Donna Adelson Becomes Fifth Convicted in Daniel Markel Murder-for-Hire Plot

Tallahassee, Florida – Donna Adelson, 75, was convicted on Thursday, September 4, 2025, for her role in the 2014 murder-for-hire plot that resulted in the death of her former son-in-law, Florida State University law professor Daniel Markel. Following the jury's verdict of guilty on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation, Adelson was seen weeping in court, prompting Judge Stephen Everett to instruct her to control herself. She is the fifth individual to be convicted in the decade-long case.

Prosecutors alleged that Adelson orchestrated the killing of Daniel Markel after he refused to allow her daughter, Wendi Adelson, to move from Tallahassee to South Florida with their two children amidst a bitter custody dispute. According to CNN, "At trial, prosecutors had painted Donna Adelson as the calculated and controlling matriarch of an affluent South Florida family with the means and motive to orchestrate the killing of the ex-son-in-law she hated."

The conviction of Donna Adelson follows those of four other individuals involved in the plot. Her son, Charles Adelson, is currently serving a life sentence for his involvement. Katherine Magbanua, Charles Adelson's ex-girlfriend, who prosecutors identified as the go-between, is also serving a life sentence. The two men hired to carry out the killing, Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera, received sentences of life in prison and 19 years, respectively, with Rivera cooperating with the state.

Daniel Markel, a prominent legal scholar at Florida State University, was fatally shot in his driveway in July 2014 and succumbed to his injuries 14 hours later. Donna Adelson was arrested in November 2023 at Miami International Airport, reportedly attempting to board a one-way flight to Vietnam, a country without an extradition treaty with the U.S.

During the dramatic courtroom proceedings, Adelson's emotional outburst led Judge Everett to briefly remove the jury. Markel's parents expressed their hope for a lengthy sentence for Adelson, with his father, Phil Markel, reportedly asking her, "Was it worth it?" A sentencing date for Donna Adelson has not yet been set.