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Donna Adelson, 75, the matriarch of a wealthy Miami family, was convicted Thursday of orchestrating the murder-for-hire plot that killed her former son-in-law, Florida State University law professor Daniel Markel, in 2014.
A jury found Adelson guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation, closing a chapter in a case that has gripped Florida for more than a decade with its mix of bitter custody disputes, family power struggles, and violence.
Markel, a respected legal scholar and observant Jew active in Tallahassee’s Jewish community, was shot outside his home after blocking his ex-wife Wendi Adelson’s attempt to relocate their children to South Florida. Prosecutors said Donna Adelson, furious over the custody ruling, helped arrange the hit when legal avenues failed.
At trial, prosecutors described her as the calculating matriarch of an affluent family with the means and motive to eliminate the man she “hated.” Defense attorneys countered that the evidence tied other family members to the killing but fell short of linking her directly.
When the guilty verdict was read in court, Adelson burst into tears and exclaimed, “Oh!” before shaking and crying.
She becomes the fifth person convicted in the case, joining her son Charles Adelson, who is serving a life sentence, along with ex-girlfriend Katherine Magbanua, hitman Sigfredo Garcia, and getaway driver Luis Rivera.
The trial also highlighted Adelson’s Jewish identity. Her attorneys requested an expedited schedule earlier this year to avoid conflicts with Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, reflecting her observance of the High Holidays.
Beyond the courtroom, Adelson had been a prominent civic figure. In May, she testified before the Senate Aging Committee as president of the Holocaust Survivors Foundation, where she advocated for the welfare of aging survivors.
Markel’s murder sent shockwaves through Tallahassee’s legal and Jewish communities. Friends recalled him as a devoted father, scholar, and mentor. For many, Thursday’s verdict closed one painful chapter but underscored the tragedy of a family feud that spiraled into violence.
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