Federal Judge Esther Salas' son is dead and her husband is in critical condition after being shot by a man who showed up at their New Jersey residence in a FedEx uniform on Sunday.
Salas' son, Daniel Anderl, 20, succumbed to his injuries after "being shot through the heart" while her husband, criminal defense lawyer Mark Anderl, is in critical but stable condition. Salas was unharmed as she was in the basement at the time of the shooting.
"The FBI is investigating a shooting that occurred at the home of Judge Ester (sic) 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," wrote FBI Newark.
Daniel, a Catholic University freshman, answered the door of their residence with his father right behind him at approximately 5 p.m. on Sunday when the gunman opened fire on them before fleeing.
Salas Recently Handed Epstein-Linked Case
According to The New Jersey Globe, Salas is "a widely respected and popular jurist" who was nominated by President Barack Obama to be a federal judge in 2010 after serving as a public defender and federal magistrate. Salas was recently assigned a case with a link to convicted pedophile sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The case involves investors suing Deutsche Bank AG for misleading them "about anti-money-laundering deficiencies" and not "properly monitoring" clients that were deemed "high-risk," including Epstein, and claim shareholders lost money because of the bank's dealings with Epstein, who was implicated in dozens of sexual abuse cases. The case was filed on July 15, and assigned to Salas.
Epstein, who died in a Manhattan jail cell last year, had a number of political, media and other social connections before his downfall, including President Trump and Prince Andrew.
The New York financier's ties to high-profile figures and the manner in which he died have caused some to question whether his death was murder instead of suicide. Authorities have given no indication that the motive for the Anderl shootings is tied into any of the judge's cases, however.
