Justice Draws Near in Florida Professor’s Murder-for-Hire Case

Almost eleven years after Florida State University law professor Dan Markel was shot to death in his driveway, his former mother-in-law Donna Sue Adelson is finally facing her day in court. The 75-year-old grandmother stands accused of orchestrating a murder plot that prosecutors say was designed to free her daughter Wendi from a bitter custody battle with Markel. As jury selection began in Tallahassee, this trial represents the culmination of a carefully constructed prosecution strategy that has already secured convictions against multiple participants in the scheme. For those who knew Markel, including former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg, this moment has been a long time coming. “The day of reckoning for Donna is here,” Aronberg told Fox News Digital. “Justice has come slowly, but it is going to arrive.”

The prosecution’s methodical approach has been deliberate, working its way through the chain of accomplices before targeting Donna Adelson herself. First came convictions for the hired hitmen, Luis Rivera and Sigfredo Garcia. Then followed Katherine Magbanua, who served as the intermediary. Most recently, Charlie Adelson, Markel’s former brother-in-law and Donna’s son, received a life sentence for his role in the murder. This step-by-step strategy has allowed prosecutors to build an increasingly compelling case against Donna, who they characterize as the matriarch who pulled the strings behind the scenes. “I don’t think you get to Donna without getting to Katie Magbanua and then Charlie Adelson first,” Aronberg explained. “It’s been a very successful strategy — and it’s not done yet.”

Central to the prosecution’s case is what Aronberg calls Donna’s “consciousness of guilt,” most dramatically demonstrated by her attempt to flee the United States in 2023. She was arrested at Miami International Airport with a one-way ticket to Vietnam, a country that notably has no extradition treaty with the United States. “That’s not how an innocent person acts,” Aronberg pointed out. Equally damning was Donna’s reaction to an FBI sting operation in 2016 known as “the bump,” where an undercover agent posed as an extortionist connected to the killers. Rather than discarding the extortion note or contacting police, Donna called her son Charlie and spoke in code about the “TV,” their apparent shorthand for the murder. Later, when Magbanua claimed the killers wanted $300,000, the Adelsons were allegedly willing to pay despite having been outraged at a fake $5,000 extortion attempt during the FBI sting. These inconsistencies, prosecutors believe, reveal a family deeply implicated in Markel’s murder.

The motive behind this elaborate murder plot, according to prosecutors, stems from a contentious divorce and custody dispute between Markel and Wendi Adelson. When Markel refused to allow Wendi to relocate with their children to South Florida, where her family lived, prosecutors allege that Donna and Charlie Adelson decided to permanently remove the obstacle Markel represented. In July 2014, as Markel returned home from the gym, he was ambushed and shot twice in the head. The murder shocked the legal community, where Markel had been a rising star and respected scholar. For years, speculation swirled about his former in-laws’ involvement, but building a case strong enough for criminal charges required patience and persistence from investigators and prosecutors alike.

The defense strategy will likely emphasize Donna’s age and grandmotherly appearance, attempting to portray her as a sympathetic figure incapable of orchestrating such a violent crime. Aronberg suggests she may claim she was simply being a supportive mother to her son, explaining why her money ended up in the killers’ hands. However, this approach failed for Charlie Adelson, and Aronberg believes it will fail for Donna as well. “She may hope jurors will see a frail grandmother, but she’s not sympathetic,” he observed, noting that her pre-trial testimony “did not go well.” Interestingly, Donna appears determined to seek complete exoneration rather than pursuing a lesser charge like accessory after the fact, a strategy that Aronberg considers misguided. “She thinks she can put one over on the jury. That didn’t work for Charlie, and it won’t work for her.”

One of the most intriguing aspects of the trial will be whether Wendi Adelson takes the stand. Though never charged in connection with her ex-husband’s murder, Wendi has been repeatedly named in court filings and has fought against being subpoenaed to testify at her mother’s trial, citing Fifth Amendment concerns. Aronberg expects she will ultimately testify under immunity if called by the prosecution. As for Donna herself, Aronberg believes she will testify in her own defense: “She really believes her story. But just like Charlie, she’ll learn the jury isn’t buying it.” For Dan Markel’s family and friends, who have endured nearly eleven years waiting for justice, this trial represents the potential closing of a painful chapter. While nothing can bring back the brilliant legal mind and devoted father who was murdered in his prime, the prosecution of Donna Adelson could finally answer the question of who ultimately ordered the hit that ended his life. As Aronberg promised, “It will be must-see TV. And I think justice will be done.”