Inside the Donna Adelson Case: How a Florida Grandmother Paid to Have Her Son-in-Law Killed

Florida grandmother Donna Adelson, 74, will spend the rest of her life behind bars after being found guilty of masterminding the cold-blooded murder of her former son-in-law, law professor Dan Markel.

The shocking murder-for-hire plot, born out of a bitter family custody battle, has haunted Florida for nearly a decade, a twisted saga of privilege, vengeance and betrayal that tore two families apart.

Prosecutors said Adelson bankrolled and helped arrange the hit, driven by fury over her daughter's divorce and a fight for access to her grandchildren. Markel was gunned down in his driveway in Tallahassee in 2014, a crime that prosecutors described as a 'family conspiracy wrapped in deceit.'

As the verdict was read, Adelson showed little emotion. But the courtroom fell silent at the chilling reality: this grandmother didn't just lose her freedom, she paid to take a man's life.

The case, which has gripped the nation, continues to raise a haunting question: how far would a mother go for revenge, and how much was Dan Markel's life worth?

A Custody Dispute That Turned Deadly

Markel, a respected Florida State University law professor, was shot in the head outside his Tallahassee home in July 2014. Investigators later connected the killing to a bitter custody dispute between Markel and his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, over their two young children.

The Adelson family, who lived in South Florida, reportedly wanted Wendi to move closer to them, but Markel opposed the relocation.

Prosecutors argued that this long-running dispute escalated into a conspiracy, with family members seeking to permanently remove the obstacle standing in the way of Wendi's move. What began as a family disagreement spiralled into one of Florida's most shocking murder-for-hire cases.

The $100,000 Murder Plot

Testimony from key witnesses, including hitman Luis Rivera, revealed that the agreed payment for Markel's killing was $100,000 (around £75,000). Rivera, who later cooperated with authorities, stated that he and fellow hitman Sigfredo Garcia were hired through Katherine Magbanua, a former girlfriend of Charlie Adelson, Donna's son.

Prosecutors argued that Donna and Charlie orchestrated the financial side of the plan, using Magbanua as the link to the hired killers.

Wiretaps, phone records, and bank transactions were presented as evidence to demonstrate the family's involvement. Although Donna's defence maintained that there was no direct proof she personally handed over the money, jurors found her guilty based on the weight of circumstantial and electronic evidence.

The payment, prosecutors said, was split between the two gunmen and intermediaries. The money trail became the backbone of the state's case, exposing how a family dispute transformed into a calculated assassination.

The Trial and Sentencing of Donna Adelson

In October 2025, Circuit Judge Stephen Everett sentenced Donna Adelson to life in prison for murder, with two additional 30-year sentences for conspiracy and solicitation to be served consecutively. During sentencing, the judge criticised her for showing what he described as an 'utter lack of remorse'.

Before the sentence was handed down, Adelson addressed the court, calling Markel 'a fine and decent man' and insisting she had been wrongfully convicted. She questioned the evidence presented at trial, repeatedly asking: 'Where is the proof?'

Her conviction made her the fifth person sentenced in connection with the murder. Her son, Charlie Adelson, is already serving a life sentence after being found guilty in 2023.

Katherine Magbanua, the go-between, and the two hitmen, Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera, are also serving lengthy prison terms.

Why the Case Shocked Florida

The Adelson–Markel case captured national attention because of its dramatic mix of privilege, obsession, and family breakdown. The murder exposed the dark underside of a custody dispute within an affluent family, revealing how wealth and influence were allegedly used to resolve personal grievances.

Prosecutors described the murder as an act of calculated desperation, while the defence painted Donna as a devoted mother manipulated by circumstances. Beyond the courtroom, the case inspired legislative reform in Florida, including the 'Markel Act', which clarified grandparent visitation rights in the wake of the tragedy.

More than a decade after the murder, the state of Florida continues to grapple with the repercussions of a plot born from family conflict, leaving lingering questions about the extent of each family member's involvement in the crime.