Legal Justice
Estranged son of Donna Adelson, charged with regulation prof’s homicide, known as as a authorities witness
August 27, 2025, 12:47 pm CDT
Authorities exhibit from the homicide trial of Donna Adelson. (Picture by the Tallahassee Democrat through the Related Press)
New York doctor Robert Adelson, the estranged son of homicide defendant Donna Adelson, testified about an uncommon cellphone name throughout his mom’s trial this week in Tallahassee, Florida, for the homicide of a regulation professor who was her former son-in-law.
It was the primary time Robert Adelson testified in any prosecutions within the case, one in every of which led to the November 2023 conviction of one other of Donna Adelson’s sons, dentist Charlie Adelson.
Donna Adelson is accused of in search of the homicide of Florida State College School of Regulation professor Dan Markel to permit her daughter Wendi Adelson, a lawyer who was Markel’s ex-wife, to relocate with the couple’s two youngsters from Tallahassee to be close to the household in Miami.
Robert Adelson testified Monday that his mom known as on his wedding ceremony anniversary, which was two days after the arrests of two alleged hit males, the primary arrests within the case. Publications protecting the testimony embody the Tallahassee Democrat (right here and right here) and WCTV.
Robert Adelson mentioned he thought of the arrests “large information” however his mom didn’t carry it up throughout the cellphone name. He lastly broached the subject, in accordance with the Tallahassee Democrat’s protection. “I mentioned it at the least two or 3 times—that they made an arrest, they acquired the man who killed Danny,” Robert Adelson testified. “And her response was, ‘I’ve acquired to go.’ ”
“That was the final time I spoke together with her,” he mentioned.
Robert Adelson additionally testified in regards to the household dynamic, in accordance with a information evaluation by the Tallahassee Democrat that labeled him “probably the most credible witness on the stand.”
“He testified Donna is controlling and inflexible with fastened concepts relating to her youngsters and their lives,” the newspaper stories. “He described his sister Wendi as performing like a ‘damsel in misery’ throughout the divorce.”
Donna Adelson permitted of Markel till Wendi Adelson left him, Robert Adelson testified. Donna Adelson helped her daughter and the kids go away whereas Markel was away for a talking engagement and was gleeful when her daughter advised Markel she had left simply earlier than he went on stage.
Wendi Adelson, who has not been charged, denied any involvement within the homicide, the Tallahassee Democrat stories in a separate story. In testimony on Monday, she described the authorized custody battle with Markel and her incapacity to get a choose to agree that she ought to be allowed to relocate with the kids. She additionally mentioned her brother Charlie Adelson had joked about hiring successful man to kill Markel.
Earlier within the day, an investigator testified that Markel had filed a March 2014 movement to forestall Donna Adelson from having unsupervised visits with the kids after they reportedly advised Markel that “Grandma says she hates you.”
A listening to on the movement by no means occurred as a result of Markel was killed beforehand.
Donna Adelson is the fifth individual prosecuted within the case. The final individual convicted was her son, Charlie Adelson. The alleged triggerman, Sigfredo Garcia, was convicted, and his alleged confederate, Luis Rivera, pleaded responsible to second-degree homicide. An alleged go-between accused of hiring the hit males for Charlie Adelson, Katherine Magbanua, was additionally convicted.
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