Testimony resumes Tuesday morning in the murder trial of Donna Adelson, a Florida matriarch accused of orchestrating a hit on her daughter’s ex.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Adelson, 75, is on trial in Tallahassee, accused of planning the murder of her former son-in-law, Dan Markel.
She’s facing first-degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation charges, for the 2014 contract killing.
Charlie Adelson, along with his former girlfriend Katherine Magbanua, and hitmen Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera, have been convicted for their roles in the case.
Police discovered Markel, a Florida State University law professor, shot in his garage in Tallahassee on July 18, 2014. Dan was once married to Wendi Adelson.
Wendi is Donna Adelson’s daughter.
Investigators concluded that the motive for Markel’s murder was the Adelson family’s wish for Wendi Adelson and her two young sons to relocate from Tallahassee to South Florida, where the Adelsons resided.
Following Wendi and Dan’s divorce settlement in 2013, which stipulated 50/50 custody, the Adelson family, dissatisfied with the equal custody decision, continued to seek greater custody rights.
Since her arrest after trying to flee the country in November 2023, Donna Adelson has been held without bail.
[Feature Photo: Dan Markel/FSU College of Law faculty biographies; Donna Adelson/AP]
