Donna Adelson indicted for murder of Dan Markel, charges match son Charlie’s conviction
She is accused of conspiring with her son Charlie Adelson to murder her former son-in-law, Dan Markel
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - A grand jury indicted Donna Adelson Wednesday for her former son-in-law Dan Markel’s murder.
The FBI arrested the 73-year-old South Florida woman Monday evening as she attempted to board a flight to Vietnam. The indictment affirms charges State Attorney Jack Campbell announced earlier this week.
Adelson is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and solicitation to commit first-degree murder. She is accused of planning the killing of Markel, who was fatally shot in his Betton Hills garage in 2014. Her arrest came exactly one week after a jury found her son, Charlie Adelson, guilty of the same three charges in Markel’s murder.
“COUNT 1: On or about July 18, 2014, Donna S. Adelson, in the County Leon and State of Florida, did unlawfully kill a human being, Daniel Markel, by shooting with a firearm, and the killing was perpetrated from or with a premeditated design or intent to effect the death of Daniel Markel, contrary to Section 782.04(l)(a)I, Florida Statutes,” her indictment reads.
Donna Adelson’s arrest affidavit, which WCTV obtained yesterday, detailed conversations she had with her son Charlie after his conviction. Those conversations included thoughts of suicide and fleeing the country, according to the papers.
The mother of three was arrested at a South Florida airport this week after she and her husband Harvey Adelson booked one-way tickets to Vietnam, the state attorney said. When prosecutors caught wind of the Adelson parents’ travel plans, they accelerated the plan already in place to take in Donna, Campbell said. Harvey Adelson was not arrested.
The Miami-Dade Police Department confirmed to WCTV Thursday that they assisted the FBI in taking Donna Adelson in on Monday night. WCTV has requested the body camera footage of that arrest and booking.
For now, the Miami woman is being held in jail at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, which is across the street from the Miami International Airport.
To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook and X (Twitter).
Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Write us here. Please include the article's headline in your message.
Keep up with all the biggest headlines on the WCTV News app. Click here to download it now.
Copyright 2023 WCTV. All rights reserved.
