With every new facet of the Dan Markel murder case that drops, writers at true crime shows like “Smugshot” and “American Murder” must feel like kids who love candy do on the night before Halloween. As if murder-for-hire through a girlfriend, a book written by the wife of the deceased admitted as evidence in her mother’s murder trial, and a mother-in-law arrested at the airport just before she could board a flight to a country without extradition weren’t enough, the legal gods added a little more flavor to the courthouse stew.
On September 4, 2025, a jury returned guilty verdicts for Donna Adelson on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder for conspiring to hire hitmen to cause Dan Markel’s death in 2014. While sentencing looms for her role in her former son-in-law’s murder, Donna Adelson’s defense team asked for a new trial, based on the discovery that one of the jurors had posted on TikTok that she was selected for a case before the trial began, and others went on a podcast after the trial ended to talk about what happened.
Beating the long odds to win take two of the Donna Adelson murder trial makes for a better true crime story, but Leon County Circuit Judge Stephen Everett put an end to that legal pipe dream by denying the motion. Donna Adelson marks the fifth conviction for Markel’s contract killing, but she may not be the last. Prosecutors consider Markel’s ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, and Donna’s husband, Harvey Adelson, to be unindicted co-conspirators — so far.
Like Something Written by Joel and Ethan Coen
Things went very sour in the marriage between Florida State University (FSU) College of Law professor Markel and Wendi, who worked in FSU’s Public Interest Law Center. A bitter divorce in 2013 was followed by an equally rancorous relationship as the couple fought over the custody and raising of their two children. Wendi’s bid to move the kids to Miami, closer to the Adelson family, was denied by the court. Citing attempts to poison his relationship with his kids, her ex-husband filed motions to have Donna blocked from seeing the grandchildren alone.
That’s when things took a darker turn, with Donna Adelson acting as the alleged mastermind. Charlie Adelson, her son and Wendi’s brother, arranged for the hiring of Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera through his ex-girlfriend, Katherine Magbanua. The hitmen shot and killed Markel in his garage in Tallahassee on July 18, 2014. Through a “bump” operation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) obtained incriminating statements and evidence from Miriam and Charlie.
In separate trials, both Charlie and Garcia received life sentences for their roles in Markel’s murder. Rivera pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and testified against the others, including Donna. He received a 19-year sentence. Magbanau had a hung jury in her first trial, but received a life sentence along with two additional 30-year sentences in 2022. Her convictions were confirmed by a court of appeals in July 2025. She also testified against Donna.
Isn’t This How Other People Vacation as Well?
Arrested at an airport with her husband and one-way tickets to Vietnam, Donna chose not to take the stand in her own defense. Prosecution witnesses included jail cellmates of Donna’s who testified that she attempted to bribe them to lie on her behalf. After a 12-day trial, the jury convicted Donna on all counts in just three hours.
The motion filed to get another bite at the Donna Adelson trial apple was based on several counts of alleged juror misconduct. Before the opening statements began, one of the jurors posted on her TikTok account that she had been selected for a jury and was looking forward to “time off” from her regular life. Since she didn’t identify which jury she was part of or discuss the actual case in any way, Judge Everett was not moved. He also dismissed other jurors appearing on podcasts and CourtTV after the trial ended as non-violations, and specified that a juror watching Donna’s reaction to evidence and testimony during the trial was normal and acceptable.
With no other obvious path to acquittal and the high probability of a life sentence being handed down in the near future, the 75-year-old appears destined to spend the rest of her days behind bars. Hopefully, she’ll have TV privileges available when a documentary on her murder-for-hire saga is broadcast.
Related Resources
- What Is the Role of a Jury in a Criminal Case? (FindLaw’s Criminal Law Basics)
- Woman Accused of Facilitating Law Professor’s Denies Involvement (FindLaw’s Practice of Law)
- Attempt, Conspiracy, and Aiding (FindLaw’s Criminal Charges)
