The Grudge
Summary
This Dateline episode investigates the 2020 shootings of federal judge Esther Salas’s son and husband in New Jersey, which were linked to the murder of California attorney Mark Angelucci. The FBI traced the attacks to Roy Den Hollander, a disgruntled litigant who targeted Salas over a draft registration lawsuit and Angelucci over a similar case. The story details the investigation, the victims’ families, and the subsequent passage of the Daniel Salas Act to protect judges’ personal information from data brokers.
Topics discussed
Sponsorships: Progressive and Penn Foster
Introduction: The night of the attack
Background: Judge Salas and her family
The shooting and immediate aftermath
Initial investigation and suspect theories
Judge Salas's grief and Mark's condition
Forensic evidence and witness descriptions
Narrowing the suspect profile
Remembering Daniel Salas
Reviewing Judge Salas's contentious cases
Sponsorships: Mazda, Progressive, Mint Mobile
National attention and FBI response
Ruling out suspects from past cases
The link to the California murder
The Mark Angelucci shooting in California
Investigating the National Coalition for Men
The draft registration lawsuit connection
Sponsorships: Capital One and Granger
Threats against Rhonda Kennedy
Connecting the cases and data privacy concerns
Discovery of the shooter's body in NY
Profile of Roy Den Hollander
Confirming the shooter's identity and motive
Analysis of the manifesto and targeting
Why the shooter did not enter the home
Legislative changes and Judge Salas's return
Outro and Zepbound sponsorship
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