The Killing of Professor Dan Markel: The Adelson Family's Web of Deceit (Part 2)

Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast

Moms got ya covered-feed

True Crime

4.6 • 8.8K Ratings

🗓️ 25 September 2025

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the gripping second part of the Daniel Markel case we delve deeper into the intricate web of deceit surrounding the murder-for-hire plot. This episode focuses on the trials of the two masterminds behind the shocking crime: Charlie and Donna Adelson.

Charlie Adelson's Trial: The episode begins with the conviction of Charlie Adelson. The state's case was built on compelling evidence, including audio recordings from a Miami restaurant where Charlie discussed killing a blackmailer or a police officer. The money trail connecting the Adelson family's dental practice to Katie Magbanua, the ex-girlfriend of the hitman, also played a crucial role. Charlie took the stand in his own defense, claiming he was being extorted by the hitmen. This defense was ultimately not believed by the jury, leading to his conviction for first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation.
Donna Adelson's Arrest and Trial: Just seven days after her son's conviction, the matriarch, Donna Adelson, was arrested at Miami International Airport as she and her husband, Harvey, were attempting to flee to Vietnam, a non-extradition country. Key evidence against her included monitored phone calls where she discussed fleeing the country and a recording where she was overheard mulling over extradition policies and reading text messages from her daughter, Wendi. During her trial, testimony from her fellow inmates revealed her attempts to orchestrate false testimony and her admission of her role in the murder. The verdict was unforgettable, as Donna gasped dramatically when she was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation, becoming the fifth person convicted in Dan's murder.
The Family's Web of Lies: The podcast also uncovers new details about the involvement of other family members. Wendi Adelson, Dan's ex-wife, testified under immunity but was confronted with her past inconsistencies about her knowledge of the murder plot. It was also revealed that Donna and Wendi had a deep knowledge of Dan's daily routine, and Wendi's ex-boyfriend testified that she once mentioned Charlie looking into a hitman for $15,000.
Legacy and Justice: The episode concludes with the powerful impact of the case on Dan Markel's parents, Ruth and Phil Markel. Their advocacy led to a new law and a long-awaited reunion with their grandsons.

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Sources:

Dan Markel Murder

Transcript

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0:00.0	On Tuesday this week, we started telling the story of Dan Markell's murder and how when the courts blocked the Aedelson family's plans to move Dan and his ex-wife Wendy's kids to Miami, the Adelson family decided that if they couldn't bend the law, they just break it.
0:15.5	This week, the plot thickens as Charlie Aidelson takes the stand and the walls close in on the matriarch herself, Donna Adelson.
0:26.6	Hey guys, and welcome to the Moms and Mysteries podcast. A true crime podcast featuring myself,
0:34.2	Mandy, and my dear friend Melissa. Hi, Melissa. Hi, Mandy. How are you? I am doing
0:38.8	fantastic. I'm more excited than ever to jump back into this wild story. You know, we don't typically
0:45.8	love to do cases in two parts, but in some cases, like, it just has to be done that way.
0:52.0	So hopefully having to wait just a couple of days will kind of ease that
0:56.0	pain of having it in two parts because we are here and we are ready to discuss part two.
1:00.7	Just as much as I'm sure people are ready to hear everything. Absolutely. Yeah, let's do it.
1:05.6	Yeah. So in part one, we met Dan Markell. He was a brilliant Harvard trained law professor,
1:10.6	a devoted father of two
1:12.1	young boys, and a respected scholar at Florida State University. His life seemed full of promise
1:17.7	until his marriage to Wendy Adelson fell apart. Their divorce in 2012 unleashed years of bitter
1:24.3	battles over money and custody of their two kids. Wendy's mom, Donna,
1:29.5	was extremely vocal and very pushy when it came to wanting Wendy and the boys to relocate
1:33.9	from Tallahassee down to South Florida, but the court said no. Donna would not let this go,
1:40.5	and she sent emails to her daughter Wendy, coaching her on how to paint Dan as
1:44.5	abusive and to manipulate him with religion and the children. She even offered up to a million
1:50.4	dollars to buy him off, aka by her grandkids. The hostility ran very deep. The Adelson family was
1:58.8	absolutely ruthless and antagonizing Dan.
2:02.7	Donna and her son Charlie even joked about dressing Dan and Wendy's kids as Hitler youth
2:07.4	just to provoke Dan. By 2014, the fighting had escalated and Dan begged the court to limit
	...

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