Donna Adelson Trial: Handwriting Analyst Kate Butler Identifies “The Script” as Donna’s
True Crime Today | Daily True Crime News & Interviews
Tony Brueski
4.2 • 612 Ratings
🗓️ 2 September 2025
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this gripping installment of the Donna Adelson Trial, forensic document examiner Kate Butler, a senior crime laboratory analyst with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), takes center stage—bringing exceptional expertise to the stand as she compares handwriting samples connected to the case.
Her match? She identified the handwriting in the infamous “script” and a day planner as belonging to Donna Adelson with the highest level of confidence. This isn’t just a technicality—this finding strikes at the core of the prosecution’s argument and has major implications for how the jury perceives Donna’s actions and intentions behind the scenes.
In this raw courtroom clip, viewers will hear Kate Butler describe her methodology, show how handwriting idiosyncrasies line up, and explain why her analysis matters:
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What was compared and why it’s relevant: The “Day Planner,” where Dan Markel’s car info was noted, and “The Script,” allegedly written by Donna for an inmate to recite, were both compared to known samples of Donna’s handwriting.
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Why this matters: For the prosecution, Butler’s confident identification strengthens their case that Donna may have been orchestrating the narrative—even in jail. For the defense, this might be a point of heavy cross-examination, perhaps highlighting margin for error or context of what was written and why.
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Viewer takeaway: A rare, behind-the-scenes look at the forensic scrutiny behind the handwritten evidence—an essential piece of the puzzle in this true-crime courtroom drama.
#DonnaAdelsonTrial #HandwritingAnalysis #KateButler #TrueCrime #CourtroomEvidence #ForensicDocumentExaminer #DanMarkelCase #MurderForHire #TrialCoverage #JusticeForDan
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | A Better Help ad. |
| 0:02.3 | Lewis Capaldi partnered with Better Help to get word out about how important therapy can be. |
| 0:07.6 | I struggle most weeks to get up, get myself up and ready and go to therapy or whatever. |
| 0:13.0 | Even like to open the laptop to talk to, my therapist sometimes could be really difficult. |
| 0:17.4 | But I do it because I realise how important it is for me to continue to feel |
| 0:21.3 | good. Because I felt the best I've felt in a long time through therapy. |
| 0:25.6 | Learn more about online therapy at betterhelp.com. |
| 0:29.5 | A better help ad. |
| 0:31.5 | Lewis Capaldi partnered with BetterHelp to get word out about how important therapy can be. |
| 0:36.8 | I struggle most weeks to get up, get myself up and ready and go to therapy or whatever. |
| 0:42.2 | Even like to open the laptop to talk to, my therapist sometimes could be really difficult. |
| 0:46.6 | But I do it because I realise how important it is for me to continue to feel good. |
| 0:51.0 | I felt the best I've felt in a long time through therapy. |
| 0:54.8 | Learn more about online therapy at betterhelp.com. |
| 0:58.7 | This is continuing coverage in the trial of Donna Edelson |
| 1:02.3 | from the Hidden Killers podcast and True Crime Today. |
| 1:06.1 | Now, back to the courtroom. |
| 1:13.6 | Okay. back to the courtroom I'm Raise your right hand to this one |
| 1:16.6 | You swear |
| 1:17.6 | You're about to offer |
| 1:19.6 | One be the church |
| 1:21.6 | Yes sir |
... |
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