Lawyer suspect in killing of Esther Salas' son may have been targeting enemies following cancer diagnosis

Roy Den Hollander
Roy Den Hollander

The lawyer that shot and killed the son of a federal judge may have been hunting down his enemies after learning he'd been diagnosed with cancer.

Law enforcement officials believe Roy Den Hollander — a "men's rights" attorney that once sued bars and nightclubs for offering "ladies' nights" on the grounds that it violated the 14th Amendment — was responsible for shooting federal Judge Esther Salas' husband and son after breaking into their home.

Ms Salas' son was killed in the shooting.

Investigators are now exploring a possible link between threats and attacks on other lawyers to Den Hollander, according to the New York Post.

When police found Hollander dead in his car from a presumed self-inflicted gunshot wound, they also found a photo of New York Chief Judge Janet DiFiore. Investigators have not indicated that they believe Ms DiFiore was a target.

In another incident, attorney Marc Angelucci — another men's rights' attorney — was killed in his California home by someone posing as a delivery man. Investigators are exploring whether or not the murder was tied to Den Hollander.

Harry Crouch, the president of the National Coalition for Men and a friend of Mr Angelucci, told CBS Los Angeles that he "immediately saw a link" and claimed that Den Hollander was once a member of the organisation, but was removed after threatening Mr Crouch.

"But I want to be real clear, [Den Hollander is] not a NCFM member. Why isn't he? Because I threw him out five or six years ago, because he was a nut job," Mr Crouch said.

Den Hollander held deeply bigoted opinions towards women. The attorney's website contained a 152-page manifesto he called the "Evolutionarily Correct Cyclopedia" filled with rants and veiled threats aimed at women and "Political Commies."

Included in his ravings were references to acts of revenge he wanted to mete out to his enemies.

"Death's hand is on my left shoulder ... nothing in life matters anymore," Den Hollander wrote. "The only problem with a life lived too long under Feminazi rule is that a man ends up with so many enemies he can't even the score with all of them."

In another chilling entry, Den Hollander said that "things begin to change when individual men start taking out those specific persons responsible for destroying their lives before committing suicide."

Law enforcement officials are investigating whether Hollander's acts of violence were a revenge plot ignited by his terminal illness.

Read more

Son of US federal judge killed and husband wounded in attack by gunman