Felony Justice
Donna Adelson was ‘matriarch mastermind’ in regulation prof’s homicide, however others could possibly be charged, jury foreperson speculates
September 8, 2025, 2:21 pm CDT
Donna Adelson, who’s charged within the 2014 murder-for-hire of Florida State College regulation professor Dan Markel, listens to potential jurors reply questions through the first day of jury choice Aug. 19, 2025, in Tallahassee, Florida. (Picture by Alicia Devine/The Tallahassee Democrat through the Related Press)
The foreperson of the Florida jury that convicted Donna Adelson, the previous mother-in-law of Dan Markel, a Florida regulation professor, on Thursday within the July 2014 homicide of her former son-in-law is speaking concerning the case in TikTok movies and responses to commenters.
The foreperson known as Adelson the “matriarch mastermind” within the homicide of Markel, a professor on the Florida State College Faculty of Legislation, and speculated about attainable new expenses within the case, the Tallahassee Democrat stories.
Jurors convicted Adelson, 75, after solely three hours of deliberations on expenses of of first-degree homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide and solicitation to commit homicide.
Prosecutors stated she helped plan the homicide, in order that her daughter Wendi Adelson, Markel’s ex-wife, might transfer from Tallahassee, Florida, to South Florida with the couple’s two kids. Wendi Adelson was concerned in a custody battle with Markel; she has not been charged within the case.
Adelson’s conviction adopted the November 2023 conviction of her son Charlie Adelson on the identical three expenses for hiring hit males to hold out the homicide.
The Tallahassee Democrat seen a TikTok video and confirmed the individual’s jury service by way of court docket data and visible identification. The newspaper printed some viewer questions together with the foreperson’s solutions.
Requested what proof persuaded her to convict, the foreperson replied that “there was sooo a lot.” Among the many proof: testimony by Donna Adelson’s estranged son Robert Adelson, who testified that his mom averted speaking concerning the case after the arrests of the alleged hitmen, and testimony by an inmate who stated Donna Adelson requested her to falsely testify that Charlie Adelson was the sufferer of extortion by two males who killed Markel. The inmate stated Donna Adelson wrote out a script for her to comply with.
The foreperson additionally referred to Donna Adelson’s communications. “All of her emails, texts, calls point out how energy hungry she was—she meant it when she stated that Daniel Markel wasn’t going to beat the Adelson household,” the foreperson stated.
The foreperson was additionally requested for ideas about attainable involvement by Wendi Adelson, who was a lawyer and in addition a professor at Florida State College.
The foreperson stated in her opinion, Wendi Adelson “was a part of this indirectly, form or kind. She insulated herself from the co-conspirators means too nicely. She performs ‘dumb’ so nicely.”
The foreperson thought that Wendi Adelson tried to arrange a boyfriend “to maintain her household out of the sunshine. I feel the state goes to do all the things they’ll to cost her with one thing. … I simply want we knew when!”
The foreperson additionally talked about the potential for accent expenses in opposition to Donna Adelson’s husband, Harvey Adelson.
The Tallahassee Democrat identified that neither Wendi Adelson nor Harvey Adelson have been implicated in Markel’s homicide.
The foreperson’s point out of the boyfriend was a reference to Jeffrey Lacasse, who testified that he dated Wendi Adelson in 2013 and 2014, and he or she as soon as instructed him that her brother had appeared into hiring a success man to kill Markel.
Lacasse testified that Wendi Adelson requested him about his journey plans for July 18, 2014, and he didn’t know why she needed particulars as a result of the connection was on the rocks, WCTV beforehand reported. Prosecutor Georgia Cappleman identified that Markel was murdered the identical day, and Lacasse’s journey to Atlanta was “per how the killers fled city.”
Wendi Adelson has constantly denied involvement within the homicide, Unique Jurisdiction stories in a narrative on the foreperson’s feedback. The story additionally famous feedback by Steven Epstein, the creator of a ebook on the homicide known as Excessive Punishment: The Chilling True Story of Acclaimed Legislation Professor Dan Markel’s Homicide.
“It appears to me that the prosecutors went out of their approach to unveil new nuggets of proof throughout this trial intentionally supposed to incriminate Wendi,” Epstein stated. “Assuming they do cost Wendi, it will likely be by far their most tough case but, as there may be comparatively a lot much less proof pointing to her involvement than Donna’s and Charlie’s—in addition to numerous items of proof [Wendi Adelson’s lawyer] John Lauro will level to that seem at face worth to be the alternative of consciousness of guilt.”
Epstein stated it doesn’t seem that prosecutors “have the identical zeal to go after Harvey,” who attended the trial and didn’t get “even a farewell hug from Donna as she was whisked away” following the responsible verdict.
After the decision, reporters requested Cappleman whether or not anybody else shall be charged, the Tallahassee Democrat stories.
“Do we have to keep tuned?” one reporter requested, which was a reference to a remark Cappleman made after Charlie Adelson’s responsible verdict.
“You possibly can say ‘keep tuned,’” Cappleman replied.
@laceywithaj Now that trial is over, I’m free to speak all about this, per Choose Everett. My thoughts is simply completely blown. I used to be summoned and chosen to serve on the jury of the #donnaadelsontrial and I used to be capable of lead deliberations and ship the decision to the decide because the jury foreperson. I assumed it was an important studying expertise and a really wild first jury expertise. #Adelson #DonnaAdelson #guiltyascharged ♬ unique sound – ✨J✨
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