In 2014, a Florida dentist faced a shocking conviction for orchestrating a hitman plot to murder his former brother-in-law amid a custody dispute with his sister. On Monday, a Tallahassee jury found 47-year-old Charlie Adelson guilty on all charges related to the 2014 fatal shooting of 41-year-old Dan Markel, a beloved law professor at Florida State University.
The charges included first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and solicitation of first-degree murder.
The jury's three-hour deliberation culminated in Charlie Adelson's visible dismay as he mouthed a desperate "no" upon hearing the verdict. Prosecutors argued that he had masterminded the murder-for-hire plot on his younger sister's behalf, Wendi Adelson, in a case riddled with sensational twists and national intrigue.
After Wendi's divorce from Markel, she aspired to relocate to Miami with their two children to be closer to her family, a move that required her ex-husband's consent. Markel opposed her wishes. On the fateful morning of July 18, 2014, Markel was shot at point-blank range in the head upon returning home from dropping off his children at preschool and visiting the gym.
He sat in his Honda Accord in his Tallahassee garage, talking on the phone when the fatal shots rang out. Despite being rushed to a local hospital, Markel succumbed to his injuries 14 hours later, while Wendi has consistently denied any involvement in the murder and remained uncharged.
Prosecutors alleged that Charlie Adelson enlisted his then-girlfriend, Katherine "Katie" Magbanua, to contract the services of Sigfredo "Tuto" Garcia, the father of Magbanua's children, to carry out Markel's assassination. Garcia, the suspected triggerman, along with his longtime friend, Luis "Tato" Rivera, was involved in the plot.
They drove to Tallahassee from Miami in a rented vehicle. In 2019, Garcia was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, along with an additional 30 years for conspiracy. Rivera, a former Latin King gang leader, entered a guilty plea in 2016 for second-degree murder as part of a plea deal.
In 2022, Magbanua was sentenced to life in prison following her conviction on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation to commit murder, despite a prior hung jury trial. She is presently pursuing an appeal.
Throughout the trial, Charlie Adelson took the stand, testifying that he played no role in Markel's murder. He and his legal team asserted that his ex-girlfriend and the two men had conspired without his knowledge, subsequently extorting him.
When questioned during his testimony about whether he would ever separate his nephews from their father, Charlie emphatically replied, "Never in a million years." Additionally, he claimed to have no knowledge of Rivera's identity until his arrest.
According to Charlie's testimony, Magbanua informed him that her ex-husband and his friend had executed Markel, demanding over $300,000 within 48 hours, threatening his life.
Markel's family expressed relief at the verdict, as Shelly Markel, his sister, shared, "This has been a really long and terrible ordeal for all of us. It’s taken a long toll on our lives. And there’s a real sense of relief today."
Charlie Adelson now faces the possibility of a life sentence in prison.
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