A jury in Tallahassee, Florida, has convicted Donna Adelson of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and solicitation of first-degree murder in connection with the 2014 contract killing of her son-in-law, Florida State University law professor Dan Markel.
Jury delivers guilty verdict
According to US media reports, Adelson, 75, broke down in tears and repeatedly shouted “Oh my god” as the verdict was read.
Judge Stephen Everett immediately ordered her to “control herself” and instructed that the jury be escorted out of the courtroom while she sobbed uncontrollably.
Judge Everett told Adelson:
“Mrs Adelson, while this was not the outcome I’m sure you desired, there will not be any further outbursts in front of the jury. If you cannot control yourself, I am going to have to determine if you will be removed from the remainder of this process.”
Her attorneys had argued that there was no evidence directly linking her to the murder and attempted to shift blame onto her children.
Prosecutors, however, described her as the controlling figure of an affluent South Florida family, with both the resources and the motive to arrange the killing.
The killing of Dan Markel
Dan Markel, aged 41, was shot dead in the garage of his Tallahassee home in July 2014.
He was embroiled in a bitter custody dispute with his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, who sought to relocate their two children to South Florida.
A judge had blocked the move after Markel refused to relocate himself. Prosecutors said this dispute gave Adelson and her family the motive to remove him permanently.
The case went unsolved for almost a decade until Adelson’s son, Dr Charlie Adelson, was arrested in 2022.
Investigators found that he and his girlfriend, Katherine Magbanua, had hired two gang members, Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera, to carry out the murder-for-hire plot.
- Garcia was found guilty of firing the fatal shots and is serving life in prison.
- Rivera accepted a plea deal and received a 19-year sentence.
- Magbanua and Charlie Adelson were both convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Wendi Adelson has denied any involvement and has not been charged.
Following the verdict, Markel’s mother, Ruth, delivered an emotional statement:
“We have lost a treasure. My son Dan’s life was cut tragically short at 41 years old. For 11 years we have been forced to a life filled with unimaginable pain and heartbreak.”
Donna Adelson managed to avoid arrest for years, but in November 2023 she was detained at Miami International Airport while attempting to board a one-way flight to Vietnam, a country with no extradition treaty with the United States.
She now awaits sentencing. Her legal team has requested similar accommodations to those given to her son Charlie at the time of his sentencing.
