Home › Case Library › Adelson v. State (Dan Markel murder-for-hire appeal)
Awaiting decisionAdelson v. State (Dan Markel murder-for-hire appeal)
Will Donna Adelson's murder conviction survive her appeal?
Where the case stands
Direct appeal pending in the 1st DCA. Notice of appeal filed after the 2025 conviction; as of Aug. 13, 2026 the initial brief had not been filed — counsel sought an extension past the Aug. 14, 2026 deadline citing a medical issue in custody.
Background
Donna Adelson, 76, is the Adelson family matriarch convicted of orchestrating the 2014 murder-for-hire of her former son-in-law, FSU law professor Dan Markel. Her son Charlie Adelson, go-between Katherine Magbanua, and shooter Sigfredo Garcia are serving life; cooperator Luis Rivera took 19 years. Her trial was carried gavel-to-gavel by Court TV.
Charges
- Convicted Sept. 4, 2025: first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation (2014 killing of Dan Markel)
- Sentenced to life in prison, reported Oct. 13, 2025
The arguments
Prosecution/State: Prosecutors portrayed Adelson as a calculated, controlling matriarch with the means and motive to orchestrate the killing after Markel won a ruling blocking her daughter Wendi from relocating the grandsons to South Florida.
Defense: The defense argued the state lacked evidence tying Donna Adelson to the plot, emphasized the roles of others, and cast suspicion on two of her adult children.
The record
- Co-conspirator convictions. Charlie Adelson, Katherine Magbanua and Sigfredo Garcia serving life; Luis Rivera cooperated for 19 years — the same web of proof underpins her conviction.
- Custody-move motive. Markel's court win stopping Wendi Adelson from moving the children to South Florida was presented as the family's motive.
- Televised record. The full trial record — witnesses, wiretap-era evidence and closings — aired live on Court TV and remains publicly viewable.
The line-setting read at the time this market opened
Direct-appeal reversals are rare in Florida and the 1st DCA affirmed co-defendant Charlie Adelson's conviction in 2026. Her appellate issues are not yet public because the initial brief was still unfiled as of mid-August 2026 — a long runway before any decision.
Awaiting decision — Initial brief, the state's answer, and the 1st DCA's decision; no oral-argument or ruling date set. The ruling is posted here, and on the board, the moment it's confirmed by two or more independent news organizations.
Sources
- Court TV — Jury convicts Donna Adelson (Sept. 5, 2025)
- AP via KSAT — sentenced to life (Oct. 13, 2025)
- Court TV — notice of appeal filed
- Court TV — appeal brief delayed (Aug. 13, 2026)
Public record
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