Ex-Mother-in-Law Convicted in Murder-for-Hire of FSU Professor

Donna Adelson, 76, was found guilty on September 4, 2025, of orchestrating the murder of Dan Markel, a law professor at Florida State University, in a case that exposed a deadly dispute over child custody and relocation rights.

Markel was shot twice in the head in his Tallahassee driveway in July 2014 and died the following day. The case remained unsolved for years before investigators uncovered an elaborate conspiracy involving multiple participants.

Circuit Judge Stephen Everett delivered guilty verdicts on all counts: first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and solicitation to commit first-degree murder. On October 13, 2025, Adelson was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole or release, with an additional 30 years imposed for the conspiracy and solicitation convictions.

The motive traced back to Adelson's daughter, Wendi Adelson, an attorney and Dan Markel's ex-wife. Wendi sought to relocate with their two children to South Florida, a move Markel opposed in court. He also filed a motion to prevent Donna Adelson from having unsupervised visits with the grandchildren, intensifying family tensions.

Investigators determined that Donna Adelson orchestrated the killing, setting in motion a chain of events that involved multiple co-conspirators. Her son, Charles Adelson, was also convicted and is serving a life sentence. Katherine Magbanua, Charles Adelson's ex-girlfriend, was convicted and is likewise serving life imprisonment. Two individuals who carried out the actual shooting—hitmen Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera—were also convicted in connection with the murder.