Coral Springs matriarch Donna Adelson convicted for helping orchestrate the murder of her former son-in-law Dan Markel
Coral Springs, Florida – Donna Adelson, once the matriarch of a respected Coral Springs family, will spend the rest of her life behind bars after being convicted last week of helping orchestrate the 2014 murder of her former son-in-law, FSU law professor Dan Markel. The case, which shocked both local and national observers, revealed a tangled web of family conflict, obsession, and cold-blooded planning that culminated in one of Florida’s most notorious family murders of recent decades.
Markel and Donna Adelson’s daughter, Wendi Adelson, were embroiled in a bitter custody battle over Wendi’s plan — supported and, prosecutors say, driven by her mother — to relocate their two young sons from Tallahassee to South Florida. The move would place the boys closer to Wendi and her family, a plan Markel opposed. As tensions mounted, prosecutors allege that Donna Adelson crossed a line from parental involvement into criminal conspiracy.
In a dramatic moment during the three-week trial in Leon County, Donna’s eldest son, Robert Adelson, testified for the state. An ear, nose, and throat doctor living in upstate New York, Robert painted a portrait of a mother he described as calculating and controlling. He recounted how, even after Markel’s murder, Donna showed no interest in seeing justice done. Robert also testified that she warned him not to speak with law enforcement, to which he replied he already had, prompting her to respond, “Well, you don’t know anything anyway.” Throughout his testimony, Robert avoided eye contact with his mother and appeared near tears.
The Adelson family, once pillars of the Coral Springs community, had long operated the Adelson Institute for Aesthetics and Implant Dentistry with Harvey Adelson, Donna’s husband. The couple raised three children — Robert, Charlie, a periodontist, and Wendi, a lawyer — in a five-bedroom home on NW 14th Court in Coral Springs. Their children attended J.P. Taravella High School, where Wendi graduated as valedictorian in 1997.
Markel and Wendi divorced in 2013, sharing custody of their then-preschool-aged sons. Emails presented during the trial revealed Donna’s involvement in her daughter’s strategy to move the boys to Miami. Among her suggestions were offering Markel a $1 million bribe, threatening him with the prospect of the boys being baptized in the Catholic Church, and even photographing them in Nazi uniforms — all intended to pressure Markel into agreeing to relocation.
When a judge denied the relocation request, prosecutors contend that Donna and her middle son, Charlie, escalated their efforts into plotting Markel’s murder. Through Charlie’s girlfriend Katherine Magbanua, the two allegedly hired Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera, two men from Miami, to carry out the killing. Markel was ambushed in his Tallahassee garage after returning from the gym and was shot twice in the head, dying the next day.
Investigators pursued the plot methodically. Garcia and Magbanua are now serving life sentences, while Rivera received a 19-year sentence in exchange for cooperation. Charlie Adelson was convicted in 2023 and sentenced to life without parole. Donna was arrested a week later at Miami International Airport as she and Harvey attempted to board a one-way flight to Vietnam, a country with no U.S. extradition treaty. She faced charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation, and though her sentencing is set for October, her conviction carries a mandatory life sentence without parole.
The prosecution granted Wendi Adelson limited immunity to testify at both her brother’s and mother’s trials, though speculation remains about whether she could face charges in the future. When asked about this possibility, lead prosecutor Georgia Cappleman told reporters to “stay tuned.”
Court records also reveal details of the Adelsons’ financial holdings. In December 2021, Donna and Harvey purchased a 16th-floor condo in Miami’s Bristol Tower for $1.79 million, taking out a $647,200 mortgage. Wiretapped calls captured Donna lamenting that Wendi had cut off contact with her parents after Charlie’s conviction. She expressed frustration about having devoted years to babysitting and prioritizing her grandchildren, only to feel abandoned once they grew older.
Additionally, Donna and Harvey had established a trust in 1994, amended multiple times over the years, with Wendi named as the sole trustee should her parents become incapacitated or die. Following Markel’s murder, Wendi and the children relocated to Miami, legally changing the boys’ last names from Markel to Adelson and altering the oldest child’s middle name, originally in memory of Markel’s late grandmother.
The Markel family, Ruth and Phil of Toronto, have since spoken publicly about the strained relationship with their grandchildren, noting that Wendi has cut off much of their contact. They claim they were not invited to either of their grandsons’ bar mitzvahs, and any visits that occur are highly supervised and carefully orchestrated.
The case has drawn widespread attention for both its familial betrayal and the stark contrast between the public image of the Adelsons and their private actions. For decades, Donna and Harvey were viewed as respected professionals, running a successful dental practice and raising accomplished children. That veneer of respectability, prosecutors argued, masked the darker ambitions that led to a premeditated murder, demonstrating the chilling lengths some are willing to go in disputes over family, money, and control.
The trial also highlighted the complexities of human relationships, power dynamics, and the influence of obsessive familial loyalty. Donna Adelson’s actions, prosecutors argue, were motivated not only by a desire to help her daughter but also by a need to control the trajectory of her grandchildren’s lives, overriding legal boundaries and ethical considerations.
Observers note that the conviction of Donna Adelson, coupled with the life sentences handed down to other co-conspirators, provides a measure of closure for some but leaves lingering questions about accountability, especially regarding Wendi’s role and potential future legal consequences.
As sentencing approaches, the Coral Springs community continues to grapple with the aftermath of a case that has upended local perceptions of family, trust, and the dangers of obsession. Donna Adelson’s story serves as a grim reminder of how deeply intertwined personal vendettas, family disputes, and criminal intent can become, leading to devastating consequences for everyone involved.
For now, Donna Adelson will face life in prison without the possibility of parole, bringing a final chapter to her personal narrative but leaving unresolved tensions and emotional scars in its wake. The Markel family, meanwhile, continues to mourn a son taken too soon, highlighting the enduring human cost behind what some have called a meticulously planned and heartbreakingly avoidable tragedy.
