Ex-Mother-in-Law Convicted in Murder-for-Hire Plot of Law Professor

The complex murder-for-hire plot that led to the death of Florida State University law professor Dan Markel has concluded with the convictions of his ex-wife's mother and brother. Donna Adelson was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation to commit murder in September 2025. Her son, Charlie Adelson, was convicted of the same charges in November 2023. Both have been sentenced to life in prison.

Markel was shot and killed in the garage of his Tallahassee home on July 18, 2014, and died the following day. The crime occurred after a bitter divorce and custody dispute with his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, who is the daughter of Donna Adelson and sister of Charlie Adelson. Prosecutors argued that the custody battle, specifically Markel's refusal to allow Wendi to move their two young sons to South Florida, served as the catalyst for the murder-for-hire scheme.

According to trial evidence, Charlie Adelson arranged for Markel's killing through his then-girlfriend, Katherine Magbanua. Magbanua, in turn, allegedly connected him to Sigfredo Garcia, the father of her children, and Garcia's friend Luis Rivera, who carried out the shooting. Garcia was convicted of first-degree murder, and Rivera pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and cooperated with prosecutors, receiving a 19-year sentence.

Investigators spent years piecing together the case, utilizing cellphone records, surveillance footage, financial data, and secretly recorded conversations. Producer Lily Fletcher described the killer's actions as "like a shark circling," noting surveillance footage showed a vehicle waiting for Markel outside his gym on the day of the attack. Fletcher also highlighted the significance of hundreds of wiretapped phone calls involving the Adelson family, which she believes provided a crucial window into their actions and attitudes.

"The brazen way with which the family was continuing their lives during the investigation, really believing that they'd got away from it, was very disturbing," Fletcher told Fox News Digital. "They really thought that they were above the law."

During Charlie Adelson's trial, he testified that he was not involved in the killing and claimed Magbanua informed him her friends were the perpetrators. He also stated he was told he owed over $300,000 within 48 hours or he would be killed.

Wendi Adelson has not been charged in connection with the murder and has maintained her innocence. Fletcher suggested that Wendi may not have been aware of her family's plot.

"I imagine a scenario in which Wendi's family did this without her knowledge," Fletcher said. "The meddling and the way they're speaking about Wendi and making decisions for her life, I felt that to be obviously really damning for them about their involvement in the case."

The case is the subject of the docuseries "Welcome to the Family: The Murder of Dan Markel," now streaming on Hulu.