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On November 13, 2023, Donna Adelson, a Broward periodontist, was apprehended in connection to an alleged murder-for-hire plot that reportedly took place about 10 years ago in Tallahassee.
Just a week before her arrest, on November 6, 2023, her 47-year-old son, Charlie Adelson, a dentist in Florida, was found guilty of allegedly murdering his former brother-in-law, Daniel Markel, a Florida State University law professor, in 2014. He was also found guilty of and charged with conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree murder, and solicitation to commit murder.
WCTV reported that as per the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Center inmate search, 73-year-old Donna Adelson was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on an out-of-county warrant.
Donna Adelson is the former mother-in-law of the late FSU professor
On July 18, 2014, Daniel Markel was found inside his car with two gunshot wounds to the head and passed away 14 hours later in the hospital. WTXL reported that, as per the police, Charlie Adelson hired hitmen to kill Daniel in 2014 in his Betton Hills residence during a child custody dispute between Daniel and his sister, Wendi Adelson.
As per ABC News, an investigation into the Adelson family soon began and in April 2016, investigators probed Donna Adelson as part of an undercover operation.
During the operation, an undercover FBI agent wearing a recording device posed as a blackmailer and the brother of one of the suspects and approached Donna as he demanded $5,000. As per the publication, the agent told Donna:
"He helped your family with this problem you guys had up north. He's going through some rough times and I want to make sure that you take care of what he's going through the way you're taking care of Katie and Tuto."
Donna told the undercover agent:
"I don't know what you're talking about."
ABC News reported that following their conversation, the agent gave her a press release of Daniel's murder along with a phone number to contact. Donna Adelson informed her son of the incident over a call that was secretly recorded by authorities. During the call, Charlie Adelson asked if the threat involved him or other people and she replied:
"Well, probably the both of us. You probably have a general idea what I'm talking about. So let's just find some time to talk to each other."
Tallahassee Democrat reported that, as per prosecutors, the post-divorce proceedings included a request by Daniel Markel to prohibit Donna from unsupervised visits with her grandchildren, which could also be a potential motive for the murder.
According to the report, Donna referred to Daniel as "Jibbers" in an email sent to her daughter in June 2013, after her request to relocate the children to Miami was declined. The email read:
"It's time to take control of your life and not let Jibbers think he's won anything by having you remain in Tallahassee, eight hours away from the only family you have. You can be a good actress when you want to. I've seen you in action. You need to put on the performance of your life. Jibbers hasn't beaten the Adelson family yet."
The report by Tallahassee Democrat mentioned that Donna Adelson was significantly involved in her son's eight-day trial, which included wiretaps with her son and emails and messages with her family that prosecutors presented. Despite the fact that she and her husband were initially noted as witnesses, the state and defense decided to dismiss them before the trial.
Who was found guilty of Daniel's murder?
Donna Adelson was the second member of the Adelson family to be charged with the murder of Daniel Markel.
WTXL reported that apart from Charlie Adelson, the three other people presently serving time include Katherine Magbanua, Sigfredo Garcia, and Luis Rivera. Tallahassee Democrat stated that Donna Adelson's arrest came just two days prior to a scheduled meeting of the Leon County grand jury, and the specific charges against her have not been announced yet.
