Donna Adelson, the 75-year-old matriarch of a prominent South Florida family, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for orchestrating the 2014 murder-for-hire of her former son-in-law, Florida State University law professor Daniel “Dan” Markel.
The sentence, handed down Monday in a Tallahassee courtroom, follows Adelson’s September conviction on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation. She also received an additional 30 years each on the latter two charges, to be served consecutively, ensuring she will spend the rest of her life behind bars.
Prosecutors said Adelson helped plan Markel’s killing after he blocked her daughter, Wendi Adelson, from relocating their two children to South Florida during a bitter custody dispute. They described Donna as the calculating and controlling matriarch who had both the motive and the means to eliminate Markel, calling her the “driving force” behind the murder plot.
Markel, 41, was shot to death in his driveway in July 2014 in Tallahassee. His killing sparked an 11-year investigation that exposed a tangled web of family resentment, wealth, and revenge.
Courtroom Drama and Denial
During her sentencing, Adelson maintained her innocence, calling her conviction a “miscarriage of justice” and blaming the media and jury bias.
“I am an innocent woman convicted of a terrible crime without evidence,” she said tearfully.
Circuit Judge Stephen Everett interrupted her multiple times, citing an “utter lack of remorse” before imposing the maximum sentence.
Adelson’s son, Charles Adelson, and his former girlfriend, Katherine Magbanua, are already serving life sentences for their roles in the murder, while gunman Sigfredo Garcia is also serving life. An accomplice, Luis Rivera, received 19 years after testifying for the state.
A Decade-Long Pursuit of Justice
The case, which has captivated Florida for more than a decade, began when investigators traced a murder-for-hire plot back to the Adelson family through wiretaps and financial records. Donna Adelson was arrested in November 2023 at Miami International Airport while attempting to board a one-way flight to Vietnam, a country with no extradition treaty with the U.S.
Markel’s mother, Ruth Markel, delivered an emotional statement after sentencing:
“For 11 years, we have lived with unimaginable pain. My son’s life was stolen, and justice has finally been served.”
