A Florida jury has convicted Donna Adelson of first-degree murder in the 2014 killing of her former son-in-law, Florida State University law professor Daniel Markel.
The verdict was announced Thursday after a weeks-long trial in Tallahassee. Adelson was also found guilty of conspiracy and solicitation in what prosecutors described as a murder-for-hire plot.
The decision marks the fifth conviction in the case. Donna Adelson’s son, Charles Adelson, a South Florida dentist, was convicted in November 2023 and is serving a life sentence. His ex-girlfriend, Katherine Magbanua, was also sentenced to life. Two hired gunmen, Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera, were convicted earlier. Rivera is serving 19 years after cooperating with prosecutors, while Garcia is serving life.
Wendi Adelson has denied involvement and has not been charged.
Markel was shot in the head in his garage on July 18, 2014, after dropping off his two young sons at day care. He died the next day. The killing followed a bitter custody battle between Markel and his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, Donna’s daughter.
The case drew national attention for more than a decade. Court records show that police suspected the Adelson family soon after the killing. In 2016, investigators linked the hitmen to Charles Adelson through Magbanua, who had children with Garcia. That year, the Adelson family released a public statement denying any role in the killing.
At trial, prosecutors argued that Donna Adelson helped arrange the murder because Markel had blocked her daughter’s request to move the children from Tallahassee to South Florida. Defense attorneys maintained there was no direct evidence linking her to the plot and argued the case rested on the actions of others.
Sentencing is expected at a later date, with a case management hearing set for Oct. 14.
