A decade-long legal battle and family feud over a horrific 2014 killing in a quiet Tallahassee neighborhood has finally taken a new turn. Donna Adelson, the matriarch of Florida’s wealthy Adelson family, was convicted Thursday of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and abetment to murder.
At the center of the case is Florida State University law professor Daniel Markel, who was shot and killed outside his home in July 2014. He was just 41 years old when he died. Markel was in a bitter custody battle with his ex-wife, Wendy Adelson. Wendy wanted to take their two children to live with family in South Florida, but the court refused to allow her. Markel, on the other hand, refused to leave Tallahassee.
Prosecutors say that this situation is what triggered the tension. Donna Adelson planned to have Markel killed by hired killers to keep her children and grandchildren close. Evidence presented in court showed that Donna was not only emotionally but also financially involved in the murder conspiracy.
Dramatic moments in court
A dramatic scene unfolded in the courtroom as the guilty verdict was announced. After hearing the verdict, Donna Adelson suddenly began to gasp, shake, and cry uncontrollably. Judge Stephen Everett gave her a two-minute break to compose herself and warned, “No more emotional behavior will be tolerated in front of the jury.”
Grief-stricken family statement
Speaking in court after the verdict, Ruth Markel, the mother of the slain professor, said,
“We have lost a priceless asset. My son Dan’s life was brutally ended at the age of 41. For the past 11 years, we have lived with unimaginable suffering and heartbreaking reality.”
Ruth Markel’s emotional statement silenced the courtroom.
More family members implicated
Donna Adelson is the fifth person convicted in the case. Her son Charles Adelson is already serving a life sentence. Charles’ ex-girlfriend, Catherine Magbanua, was also sentenced to life in prison. Sigfredo Garcia, who was directly involved in the murder, is serving a life sentence, and Luis Rivera received a 19-year sentence after cooperating with the state.
Prosecutors say Donna was a “strict and controlling matriarch” who did not hesitate to take extreme measures to fulfill her family’s wishes. However, defense lawyers argued in court that there was insufficient evidence of Donna’s direct involvement and that the blame was placed squarely on an elderly grandmother.
A case that has captivated the public for more than a decade
Since Markel’s murder, the case has captured the attention of people not only in Florida but across the United States.
The power and influence of an elite family on one side, divorce, custody battles and a murder-for-hire plot on the other—all of this has become the most talked-about criminal case of the decade. The court has now announced that Donna Adelson will be sentenced on October 14. Until then, she will remain in custody.
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