Donna Adelson denies role in Markel murder, criticizes verdict, media
Adelson tearfully denied involvement in Markel’s murder and blamed trial location and media bias.
- Donna Adelson was sentenced to life in prison for the murder-for-hire of her former son-in-law, Dan Markel.
- During her sentencing, Adelson maintained her innocence and railed against the verdict, prompting the judge to note her “utter lack of remorse.”
- She is the fifth person convicted in the case, joining her son Charlie Adelson and three others who are also serving prison sentences.
Donna Adelson, who hoped to spend her golden years doting on her grandchildren, will instead spend her remaining days on earth in a prison cell in the murder-for-hire of her former son-in-law, Dan Markel.
After Adelson blasted the case against her in a lengthy statement that Leon Circuit Judge Stephen Everett warned showed “an utter lack of remorse,” he sentenced Adelson to life in prison — a punishment that was never in doubt given the fact that the state didn’t pursue the death penalty, leaving a mandatory life sentence as the only other option.
The 75-year-old Adelson, the matriarch of a once-prominent South Florida family, was found guilty Sept. 4 of first-degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation.
After an 11-day trial, jurors deliberated only three hours — the same amount of time it took a different jury to convict her son, Charlie Adelson, of the same charges in 2023.
After ruling against defense moves for a “downward departure” on the crimes of conspiracy and solicitation, Everett asked Donna Adelson to rise before he imposed his sentence.
“The level of planning and coordination to bring the murder of Professor Markel to fruition was definitely significant,” Everett said. “These were not crimes of chance or opportunity, and these crimes also required you to conspire with your son and others.”
Everett told Adelson that she can choose to deny her involvement and maintain her innocence. But he suggested he was unmoved by her denials.
“The court finds evidence in this case is clear,” Everett said.
When the sentence was finally handed down, Donna Adelson showed little if any emotion. This was in contrast to her emotional outburst after she was found guilty in September when she gasped and wept through the guilty verdict and victim impact statements.
Donna Adelson speaks; judge warns her ‘utter lack of remorse’ will be considered in sentencing
After deciding to stay silent during her trial, Donna Adelson delivered a tearful and strident statement to the court while seated next to her defense attorneys.
She called Markel’s death “a loss to his children, his parents, his sister, all of us in his family, his friends, his colleagues in the legal community & to his students at FSU law school. Danny’s boys each have a photo of themselves with their father, beside their beds …”
Donna Adelson said the state can’t make up its mind about who “the mastermind” was behind Dan Markel’s murder. She said prosecutors claimed Katherine Magbanua was the mastermind during her trial and that her son Charlie Adelson was the mastermind during his trial.
Donna Adelson sentenced to life in prison for Dan Markel murder
Donna Adelson was sentenced for Dan Markel murder, she was sentenced to life in prison in a Tallahassee courtroom.
“If I had become aware of this plan before Danny was murdered, I would have stopped it,” Donna Adelson said. Judge Everett broke in to caution Adelson he can take into account her “utter lack of remorse” when he sentences her.
Donna Adelson continued criticizing the state’s case, mentioning a juror who she said had inside information about a state’s witness. Everett broke in again to ask what her list of “grievances” had to do with her sentencing.
“What happened to Danny is unforgiveable, but I am an innocent woman convicted of this terrible crime without evidence,” Adelson said. She said her conviction was not “justice for Dan,” and said he would be “appalled at the total lack of justice that went on during my trial.”
“I swear to you on my life I was not involved in any way with Danny’s murder. I was not,” she said in closing.
After Donna Adelson’s remarks were done, her attorney Jackie Fulford previewed plans for a likely appeal, while disagreeing with the judge’s interpretation of her statement.
“Mrs. Adelson maintains her innocence … she may, she may not get another trial,” Jackie Fulford said. “Mrs. Adelson maintaining her innocence could not have shown more remorse …”
Harvey Adelson rails against judge and ‘biased’ trial
Before Donna spoke, Harvey Adelson, her husband, gave testimony that shocked court-watchers. He first thanked Judge Everett for allowing him to speak. “My wife sacrificed everything so she could pour her heart and soul into our children, our grandchildren and our marriage.”
Harvey Adelson blasts Donna Adelson trial, verdict in fiery speech
Dr. Harvey Adelson slammed the justice system and accuses the Markels of lying during his wife’s trial.
“She has done nothing wrong and yet is being punished for a crime that she did not commit,” Harvey Adelson said. He accused the judge and the jury of being “biased” by “years of one-sided news pieces and social media.”
Everett cut him off at one point. “Thank you for letting me continue,” Harvey Adelson said. “Donna did not participate in the heinous accts that she was convicted of doing. You’re sending an innocent woman to prison.”
“You have taken my wife and you have taken my life as well,” Harvey Adelson concluded.
She was the fifth person charged and convicted in Markel’s murder, following Charlie Adelson, a former periodontist, the two hired killers, Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera, and a go-between, Katherine Magbanua. All are now serving life sentences with the exception of Rivera, who got 19 years after fingering his co-conspirators.
Markel, a noted Florida State University law professor, was ambushed by one of the hitmen in the garage of his Trescott Drive home on July 18, 2014, after dropping off his two sons — Donna Adelson’s grandsons — at daycare and going to the gym.
The crime happened amid ongoing court battles between Markel and his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, Donna Adelson’s daughter and Charlie Adelson’s sister. A judge had denied a request by Wendi Adelson to allow her to move to South Florida with the boys to be closer to her family.
The Tallahassee Police Department and the FBI, using cellphone records, surveillance video from city buses, rental car receipts and other evidence, traced the crime to the two hit men, who were connected to the Adelson’s via Magbanua, Charlie Adelson’s former girlfriend.
Markel’s parents, Ruth and Phil Markel of Canada, who traveled to Tallahassee for the Adelson trials, watched Donna Adelson get sentenced to life via Zoom. They opted to give their victim impact statements in person in the courtroom after the guilty verdicts came in last month.
At the time, Ruth Markel called her son’s murder a “crime of cruelty” that was orchestrated by Donna Adelson and others.
“It is a murder of grief, a murder of selfishly prioritizing one’s own desires over what is just or right,” Ruth Markel said. “And at its core, this was a murder of convenience so that one grandmother could live closer to her grandchildren. She killed their father and ripped the children from the other grandparents.”
Friends of Donna Adelson, including Ron Gutterson and Annie Cunningham, both of whom testified for the defense, submitted letters to the court to share happier times they once had with her. Marian and Ted Shafman wrote to say they have known her for more than 50 years and called her a “loving, kind mother and wife.”
“Donna was intelligent, charismatic and sensitive to everyone,” they wrote. “She always listened to anyone’s problems and offered a helping hand when she could. Most notably, her genuine concern over our and others’ health issues was truly appreciated. As you can see, it is very difficult for us to view her as anybody other than the sweet, caring person we knew.”
Donna Adelson blows a kiss to husband before leaving the courtroom
Before Adelson was sentenced, Fulford asked Everett to consider a “downward departure” for her sentence on the conspiracy and solicitation convictions. She compared the actions of Rivera, whom she said “hunted” Markel the day of his murder, with that of Donna Adelson.
“The culpability levels are very different,” Fulford said.
Fulford asked Everett to sentence Adelson to only three years in prison on the conspiracy and solicitation counts. But the judge declined, saying it hadn’t been proven that Adelson was “a relatively minor participant” in the crime.
Donna Adelson blew a kiss to her husband Harvey Adelson, before deputies took her fingerprints and led her out of the courtroom.
Assistant State Attorney Georgia Cappleman, who has prosecuted each of the Markel murder defendants over the years, left the courtroom from a rear exit, avoiding reporters in the process.
Harvey Adelson declined to take questions from a Democrat journalist. Zelman, who said the defense would issue a press release on her sentencing, commented briefly as he boarded a courthouse elevator with Fulford.
“Unfortunately,” he said of the proceeding, “it was not unexpected.”
Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180.