Suvechha Sarkar
In July 2020, a quiet evening at the North Brunswick, New Jersey, home of Judge Esther Salas was shattered by a devastating act of violence. Her beloved 20-year-old son, Daniel Mark “Danny” Anderl, and her husband, Mark Anderl, were shot at their doorstep. Both of them were immediately rushed to the hospital; however, Daniel passed away en route, while Mark survived after undergoing surgery. The tragedy comes into focus on NBC’s ‘Dateline: The Grudge,’ shedding light on how the crime impacted Esther and her husband’s lives. The episode also features in-depth interviews with investigators and Esther herself.
Esther Salas Lost Her Son Forever to a Fatal Shooting in 2020
Esther Salas was born to a Mexican father and a Cuban immigrant mother, Aurelia Salas. Reports state that she grew up in her family’s small apartment in Union City, New Jersey, alongside her four siblings, but their father was absent from their lives. Esther stated that although her family faced financial hardships, it never reduced the happiness in their lives. Unfortunately, the family faced a significant predicament when their apartment unexpectedly burned down. Despite the challenges, Esther went on to complete her studies and begin her professional life. Esther crossed paths with Mark Anderl when she joined the prosecutor’s office as an intern, while he worked in the homicide department sometime around 1992.
After dating for a few years, the couple tied the knot in 1995. According to Esther’s statements, she and Mark struggled to have a child and experienced multiple miscarriages. However, the pair’s lives were filled with joy when they finally welcomed their son, Daniel Mark “Danny” Anderl. The family eventually settled in their home in North Brunswick, New Jersey. By 2020, Esther had become a US District Judge, while Mark was working as a Defense Attorney. Around 5 pm on July 19, 2020, Esther and Daniel were cleaning up the basement when they heard the doorbell ring.
The situation took a grave turn when a man posing as a FedEx delivery driver shot Daniel and Mark at the doorstep of their home. Daniel and Mark were rushed to the hospital, but the 20-year-old unfortunately passed away on the way to the hospital. Fortunately, Mark survived the attack after undergoing multiple surgeries. Reports state that when the investigation began, officials learned about a similar homicide of National Coalition for Men (NCFM) leader and lawyer Marc Angelucci on July 11, 2020, in Cedarpines Park, California.
Esther Salas’ Loss Inspired Her to Advocate For the Safety of Public Officials
A breakthrough came on July 20, when officials found a man named Roy Den Hollander dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Sullivan County, New York. According to the records, they found a list of legal professionals and doctors, including Marc’s and Esther’s names, in Roy’s car. As per one of the detectives featured on the show, the officials discovered a “manifesto” on Roy’s computer in which he mentioned Esther multiple times. Although Roy was considered a suspect in the murders of Daniel and Marc, he was never criminally charged or convicted for any of those crimes.
On the show, Esther revealed that she had forgiven Roy and further noted, “I remember holding Mark’s hand, bowing my head, and saying, ‘God, I forgive him,’ and I said it three times.” She never let the profound loss define her journey and became increasingly vocal about the dangers judges and other officials face from publicly available personal information about them. She began advocating for legislative changes by working with lawmakers and judicial organizations, emphasizing enhanced security for judges nationwide. In October 2020, lawmakers enacted Daniel’s Law in New Jersey. The legislation focused on preventing easy online access to the personal information of certain public officials in New Jersey.
By November 2020, the Governor had signed the legislation, after which Esther pushed for its enactment as federal law. Congress passed the Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act in December 2022, and President Joe Biden signed it that same month. Besides that, with the help of family, friends, and several donors, Esther established the Daniel Anderl Memorial Endowed Scholarship to support Rutgers Law School students in Camden and Newark. Moreover, they established the Daniel Anderl Judicial Protection Project Endowed Scholarship, which aims to support undergraduate students studying at the Rutgers School of Criminal Justice in Newark.
Esther Salas Continues to Flourish in Her Career as a US District Court Judge
Long before the tragedy, Esther had already forged a unique career path with her resilience and determination. In one of the reports, Esther shared that she often accompanied her mother to the social services offices by taking days off from school. At the office, she helped her mother translate English into Spanish. Despite their financial struggles, Esther graduated from a public high school before earning a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Rutgers College in 1991. She then went on to earn a Juris Doctor from the Rutgers University Newark School of Law, where she was actively involved with the Minority Student Program.
Esther began her career as a Law Clerk at the Superior Court of New Jersey for the Honorable Eugene J. Codey, Jr. Esther eventually became a lawyer at the Garces & Grabler firm and worked on criminal cases. She then transitioned to her role as an Assistant Federal Public Defender in Newark, in which she served from 1997 to 2006. During her time there, Esther was elected President of the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey in 2001 and also served on the Committee on Gender in the Courts, the New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on Minority Concerns, and the Governor’s Hispanic Advisory Committee for Policy Development. Esther became the appointed US Magistrate Judge for the District of New Jersey in 2006, making her the first Latina to hold the position.
During his administration, President Barack Obama nominated Esther to the US District Court. In 2011, the Senate confirmed the nomination, once again making her the first Latina to achieve the milestone. As of writing, she continues to serve as a US District Court Judge. After Daniel passed away, Esther redirected her attention to caring for her husband, Mark. She remained steadfast beside him throughout his recovery, sharing how they have become more inseparable since the tragedy. When asked about how she wants others to remember Daniel, Esther stated, “I want people to remember Daniel for what he was. He was pure joy. He was pure love.” To this day, she keeps her son’s memories alive in her heart, often reminiscing about the time they shared.
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