TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Court TV) — The elderly Florida woman awaiting trial for the murder of her former son-in-law has been moved to protective custody.
Donna Adelson reported that a fellow inmate assaulted her in conjunction with an attempt to extort her.
Donna Adelson appears in court for a final pretrial hearing ahead of her murder trial. (Court TV)
Shonda Knight, Executive Director of Community and Media Relations for the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, told Court TV, “I can confirm that Mrs. Adelson is currently in protective custody as a result of her complaint.”
According to Knight, Adelson, 75, reported on Feb. 3 that another inmate had grabbed her by the arm in the bathroom area of the Leon County Detention Facility back in December.
Court TV has obtained a copy of a motion for an Arthur hearing which Donna filed last Friday, Feb. 7. An Arthur hearing is a legal proceeding unique to Florida in which a defendant accused of a non-bondable offense can petition the judge to set bail despite the severity of their alleged crimes.
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The filing details reasons why Donna believes she should be released while awaiting trial. It provides a window into her day-to-day life in jail, details her health concerns, and gives more insight into the abuse she’s allegedly been subjected to at the hands of other inmates.
In the motion, Donna’s lawyers cite their client’s advanced age coupled with lack of sleep and the harsh conditions of confinement. They also state that medical personnel at the Leon County Detention Facility are not equipped to handle other health concerns such as hearing problems. They say she was under the care of an ENT prior to incarceration, and regularly needs her ears cleaned out with special equipment that the jail doesn’t have.
L to R: Donna Adelson, Charlie Adelson. (Leon County Sheriff’s Office)
They also say that the detention facility cannot properly treat preexisting pain in Donna’s back and legs. In addition, the motion details Donna’s struggle to breathe. Her lawyers have noted that her labored breathing makes it difficult to hear her over the phone. The filing also states that on Feb. 1, Donna sustained a deep gash after bumping into a washing machine after cutting herself on a rusted metal bar. A visit to the nurse didn’t get her so much as a band-aid. She finally made it to the medical facility on Feb. 3, when the wound was properly cleaned and she received a tetanus shot.
Physical abuse Donna endured allegedly began with an attack by a fellow inmate in the shower. Donna thought she was alone when she suddenly felt a hand run up her spine. In another instance, an inmate slammed Donna from behind, knocking her into the frame of her bunk bed. According to records, the most frightening incident happened on Oct. 7, 2024. Donna was leaning on a sink brushing her teeth when her arm was violently jerked by a much larger inmate who demanded Donna get canteen items for her.
The aggressor apparently instructed Donna on what she wanted from canteen on a weekly basis. Donna’s husband, Harvey Adelson, had to order the canteen packages on her behalf. Donna’s attorneys say Harvey has spent $1,150 on canteen for the aggressor alone.
FILE – Dan Markel (Florida State University)
Donna had stayed silent about her health woes and threats she received until that Feb. 3 visit to the jail’s medical facility. She opened up to the physician’s assistant about being attacked by a fellow inmate. Unbeknownst to Donna, the medical unit reported the attack, which led to her being placed in solitary.
Adelson allegedly hatched a plan that led to the 2014 murder-for-hire of Dan Markel, who was gunned down on July 18, 2014 while pulling into his own garage. Markel, a Florida State University law professor, was in the middle of a bitter custody fight at the time of his death. Donna brought her Ferrari-driving periodontist son, Charlie Adelson, into the fold. He, in turn, arranged for hitmen to kill Markel.
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Donna was taken into custody on Nov. 13, 2023, exactly one week after Charlie was convicted. She was apprehended at Miami International Airport while trying to board a flight to Vietnam via Dubai on a one-way ticket. Donna, who is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation, is set to face trial in June.
Donna’s next court date is a case management hearing set for tomorrow, Feb. 11. Court TV will be covering the proceedings. In addition, a motions hearing is scheduled for Feb. 26.
