Dan Markel murder: Case explored as Katherine Magbanua is sentenced to life in prison for aiding execution of FSU law professor

Katherine Magbanua, the South Florida woman involved in the murder conspiracy of Dan Markel, a law professor at Florida State University, was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Friday, July 29, 2022.

Magbanua, 38, was found guilty of aiding the 2014 assassination of Dan Markel, 41. She wasn't personally involved, but, according to the prosecution, she was a crucial link between the main plotter, her ex-boyfriend Charlie Adelson, and the gunmen. She was indicted for first-degree murder, as well as solicitation and conspiracy.

Although Tara Kawass, Magbanua's attorney, requested the jury for a lighter punishment while reading Magbanua's statement in court, the court still gave her a life sentence without the possibility of probation or parole along with two consecutive 30-year prison terms.

Kawass said in court:

“She does think about Dan Markel every single day, She does think about his kids every single day. … Not a day goes by that she’s doesn’t express how her heart is broken for the Markel family. One thing that I can say that Ms. Magbanua hopes and prays for is that justice is ongoing and has not been reached in this case, and she wants each and every person who had a hand in this and knows something about this to be brought to justice.”

Kawass claimed that her client was falsely accused in the case as pnly the Adelsons were responsible for the murder. She also called out the investigation done by the authorities, claiming that a piece of evidence presented in court, an audio recording between Charlie Adelson and Magbanua, was one-sided.

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How was Dan Markel killed?

Apart from being a law professor at Florida State University, Markel was also a prominent lawyer. He was married to his fellow FSU professor Wendi Adelson and had a son with her. However, his subsequent divorce from Wendi and the legal battle for custody of their son eventually led to his murder.

Authorities told the court that Wendi’s brother Charlie Adelson wanted to kill Markel and asked his then-girlfriend, Magbanua, to find a hitman. She chose the father of her children, Sigfredo Garcia, for the job and arranged a meeting between the two parties. Both men have already been indicted for their crimes.

Dan Markel was shot twice in the face by Garcia in his driveway on July 18, 2014. He died the next day.

An affidavit filed by the police gave details about Markel's execution. It states:

“Investigators believe the suspects in the Prius followed the victim throughout the morning and back to this residence, where the victim was shot in the head as he sat in his car. Markel’s neighbor heard what he believed to be a gunshot and looked out the window, where he saw a small silver or light-colored vehicle, resembling a Prius, backing out of the victim’s driveway."

Wendi Adelson, Markel's ex-wife and Charlie Adelson's sister, also testified in court in return for immunity from the case.