(IntegrityPress.org) – Life imprisonment without parole has been given to Charlie Adelson, a South Florida dentist convicted in November for orchestrating the murder of Florida State University professor Daniel Markel in 2014. The 47-year-old was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and solicitation of first-degree murder.
The victim, Markel, was embroiled in a custody dispute with Charlie Adelson’s sister, Wendi Adelson, who was divorced from Markel. The conflict arose when Wendi Adelson wanted to relocate with their two children from Tallahassee to South Florida, where her family resides. A judge, however, ruled against the move without Markel’s consent, which he denied.
Prosecutors asserted that Charlie Adelson paid for Markel’s murder and enlisted his girlfriend, Katherine Magbanua, to hire the hitman, Sigfredo Garcia, who knew Katherine because he was her ex. Garcia, in turn, sought assistance from his childhood friend, Luis Rivera. Magbanua and Garcia got convictions for first-degree murder, while Rivera, after a guilty plea of second-degree murder, is serving a 19-year sentence.
Following Charlie Adelson’s conviction, Donna Adelson, the family matriarch, was arrested at Miami International Airport on charges of conspiring to have her ex-son-in-law murdered. Donna Adelson, aged 73, was apprehended as she and her husband were preparing to depart for Dubai and Vietnam, countries that do not have extradition treaties with the United States.
Charged with orchestrating the 2014 murder, Donna Adelson was booked into Miami-Dade’s Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Her arrest was expedited upon learning of her imminent plans to leave the country, as investigators believed they had substantial evidence for her prosecution.
Despite maintaining her innocence, Donna Adelson faces charges related to the hitman’s murder, further entangling the entire family in the tragic events surrounding Markel’s death. The sentencing reflects the gravity of Charlie Adelson’s role as the mastermind behind the murder, most likely concluding the nearly decade-old case.
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