In 3 hours, jury finds Donna Adelson guilty of murder

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In 3 hours, jury finds Donna Adelson responsible…

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In 3 hours, jury finds Donna Adelson responsible of homicide

By Debra Cassens Weiss

September 4, 2025, 10:43 am CDT

Up to date: Donna Adelson, the previous mother-in-law of Dan Markel, was discovered responsible Thursday of murdering the Florida State College Faculty of Legislation professor.

Adelson, 75, is convicted of first-degree homicide, conspiracy and solicitation, the Tallahassee Democrat studies. The jury deliberated for 3 hours, in response to WCTV. She faces a life sentence in jail.

Markel, who was murdered in 2014, was divorced from Adelson’s daughter, Wendi Adelson. That they had two kids.

On Thursday morning, the protection introduced Donna Adelson wouldn’t testify. However it took her some time to determine.

Decide Stephen Everett of Leon County, Florida, inspired her to make up her thoughts with two timeouts to consider it after which a risk of contempt if she didn’t determine, the Tallahassee Democrat reported.

On Wednesday, the protection introduced testimony downplaying the contentiousness of the custody battle between Markel and Wendi Adelson, the Tallahassee Democrat studies in a separate story. Prosecutors have alleged the motive for the homicide was the Adelson household’s “determined want” to maneuver Wendi Adelson from Tallahassee to South Florida.

Donna Adelson’s son, Charlie Adelson, was convicted of homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide and solicitation of homicide in November 2023 after testifying he was the sufferer of an extortion try quite than a perpetrator who employed two hit males to kill Markel. Wendi Adelson has not been charged.

Her former divorce lawyer, Kristin Adamson, testified Wednesday that the divorce was “routine” and “amicable,” in response to the Tallahassee Democrat protection. Relatively than characterizing the custody dispute as a “battle,” Adamson mentioned it was “a relocation case” with a “run of the mill” parenting concern.

Adamson mentioned she stepped down from the case after Markel’s post-divorce court docket filings grew to become private, Courtroom TV studies. Markel had claimed his ex-wife dedicated fraud by failing to reveal retirement accounts and that each Wendi Adelson and Adamson must be disbarred. Adamson defined she withdrew as a result of she may very well be a future witness on Wendi Adelson’s behalf, however she has withdrawn from circumstances on that floor earlier than.

Assistant State Legal professional Sarah Kathryn Dugan requested Adamson whether or not the homicide of a divorce litigant occurs fairly often.

“We’ve had just a few individuals get murdered,” Adamson mentioned. “And I’ve had just a few suicides. However it’s uncommon, and I keep in mind all of them.”

The protection started presenting its case on Tuesday. The primary witness, Anne Elizabeth Cunningham, mentioned she spoke with Donna Adelson on the day Markel was killed.

“Donna was fairly hysterical” and anxious in regards to the security of Wendi Adelson and her grandsons, Cunningham mentioned.

In earlier testimony for the prosecution, two jailhouse informants testified that Donna Adelson supplied them a grand piano, a trailer and different items in alternate for testimony that Charlie Adelson was the sufferer of extortion.

Additionally in earlier testimony, Donna Adelson’s estranged son, New York doctor Robert Adelson, testified that Donna Adelson prevented any dialogue of the arrest of two alleged hit males in a telephone name that occurred two days later. “That was the final time I spoke together with her,” he mentioned.

Protection lawyer Jackie Fulford advised jurors that Donna Adelson is “a meddler, not a assassin,” in response to reside updates by the Tallahassee Democrat on Thursday.

The protection pointed to a recording of Wendi Adelson informing her mom that Markel had been shot. Donna Adelson’s voice was elevated and she or he confirmed concern as she requested for particulars, Fulford mentioned. “This isn’t anyone who has deliberate for him to be killed,” she advised jurors.

No witness linked Donna Adelson to the homicide, and there was no proof she did something till after the homicide, Fulford mentioned.

Within the prosecution’s closing argument, Assistant State Legal professional Georgia Cappleman mentioned Donna Adelson “micromanaged” her daughter’s life, and when she couldn’t accomplish one thing, she turned to her son Charlie Adelson. Prosecutors have mentioned Charlie Adelson enlisted his girlfriend, Katherine Magbanua, to rent the hit males, one among whom was the daddy of her kids.

Magbanua had complained the cash she obtained from Charlie Adelson was moist and moldy, and he mentioned that was as a result of his mom had washed it, Cappleman mentioned. Additionally, checks written to Magbanua from the household dental observe had been signed by Donna Adelson, the prosecutor advised jurors.

Cappleman additionally commented that Donna Adelson referred to as Charlie after a “bump” operation by which an undercover FBI agent approached Donna Adelson and gave her a newspaper article about Markel, in response to the Tallahassee Democrat and WCTV. The article had $5,000 written on it together with a telephone quantity.

Donna Adelson advised her son she was hand delivered “some paperwork” they usually needed to communicate in particular person, in response to proof at Charlie Adelson’s trial.

When Charlie Adelson requested who it concerned, Donna Adelson replied, “Effectively, most likely each of us.”

Donna Adelson has waived her proper for jurors to contemplate lesser and included expenses. A jury of eight males and 6 girls, together with two alternates, started deliberations Thursday afternoon, in response to the Tallahassee Democrat.

See additionally:

Prosecutors’ Pursuit: A timeline of the Dan Markel homicide trials and convictions

Up to date Sept. 4 at 7:21 p.m. to incorporate new details about the jury verdict.

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