A Florida grandmother who was the mastermind behind the murder of her former son-in-law has been sentenced to life in prison. She has faced condemnation for her apparent “utter lack of remorse” while still asserting her innocence.
Donna Adelson, 75, was convicted last month for her role in the 2014 murder of Daniel Markel, a well-known law professor at Florida State University, during a nasty custody dispute with her daughter, Wendi Adelson.
On Monday, she received a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the murder, along with an additional 30 years for conspiracy and solicitation charges. Her son, Charlie Adelson, was similarly convicted in 2023.
In a statement delivered in a Tallahassee courtroom before her sentencing, Adelson maintained her innocence.
“What happened to Danny is unforgivable. But I am an innocent woman convicted of this terrible crime without evidence,” she stated through quiet tears, as reported by the Tallahassee Democrat.
“If I had known about this plan before Danny’s murder, I would have put a stop to it,” she added.
Judge Stephen Everett interjected multiple times during her statement, reminding her that her “utter lack of remorse” would factor into her sentencing.
“The degree of planning and organization involved in bringing about Professor Markel’s murder was quite significant,” Everett stated. “These were not crimes committed by chance, and they required conspiracy with your son and others.”
Adelson remained composed as the judge announced her life sentence, a stark contrast to her emotional outburst of disbelief and sobbing when she was convicted on September 4.
Markel was shot in the head at his residence in July 2014, amidst his contentious custody dispute with Wendi Adelson.
Prosecutors argued that Donna Adelson, who comes from a prominent and wealthy family in South Florida, held the means and motive to orchestrate Markel’s murder, which she allegedly “hated.”
Markel’s murder remained unsolved for nearly ten years until Adelson’s son, Dr. Charlie Adelson, was arrested in April 2022.
Charlie Adelson and his then-girlfriend, Katherine Magbanua, were the ones who hired two men—Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera—to carry out the murder of Markel.
Garcia and Rivera, affiliated with the notorious Latin Kings gang, stalked Markel before following him back to his home and shooting him.
Garcia has been found guilty of being the shooter and is now serving a life sentence, while Rivera accepted a plea deal and is serving 19 years in prison.
Both Magbanua and Charlie Adelson were convicted for their roles in the murder-for-hire scheme and have been sentenced to life behind bars.
In contrast, Wendi Adelson has denied any involvement in her ex-husband’s death and has not faced charges in connection to the case.
