The federal judge whose son and husband were shot on Sunday in what may have been a targeted attack had recently been assigned a federal court case connected to convicted pedophile and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas’ son Daniel Anderl was killed on Sunday after being shot in the heart by a gunman disguised as a FedEx delivery driver. Her husband Mark Anderl, 63, a criminal defense lawyer, was also shot. He is reportedly in critical but stable condition after undergoing surgery at a hospital in New Brunswick.
Judge Salas was reportedly in the basement of the New Brunswick Township home at the time of the fatal shooting, and was unhurt.
As the New York Times reports, Judge Salas was the first Hispanic woman to serve as a federal judge in her state. In one high-profile case, Judge Salas sentenced “Real Housewives of New Jersey” stars Teresa Guidice and her husband Joe Giudice to jail for bankruptcy fraud in addition to other financial crimes. Notably, Judge Salas ordered the parents to serve staggered sentences so that their children would have a parent at home during the prison terms.
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Days before the deadly shooting, Judge Salas was assigned to a class action lawsuit against Deutsche Bank. The suit alleges that the bank “failed to properly monitor customers that the Bank itself deemed to be high risk, including, among others, the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein,” according to federal court filings obtained by CNN.
As the Washington Post reports, the U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI are continuing to investigate the shooting along with local law enforcement.The Newark, New Jersey, chapter of the FBI wrote in a Twitter post that the agency is looking for a single suspect, and asked the public to come forward with any information.
The FBI is investigating a shooting that occurred at the home of Judge Ester Salas in North Brunswick Township, New Jersey earlier this evening, July 19. We're looking for one subject & ask that anyone who thinks they may have relevant information call us at 1-973-792-3001.
— FBI Newark (@FBINewark) July 20, 2020
CrimeOnline’s Nancy Grace appeared on Fox Nation Monday morning to discuss the tragedy. Because Judge Salas was assigned the Deutsche Bank case so recently, and because the gunman did not specifically target the judge, Nancy says she is not certain the motive was connected to the suit with ties to Epstein.
“Getting threats, for a judge or a prosecutor, is actually commonplace,” Nancy said in the segment, which you can view here.
This is a developing story. CrimeOnline will provide further updates when more information is available.
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[Feature image: AP Photo/Mark Lennihan]
