The Dan Markel murder case is getting more twisted with every passing day. In recent news, a new suspect named Donna Adelson has been arrested. According to USA Today, she also had a part to play in the murder of the 41-year-old attorney/law professor.
The 73-year-old woman is the mother of Charlie Adelson. Charlie is a 47-year-old dentist from Fort Lauderdale who is currently awaiting sentencing for murder, conspiracy, and solicitation in Markel’s murder.
Furthermore, Charlie Adelson was Dan Markel’s ex-brother-in-law. His mother, Donna is the second person from the Adelson family to be changed in connection with the murder. In total, officials charged five people in the case. Apart from Charlie and Donna Adelson, the others involved were Luis Rivera, Sigfredo Garcia, and Katherine Magbanua.
According to Tallahassee Democrat, which is a part of USA TODAY Network, Donna and her husband Harvey were arrested at Miami International Airport. They were trying to escape the country as they had one-way plane tickets to Vietnam. The flight was supposed to make a stop in Dubai.
Following the arrest of Donna Adelson, State Attorney Jack Campbell released a statement that said, “That’s what forced our hand. We started talking to some of our law enforcement partners about the complexities of trying to bring someone back from either Dubai or Vietnam.”
He further added, “And that might be a very complicated and lengthy process. So that’s why we had to make a decision quickly.”
How Was Dan Markel Murdered?
On July 18, 2014, 41-year-old Dan Markel was stalked and followed by Luis Rivera and Sigfredo Garcia. Rivera was the leader of a gang called Latin Kings, while Garcia was his childhood friend. On the day of the murder, Markel first dropped his sons at Creative Preschool and then spent one and a half hours in a gym called Premiere Fitness.
He then returned to his home in Trescott Drive, which was situated in Betton Hills. Luis Rivera and Sigfredo Garcia rented a Toyota Prius and came all the way from Miami to terminate the attorney/law professor.
According to According to Rivera’s testimony, it was Garcia who shot Markel. His statement said, “As soon as we pulled in, Garcia jumped out and went behind his car to the driver’s side and shot him. Twice.”
A neighbor of Markel spotted him in his garage and called 911. The ambulance arrived but it took close to 20 minutes. They took him to Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare. However, he soon succumbed to his injuries. He has been shot twice. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, Charlie Adelson paid the two gangsters $100,000 to take Markel’s life. They furthermore split the money with Katherine Magbanua. Magbanua was the mother of Garcia’s children.
While Charlie Adelson is still awaiting sentencing, Luis Rivera, Sigfredo Garcia, and Katherine Magbanua have already been sent to prison. The court sentenced Rivera to 19 years in jail while his partner Sigfredo Garcia will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Katherine Magbanua was sentenced to life in prison plus two consecutive 30-year sentences.
