Where Is Donna Adelson Now? Inside Her Life After Masterminding Her Ex-Son-in-Law's Murder By Jordana Comiter

Nearly two years after being charged in connection with her former son-in-law’s murder, a verdict has been reached in Donna Adelson’s case.

In July 2014, Florida State University law professor Dan Markel was shot twice in the head at point-blank range while sitting in his car outside his home, shortly after dropping off his children at preschool and going to the gym. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he died 14 hours later. At the time of his murder, Markel was embroiled in a bitter custody battle with his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, whose family wanted her to relocate away from Tallahassee to South Florida with her and Markel’s kids.

The case turned into a years-long legal saga, with multiple people convicted of their roles in arranging the hit, including Wendi’s brother, Charlie Adelson, and her mother Donna. In November 2023, Donna was arrested in connection with Markel’s death, just days after Charlie was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation of murder.

The Adelson family had long denied any involvement in Markel’s killing, and in 2016, their lawyer released a statement maintaining their innocence.

“There has been a lot of unsupported speculation that the Adelsons had something to do with the murder. That speculation is categorically false,” the statement read. “To be clear, none of the Adelsons — Wendi, her brother Charlie, or their parents Donna and Harvey — had anything to do with Dan’s murder.”

So, where is Donna Adelson now? Here’s everything to know about her recent verdict in the case involving her ex-son-in-law’s murder.

Who is Donna Adelson?

Donna is the matriarch of a wealthy Miami family who owns a dentistry practice. She is married to Harvey Adelson, and together they share two children: Wendi and Charlie.

In November 2023, Donna was arrested by the FBI and other authorities at the Miami Dade International Airport and charged in connection with the murder of her former son-in-law, Markel, who was previously married to Wendi and was gunned down by hired hitmen in 2014.

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Wendi and Markel settled their contentious divorce in 2013 without a trial. After their split, the former couple were granted joint custody, but a judge ruled that she could not move her children out of Tallahassee.

Per the Tallahassee Democrat, Donna and her husband were about to board a one-way flight to Vietnam (a non-extradition country) with a stop in Dubai, when she was arrested. State Attorney Jack Campbell told the outlet that her plans to leave the country are what “forced our hand” in arresting her.

“We started talking to some of our law enforcement partners about the complexities of trying to bring someone back from either Dubai or Vietnam,” he said. “And that might be a very complicated and lengthy process. So that’s why we had to make a decision quickly.”

How was Donna Adelson involved in Dan Markel’s murder?

Two men were hired to kill Markel: Latin Kings gang leader Luis Rivera and Sigfredo Garcia, the father of Charlie’s ex-girlfriend Katherine Magbanua’s children.

During the trial for Donna’s son Charlie, Rivera testified that he and Garcia were paid $100,000 to kill Markel, which they split with Magbanua who set up the deal, per the Tallahassee Democrat.

Prosecutors alleged that Donna was one of the masterminds behind Markel’s murder, helping to fund the contract killing, which was estimated to cost more than $100,000, according to court documents, per CNN.

Garcia, the suspected triggerman, was convicted in 2019 and sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years for conspiracy, per WCTV.

Meanwhile, Magbanua’s first trial resulted in a hung jury, but in 2022, she was convicted of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation of murder. According to The New York Times, she was sentenced to life in prison, with two additional 30-year sentences to run consecutively with her life term.

Per the outlet, Rivera pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2016 and was sentenced to 19 years in prison.

Why was Donna Adelson involved in Dan Markel’s death?

In a May 2016 affidavit, investigators stated that Markel’s murder likely stemmed from his ex-wife Wendi’s family’s “desperate desire” for her to relocate closer to them in South Florida, taking their two young children after a “bitter divorce” with unresolved custody disputes.

Per the affidavit, Markel was killed ahead of an unscheduled court hearing, where he intended to request restrictions on his children’s contact with Donna, whom he alleged had “made disparaging remarks about him to his sons.”

During trial, prosecutors said that Donna allegedly “hated” Markel, especially after he asked a judge to prevent her from having unsupervised visits with her grandchildren, per Law & Crime.

ABC News’ 20/20 also reported that Donna allegedly sent her daughter tense emails during the time of the custody battle and the fight to relocate.

“It’s time to take control of your life and not let [Markel] think he’s just ‘won’ anything by having you remain in Tallahassee, eight hours away from the only family you have, and lose out on what will be a job that will afford you and your children advantages that they will never otherwise be able to enjoy,” Donna allegedly emailed her daughter. “Let’s show this [expletive] what will make him absolutely miserable. You know his weak points; money, religion, control.”

Elsewhere in the email, Donna allegedly wrote that the rest of the Adelson family’s life would be affected by how well Wendi could “perform/act before July 31st.”

“You can be a good actress when you want to. I’ve seen you in action,” the alleged email continued. “You need to put on the performance of your life! [Markel] hasn’t beaten the Adelson family yet.”

Where is Donna Adelson now?

On Sept. 4, over a decade after Markel’s death, Donna was convicted of murder.

After a weeks-long trial, the jury found Donna guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation of murder in the for-hire killing of Markel. There have already been four people convicted of conspiring to murder Markel, including her son Charlie.

After Florida Second Judicial Circuit Judge Stephen Everett announced that the jury had found Donna guilty of first-degree murder, the Florida matriarch yelled out, “Oh my God!” and began sobbing and shaking in her seat, per a video from the Tallahassee Democrat.

Now, Donna awaits a sentencing date, and potentially faces life in prison.

Markel’s father Phil said in court that he wishes for her to “live to 120, alone in her jail cell,” per USA Today.

“I wish that every day of her remaining days she thinks about the harm she has caused so many,” he said, before turning to Donna, saying, “Was it worth it?”