More than ten years after Florida State University law professor Dan Markel was gunned down in his Tallahassee driveway, the alleged mastermind of the murder-for-hire plot… his ex-mother-in-law, Donna Adelson… is finally facing trial.
Markel, 41, a Harvard-educated scholar and father of two, was ambushed and shot twice in the head in 2014. At the time, he was in the midst of a bitter custody battle with his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, following their divorce the year prior. Prosecutors allege the motive was rooted in family tensions… and claim the Adelson family orchestrated the hit to “eliminate” Markel from Wendi’s life.
Donna Adelson, now 75, once enjoyed a lavish Miami lifestyle. Today, she faces charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation to commit murder. If convicted, she could spend the rest of her life behind bars.
Her trial follows convictions of four other conspirators, including her own son, whom prosecutors say helped arrange payment to the hired killers. Prosecutors describe Donna as the “overbearing matriarch” who pulled the strings behind the deadly plot.
Adelson has pleaded not guilty. Her attorneys argue there is no direct evidence tying her to funding or organizing the murder, insisting it was her son… not her… who handled the deal with the hit men. Adelson is expected to take the stand in her own defense.
This high-profile trial is more than a murder case… it’s a chilling story of family feuds, wealth, betrayal, and a professor’s life cut short. With the eyes of the nation watching, Donna Adelson’s fate now lies in the hands of a Florida jury.
