In 2014, Florida State University Law Professor Dan Markel was found shot outside of his Betton Hills home. The shooting happened on July 18, 2014. He died the next day.
Four people are currently serving prison time in connection with his death.
Now, his former mother-in-law, Donna Adelson, is having her day in court.
This article outlines some of the key people connected to this murder case.
Donna Adelson:
Adelson is on trial, facing first-degree murder charges, along with charges of solicitation and conspiracy. She’s accused of hiring hitmen to kill Markel. She has entered a not guilty plea on all charges.
Adelson’s trial was set to start in 2024 but was delayed when Adelson’s attorney, Daniel Rashbaum, withdrew from the case due to a conflict of interest related to his representation of Charlie Adelson.
Adelson’s new attorneys are Jackie Fulford and Joshua Zelman.
Charlie Adelson:
In 2023, Charlie Adelson, the son of Donna and former brother-in-law of Markel, was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. He was sentenced to life in prison by a Leon County judge.
Prosecutors believe that he used his then-girlfriend, Katherine Magbanua, as a go-between to hire Luis Rivera and Sigredo Garcia to kill Markel.
In 2024, Adelson’s new attorney started laying the groundwork for a retrial. Attorney Michael Ufferman says his client did not receive conflict-free representation. In January of this year, the First District Court of Appeal denied Charlie Adelson’s motion for a retrial.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW OF CHARLIE RECEIVING HIS SENTENCING:
Charlie Adelson sentenced to life in prison for 2014 murder of Dan MarkelKatherine Magbanua
Prosecutors say Magbanua acted as the go-between for Charlie Adelson, Sigfredo Garcia, and Luis Rivera in Markel’s murder.
Her first trial in 2019 ended with a hung jury.
In her 2022 retrial, she was convicted of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation to commit murder.
Magbanua is currently serving a life sentence.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW OF KATHERINE MAGBANUA’S RETRIAL VERDICT:
Katherine Magbanua found guilty of all charges in murder of Dan MarkelWendi Adelson
Prosecutors believe the chain of events all stemmed from a vicious custody battle between Wendi Adelson and Dan Markel. During the time of Markel’s murder, Adelson was trying to move their children from Tallahassee to South Florida.
Adelson currently does not face any charges but could testify in Donna Adelson’s trial.
Assistant State Attorney Georgia Cappleman
Cappleman will be prosecuting for the State during the Adelson trial. She also prosecuted in the Charlie Adelson trial.
Judge Stephen Everett
Judge Everett will preside over the case for Adelson’s trial. He took over from Judge Lance Neff when Donna Adelson’s trial was derailed in September 2024 after her attorney withdrew over a conflict of interest.
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