Donna Adelson facing murder, conspiracy and solicitation charges one week after son Charlie’s murder conviction
Charlie Adelson was convicted of plotting and funding the murder of his former brother-in-law, Dan Markel
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - Donna Adelson is facing murder, conspiracy and solicitation charges, State Attorney Jack Campbell tells WCTV, after being arrested Monday by the FBI at a South Florida airport.
She faces the same charges her son, Charlie Adelson, was convicted of last week in his former brother-in-law Dan Markel’s 2014 killing in Tallahassee’s Betton Hills neighborhood.
She and Charlie’s dad, Harvey Adelson, were in the process of boarding an 8 p.m. one-way flight to Vietnam Monday night before she was arrested, Campbell said. Harvey was not arrested.
“When we found out they bought tickets to Vietnam, we talked with our law enforcement partners and found out how difficult it would be to bring her back,” said Campbell. “So this definitely sped up our timeline.”
The 73-year-old South Floridian was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center Monday at 10:08 p.m. on an out-of-county warrant, according to the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Center inmate search.
The center she is booked at is across the street from the Miami International Airport.
Her case will be convened by a grand jury, according to the state attorney, but he declined to share when. Judge Stephen Everett will preside over a grand jury set to assemble Wednesday in courtroom 3G. according to a Leon County Courthouse courtroom schedule. Everett oversaw Charlie’s trial in that room.
Charlie is the fourth person convicted in Markel’s murder. He’s accused of conspiring with his ex-girlfriend, Katherina Magbanua, to hire Luis Rivera and Sigfredo Garcia to travel from South Florida to kill Markel. Magbanua, Rivera and Garcia are all behind bars in connection to the crime.
Prosecutors have long insinuated Charlie was not the only Adelson who wished Markel dead, calling the former Florida State University professor a “big problem” for the family. At the time of his death, Markel was going through a contentious custody battle with his ex-wife and Charlie’s sister, Wendi Adelson.
WCTV has reached out to Prosecutor Georgia Cappleman. We have not yet heard back.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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