Donna Adelson, the 75-year-old matriarch of a prominent Florida family, has been sentenced to life in prison for orchestrating the 2014 murder-for-hire killing of her former son-in-law, Florida State University law professor Daniel Markel.
On Monday, Oct. 13, Adelson stood before a Tallahassee courtroom as Circuit Judge Stephen Everett handed down a life sentence, following her September 4 conviction on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder. The verdict marked the final chapter in a case that has gripped Florida for more than a decade, intertwining family conflict, revenge, and tragedy.
Markel, 41, was gunned down in his car outside his Tallahassee home in July 2014, just moments after dropping off his children at preschool. He was shot twice in the head at point-blank range and died in the hospital 14 hours later. The attack, investigators later revealed, stemmed from a bitter custody dispute between Markel and his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, Donna’s daughter. A judge had denied Wendi’s request to relocate their children from Tallahassee to South Florida — a move her family had strongly desired.
Appearing in court on Monday shackled and wearing a purple jumpsuit, Adelson remained calm as the sentence was read. Her demeanor did not waver, even as the judge accused her of showing “an utter lack of remorse.”
“You certainly can choose to deny your involvement and maintain innocence,” Judge Everett said. “The court finds the evidence in this case is clear.”
Before her sentencing, Adelson addressed the courtroom, insisting she had no role in Markel’s death. “If I had become aware of this plan before Danny was murdered, I would have stopped it,” she said, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. “What happened to Danny is unforgivable. But I am an innocent woman convicted of this terrible crime without evidence.”
She continued, “I swear to you on my life I was not involved in any way with Danny’s murder. I was not.”
Despite her claims, prosecutors argued that Adelson was the mastermind behind the killing — motivated by anger and frustration over the family court’s custody ruling. The state maintained that she helped coordinate payments and supported the plot that ultimately ended Markel’s life.
Adelson was arrested in November 2023, years after investigators uncovered evidence linking her and her son, Charlie Adelson, to the conspiracy. Charlie Adelson, 47, was convicted in 2023 of the same charges and is serving a life sentence. His former girlfriend, Katherine Magbanua, was also found guilty for her role in connecting the family to the hired killers.
The two men who carried out the hit — Latin Kings gang leader Luis Rivera and his associate Sigfredo Garcia — were both convicted and sentenced to prison. Rivera received a 19-year sentence after cooperating with authorities, while Garcia was sentenced to life.
Markel’s death left a lasting mark on the Tallahassee community and the broader legal world, sparking debates over justice, privilege, and family conflict. For the Adelsons, once seen as a successful and respected family, the case has become a cautionary tale of how obsession and resentment can spiral into irreversible tragedy.
