Family Matriarch Found Guilty in High-Profile Murder of FSU Law Professor Dan Markel

Verdict Marks Major Development in Decade-Long Case

The matriarch of a wealthy South Florida family, Donna Adelson, was convicted Thursday of first-degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation in the killing of Florida State University law professor Daniel Markel in Tallahassee.

Markel, 41, a Harvard law graduate and prominent Florida State University professor, was fatally shot twice in the head while in his car in his Tallahassee garage. He had shared custody of his two toddlers with his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, following their messy 2013 divorce.

The Murder Plot Unravels

According to investigators, the murder was a contract killing, where Charlie Adelson and his mother Donna Adelson used Katherine Magbanua as an intermediary to hire Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera for the killing. The motive centered around the family’s desire to allow Wendi to relocate to the Miami area with the children.

Donna Adelson, described by prosecutors as a calculated and controlling matriarch of an affluent South Florida family, wasn’t charged until after her son Charles’ conviction in November 2023. Charles Adelson is now serving a life sentence, along with his ex-girlfriend Katherine Magbanua.

Impact and Aftermath

In a powerful victim impact statement following the verdict, Ruth Markel, Dan’s mother, expressed her profound loss: “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.”

Following the arrests in 2016, the case took another tragic turn when Wendi Adelson cut off contact between Markel’s parents and their grandsons, even taking the step of changing the children’s last names from Markel to Adelson.

The judge has scheduled case management for October 14, with sentencing to follow at a later date. Donna Adelson was found guilty on all counts related to the 2014 murder.