TALLAHASSEE, Florida — TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Donna Adelson, the matriarch of a wealthy South Florida family who was convicted of the murder-for-hire of her former son-in-law, was sentenced Monday to life in prison for her role in the 2014 murder-for-hire of Daniel Markel.
A prominent law professor at Florida State University, Markel found himself in a bitter custody battle over his ex-wife, Adelson’s daughter, when he was shot to death in 2014 at his Tallahassee home.
Adelson, 75, was convicted last month of first-degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation after a weeklong trial. She was sentenced to life without parole for the murder charge, with an additional 30 years for the other two counts, to be served consecutively. Adelson has vowed to appeal.
In an emotional statement before the sentencing in a Tallahassee courtroom, Adelson swore she was innocent and called her trial a miscarriage of justice, overseen by a jury that she said was unduly influenced by years of negative media coverage.
“What happened to Danny is unforgivable. But I am an innocent woman convicted of this terrible crime without proof,” Adelson said.
“I’ve always respected the law. I’ve never gotten a parking ticket, but I’m going to jail for a murder I didn’t commit,” she added.
Circuit Judge Stephen Everett interrupted Adelson several times, warning him that his statements showed what he called a “complete lack of remorse” for the crime.
Shackled and dressed in a purple prison jumpsuit, Adelson stood attentively as Everett handed down the sentence. “You can certainly choose to deny your involvement and maintain your innocence. The court finds the evidence in this case to be clear,” Everett said.
The case captivated people in Florida for more than a decade, amid sordid details of a messy divorce, tensions with wealthy in-laws and custody battles that led to the murder.
Adelson was the fifth person convicted in what prosecutors say was a plot to kill Markel. Among those already serving a life sentence for the murder is Adelson’s son, Charles Adelson.
At trial, prosecutors had portrayed Donna Adelson as the calculated and controlling matriarch of a wealthy South Florida family, with the means and motivation to orchestrate the murder of the ex-son-in-law she “hated.”
Defense attorneys insisted the state did not have sufficient evidence to connect the aging grandmother to the murder plot, instead pointing to the role played by others and casting suspicion on two of Adelson’s adult children. Wendi Adelson has denied any involvement in the murder and has not been charged.
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Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-reported issues.
