sort of put his anger on steroids, so to speak. >> when "dateline" continues. after advil. feeling better? on top of the worlddddd!!! before advil. advil targets pain at the source of inflammation. when pain comes for you, come back fast with advil liqui-gels. -what even is this? -don't touch my things. gross. janice, when you bundle your home or renters with your auto, progressive provides 24/7 protection for almost everything you own. -but do you really need... -my weighted hoop? 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>> correct. >> the agents raised to rockland, new york. two hours north of new york city. >> where was the body found? >> 20 feet from his vehicle, in an open field. >> denahan got an update from his agents. they believe 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, agents found those dossiers on the judge angelucci. they also discovered the dead man's name, roy hollander. >> what were you learning about him? >> he was 72 years old at the time of his death. he was highly educated, a practicing attorney. >> anything else the agent wanted to know about hollander, was found in a 1500-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 hollander saved the brunt of his anger for his mother writing, may she burn in hell. >> so he was clearly a massage east. all of the failures of his life, all of the shortcomings were his doing. he blamed them on women. >> the fbi learned he appeared on tv several times, ranting about anti feminist lawsuits he filed. several years ago, he appeared on the colbert report, showing off his break dancing moves, and was mockingly called a difference maker for ladies nights at bars were discriminatory. 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 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 hollander. the fbi learned from reading his website that he was dying from a rare form of melanoma. >> do you think this played into wet he did, and kind of going out in a blaze of lori? >> it is a logical theory, that was sort of putting his anger on steroids, so to speak. >> now, the fbi scrambled to connect the dots between hollander, the judge and mark angelucci. >> throughout the next few hours, we would piece together that the subject, roy dan hollander, had a professional relationship with mark angelucci in california. they were both part of what was described as the men's rights movement, which embraces all things masculine. >> california detectives had interviewed crouch about his organization. the national coalition for man. now the fbi was calling him. he knew the shooter. >> hollander was actually in your group at one point, in your organization? >> yes, and i threw him out. >> why? >> because of his character, because of his antics. he threatened to come down to california to kick my ass, that is a quote. >> according to harry, dan hollander wanted to join the group's federal lawsuit, the one that argued against a male only draft. >> i told him that was not going to happen. i was surprised he did not come shoot me instead of mark. >> do you think 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 quickly coming together. the fbi determined the gun hollander used to kill himself was the same one he used to kill daniel and mark angelucci. >> the same. 380 caliber hand gun, legally purchased in the 19 eighties. >> agent denahan and his team tracked hollander's movements, minute by minute. his shooting 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 of mark, waiting for the perfect time to kill him. >> how does he get back? >> same way. he immediately returns, same way. >> he then pick up the silver rental car in philly and drove to new jersey. >> tracking his cell phone, we can put him down, and very close proximity to the judges residence. hours and days before the attack, and this indicated to us that he was watching her, trying to develop a pattern of life. >> so why was hollander targeting the judge? she had nothing to do with angelucci's lawsuit. turned out that hollander filed a similar lawsuit involving the draft. his case was in new jersey, and presiding over the case was none other than judge salas. >> i knew the case, but it was not one that sort of even registered as a potential threat. >> and you were sort of on his side? you ruled for him? >> that is the ironic part. >> the judge had allowed hollander's case to move forward. >> you must ask yourself, why? why my family? >> that someone was told, me he hated you the moment you are born. and that is something i could not change. >> because you are a woman? >> because i am a woman, and hispanic. >> because of the number of pages the manifesto, denahan found multiple references to judge salas. >> he said things about her. that she was hot. then he said she was lazy? >> yes he impunity 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. >> he began to not 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 hollander's vendetta was against the judge, why did he not 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 postures, where the angle the door, the attitude they've portrayed. whatever it was, hollander must have felt that way. that is why he fired immediately and then fled. >> i asked the agents, why do you think he did not come into the house, to come and finish me? i was his target! and the agents line, which will stay with me forever was, 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 woods introduced in both the house and senate. >> it would address increasing 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 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 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 the two of you stronger? >> it has, it has. it is just us two and our dogs now. we have been inseparable since this happened. >> when she took the bold step to hope or move forward. >> i forgive this man, during a mass, at our home. >> i do not know how you did that. >> i remember holding marks hand, bowing my head and saying, god, i forgive him. and i said it three times. and from that moment on, i feel lighter. >> in march 2021, this chill blazing judge returned to the bench. >> i absolutely love being a united states district judge. it is the 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 do not want daniel to be forgotten? >> yes. >> what do you want people to leave with? >> i want people to remember daniel for what he was. he was pure joy, pure love. he was a boy who thought of everyone before himself. >> that is all for this edition of dateline. i'm andrea canning, thank you for watching. this is the most terrifying crime scene i've ever seen. >> the suspect knew the victim. >> she just was the last person who should have ever died like that. >> she loved skiing, sailing, and her friends. >> she was extremely outgoing. >> a wonderful life that came to a tragic and on one warm summer night. >> i hear a very weird scream. >> her life had ended, but our story was just beginning. her killer hadn't been caught.