Case overview
Dan Markel, a law professor at Florida State University, was shot in the head inside his Tallahassee garage on July 18, 2014, and died the next day. Three men were eventually charged in connection with his murder, and investigators built their case largely on phone records, financial transactions, and travel logs that placed two suspects in Tallahassee on the day of the shooting. The motive, according to prosecutors, traced back to a bitter custody dispute involving Markel’s ex-wife and her family.
The victim and the timeline
Dan Markel was 41 years old, a tenured professor specializing in criminal law, and a father of two young sons. On the morning of July 18, 2014, he returned home from the gym around 11:00 a.m. A neighbor heard what sounded like a firecracker shortly after. When another neighbor noticed Markel’s car still running in the garage hours later, police were called. Officers found Markel slumped in the driver’s seat with a gunshot wound to the head. He was transported to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, where he died the following day.
The shooting appeared deliberate. The garage door had been left open, and there were no signs of forced entry or robbery. Markel’s wallet, phone, and belongings were untouched. Investigators determined this was not a random act.
The custody dispute
At the time of his death, Markel was involved in a contentious custody battle with his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, also an attorney and law professor. The two had divorced in 2013, and Adelson wanted to relocate with their sons to South Florida, where her family lived. Markel opposed the move, and a court ruled in his favor. The dispute remained unresolved at the time of the murder.
Adelson’s family, particularly her brother Charlie Adelson, became a focus of the investigation. Prosecutors alleged that members of the Adelson family orchestrated the murder to remove the obstacle preventing Wendi from moving closer to her parents. Wendi Adelson has not been charged and has denied any involvement or knowledge of a murder plot.
The arrests and the evidence
The first arrests came in 2016, more than two years after the murder. Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera were charged as the shooters. Rivera pleaded guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence and testified that Garcia recruited him for the job, that they drove from South Florida to Tallahassee, conducted surveillance on Markel’s home, and carried out the shooting. Rivera was sentenced to 19 years in prison.
Garcia went to trial in 2019 and was convicted of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Prosecutors presented phone records showing extensive contact between Garcia and Katherine Magbanua, his former girlfriend, in the days leading up to and following the murder. Magbanua had a romantic relationship with Charlie Adelson and worked at his dental practice.
Katherine Magbanua was charged as the intermediary who allegedly facilitated communication and payment between the Adelson family and the shooters. Her first trial in 2019 ended in a hung jury. She was retried in 2022, convicted of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation, and sentenced to life in prison. Magbanua maintained her innocence and denied any role in the murder.
The case against Charlie Adelson
Charlie Adelson was arrested in April 2022 and charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation. Prosecutors argued that he hired Garcia and Rivera through Magbanua and paid them for the killing. Evidence presented at trial included recorded conversations, financial transactions, and testimony from Rivera and undercover law enforcement.
One key piece of evidence was a 2016 conversation between Charlie Adelson and his mother, Donna Adelson, recorded by the FBI. In the conversation, they discussed a purported extortion attempt related to the murder. Prosecutors characterized the conversation as incriminating. Defense attorneys argued it was ambiguous and taken out of context.
Phone records showed frequent contact between Magbanua and Charlie Adelson in the days surrounding the murder. Bank records revealed that Charlie Adelson made cash withdrawals and payments to Magbanua following the killing. The defense maintained that the payments were for legitimate work and personal expenses unrelated to the crime.
Charlie Adelson was convicted in November 2023 of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. His legal team has filed appeals.
The investigation into Donna Adelson
Donna Adelson, Charlie’s mother, was arrested in November 2023 at Miami International Airport while attempting to board a one-way flight to Vietnam. Prosecutors alleged she was fleeing following her son’s conviction. She was charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation.
The FBI recording from 2016 became central to the case against her. In it, she and Charlie discussed how to respond to what they described as an extortion demand. Prosecutors argued the conversation reflected consciousness of guilt and advance knowledge of the murder plot. Donna Adelson’s defense argued that she was a mother responding to a perceived threat against her son and had no involvement in planning or financing the murder.
Donna Adelson was convicted in November 2024 of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation. She was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
What remains disputed
Despite the convictions, key questions remain unresolved. Defense attorneys for the Adelsons have argued that the state’s case relied heavily on circumstantial evidence and the testimony of Rivera, a convicted killer with a deal. No direct forensic evidence has been presented linking any of the Adelsons to the crime scene or the murder weapon, which was never recovered.
Wendi Adelson has not been charged. Prosecutors have described her as a person of interest but have not alleged she participated in planning or commissioning the murder. She testified during Charlie Adelson’s trial that she had no knowledge of any plot and was devastated by Markel’s death. Some observers have questioned why she has not been charged if her family members were convicted of orchestrating the murder to benefit her custody case. Prosecutors have not publicly addressed that question beyond stating that charges are based on available evidence.
The case has also raised broader questions about motive, coordination, and whether all parties involved have been identified. Rivera’s testimony provided the framework for the prosecution’s narrative, but critics have noted that his account has changed over time and that he had strong incentive to cooperate.
Where to look next
- Podcast: “Over My Dead Body” (Wondery)
- Documentary: “Tallahassee Trap” (Investigation Discovery)
- Book: “Extreme Punishment: The Chilling True Story of Acclaimed Law Professor Dan Markel’s Murder” by Steven B. Epstein
