Donna Adelson says fellow inmates can help prove she was blackmailed

Posted at 4:42 PM, January 31, 2025

Donna Adelson made a brief, unexpected court appearance earlier this week.

The septuagenarian who’s charged in the murder of her ex-son-in-law, Dan Markel, gave impromptu testimony in a brief hearing on Wednesday. Adelson, who’s housed in the Leon County Jail awaiting trial, said she met two fellow inmates who claim to have spoken to Katherine Magbanua, one of four people who’ve already been tried and convicted of Markel’s 2014 murder.

Splitscreen of 2 mugshots: an elderly woman and a middle-aged man

L to R: Donna Adelson, Charlie Adelson. (Leon County Sheriff’s Office)

According to Scripps News Tallahassee, Adelson told the court that the women informed her that Magbanua said she was going to “set up” the Adelsons in order to get a reduced sentence. Adelson’s defense team requested the last-minute hearing because they want the two inmates deposed now rather than wait until trial because the women are drug addicts who are set to be released soon and might not be able to be located at the time of the trial.

Adelson, who appeared via Zoom, told the court that both women told her that Magbanua was blackmailing her son, Charlie Adelson. Charlie was convicted of first-degree murder and other charges related to Markel’s death. A once-prominent, wealthy South Florida periodontist, Charlie masterminded Markel’s murder. The motive: His sister, Wendi Adelson, was in a bitter custody battle with Markel. Wendi and Markel were in the midst of a divorce, and Wendi wanted to relocate from Tallahassee to the Miami area to be closer to her family.

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Charlie, allegedly at the behest of Donna, recruited Magbanua, whom he had dated, to arrange for hitmen Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera to kill Markel in a murder-for-hire. Markel, a Florida State University law professor, was gunned down in his Tallahassee garage more than a decade ago.

Donna testified that Magbanua told the fellow inmate, “Wait until I come back. I’m going to take care of that family. Wait until they see what they’re going to get, and I’m going to get a reduced sentence.”

Katherine Magbanua testifies

Katherine Magbanua testified against Charlie Adelson on Oct. 30, 2023. (Court TV)

Donna also told the court that one of the inmates told her that Magbanua confided in her that had her plan worked, she’d be sitting pretty in Hawaii drinking a fancy drink. Donna also said one of the inmates also told her about a tattoo that Garcia apparently had of Magbanua with a machine gun. Garcia is the father of Magbanua’s two children. The Tallahassee Democrat reports that Donna met that particular inmate at a jailhouse art class.

Charlie was convicted of Markel’s murder in 2023, Magbanua was convicted in 2022, Garcia was convicted in 2019, and Rivera was convicted in 2016 after accepting a plea deal. Charlie is currently working on an appeal. His motion for resentencing was denied earlier this month.

Donna, who was arrested exactly one week after Charlie’s conviction, has been jailed since November 2023. She was taken into custody at Miami International Airport as she attempted to board a one-way flight to Vietnam via Dubai.

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FILE – Dan Markel (Florida State University)

Ultimately, Leon County Circuit Court Judge Stephen Everett ruled that the possibility that Donna’s two fellow inmates might not be available to testify come trial time wasn’t enough of a reason to grant the defense’s motion. Local criminal defense attorney Don Pumphrey explained to Scripps News Tallahassee that Donna’s defense attorneys would need a more concrete reason as to why someone might not be able to speak at trial, such as military deployment or grave illness.

“There was nothing in the motion that was filed that person was absolutely not going to be available,” said Pumphrey.

The Tallahassee Democrat further reported that Judge Everett suggested that Donna’s defense subpoena the witnesses to ensure that they show up at trial.

Donna is set to face trial in June.