Donna Adelson, a 75‑year‑old Florida grandmother, received a life sentence without the possibility of parole on Monday for orchestrating the 2014 murder of Daniel Markel, a respected professor at Florida State University (FSU). The case, which also added thirty years for conspiracy and solicitation, marks a dramatic end to a decade‑long investigation that began with Markel’s death.
Markel was fatally shot in the head while in his garage in July 2014. He was fighting a bitter custody battle with his estranged wife, Wendi Adelson, who is Donna Adelson’s daughter. Prosecutors argued that Donna possessed both the motive and the money to hire killers, and that she played a leading role in the plan.
The murder plot unfolded when Donna’s son, Dr. Charlie Adelson, and his girlfriend, Katherine Magbanua, hired two men—Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera—to carry out the hit. Garcia and Rivera, members of the Latin Kings gang, stalked Markel on the morning of the shooting, followed him back to his home, and killed him. Garcia was later convicted as the triggerman and is serving a life sentence. Rivera pleaded guilty and is serving 19 years. Both Magbanua and Charlie Adelson received life sentences for their involvement.
During the sentencing hearing, Donna Adelson stood quietly in the courtroom and read a statement asserting her innocence. She cried, saying, “What happened to Danny is unforgivable. But I am an innocent woman convicted of this terrible crime without evidence.” She added that if she had known about the plan beforehand, she would have stopped it. Mayor and judge Stephen Everett interrupted her several times, reminding her that he could consider her lack of remorse when determining the sentence. He stressed that the murder was premeditated, not a crime of chance, and that it required a conspiracy.
Markel’s death had gone unsolved for nearly ten years before the arrest of Charlie Adelson in 2022. Evidence from the trial showed that the Adelson family had orchestrated a murder‑for‑hire scheme tied to their custody conflict. Although Wendi Adelson has not been charged and denies any role in the plot, the case has cast a spotlight on the legal battle between the former spouses.
This life sentence, followed by a 30‑year term for conspiracy, underscores the severity with which Florida courts are treating murder‑for‑hire. It also highlights how personal feuds can evolve into violent crime. The conviction marks the latest chapter in a series of criminal proceedings involving the Adelson family and a tragic loss for the Florida State University community.
Source: New York Post
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