The Dan Markel Story: Remembering the Life of Murdered FSU Law Professor and Dad of 2

Dan Markel, a respected Florida State University law professor, was tragically murdered on July 18, 2014, in a “murder‑for‑hire” ambush outside his Tallahassee home. After a bitter custody battle with his ex-wife Wendi Adelson—centered on her desire to relocate their two sons to South Florida—a conspiracy unfolded. Investigators uncovered that Wendi’s brother, Charlie Adelson, allegedly arranged the hit, funneling payments through his then-girlfriend Katherine Magbanua. Magbanua then enlisted Sigfredo “Tuto” Garcia, who shot Markel in the head, while accomplice Luis Rivera helped orchestrate the setup. The crime was tracked down through surveillance of a rented Prius, phone and GPS data, and an undercover FBI operation that recorded coded phone calls involving Charlie and his mother, Donna Adelson. Ultimately, Garcia and Magbanua received life sentences, Rivera got 19 years for his plea and testimony, and Charlie was convicted in November 2023 on first‑degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation charges. Now Donna Adelson will go on trial in August of 2025.

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