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20/20 - Season 49 - Episode 01: Meddler or Murderer?
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00:00:06It's another busy bustling Monday evening at Miami International Airport but on this night
00:00:11you're a fly on the wall. The way we're gonna handle it is I only need her driver's license
00:00:15and her cell phone. As both police and FBI agents are moments from a major bust and their target
00:00:24is an unlikely suspect. A 73-year-old grandmother who's accused of being the mastermind of a murder.
00:00:35Authorities believe she's just moments from making her escape.
00:00:39Her one-way trip to Vietnam stopped cold right there on the jetway as police body cameras roll.
00:00:46Incriminating evidence says former prosecutor Matt Murphy who breaks it down for us.
00:00:50By effectuating the arrest at the gate they eliminate that as a defense. Like oh I wasn't
00:00:55actually gonna leave. She was leaving. I mean that's her husband. Bags packed. Tickets bought.
00:01:06Cell phones generate so much evidence in murder cases. They're trained. You never let a criminal
00:01:11suspect have an opportunity to delete anything.
00:01:27Everyone can be seated.
00:01:31Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. The state of Florida versus Donna Adelson.
00:01:35Now that same Florida grandmother is on trial for that murder.
00:01:41Prosecutors alleging Donna Adelson is the architect behind a criminal conspiracy.
00:01:46A conspiracy. To hire a hit man to kill her former son-in-law Dan Markell.
00:01:53So how is it that Donna finds herself there in that courtroom? The jury hears what begins
00:01:58as a great American success story. This was a family who had it all.
00:02:02You'll hear during this trial that the Adelson family is a very tight-knit family.
00:02:08The defendant, her son Charlie Adelson, and her husband Harvey Adelson actually all
00:02:13worked together at their family's dental practice. She was the details person. And she managed much more.
00:02:22She was the matriarch. And a domineering one at that.
00:02:29If you lived in South Florida long before Dan Markell was murdered, you would have known
00:02:34the Adelsons for their dental practice, the Adelson Institute.
00:02:39Harvey was extremely successful dentist. He runs the Adelson Institute of Dentistry.
00:02:45Harvey Adelson is someone I've known my entire life. He's a dentist and he was married to Donna and
00:02:51he had three kids, Robert, Charlie, and Wendy. Charlie went to dentist school, got his degree,
00:02:59came back, and then he was helping Harvey in his practice. The Adelson family dental practice did not
00:03:06include older son Robert. He's a New York-based physician who, for years, has been estranged from
00:03:10the family. Wendy was always an all-star. She was incredibly bright as a child. She did phenomenally
00:03:17well in high school and incredibly smart and gregarious and well-loved by everybody. Wendy Adelson
00:03:25does something a little different than everyone in her family. She goes into law. Wendy has an
00:03:31internship in Washington, D.C., where another young lawyer is also just starting out.
00:03:39Danny was a very warm person to start with with everybody. He never greeted people with a handshake.
00:03:46It was always a hug. Dan is the only son of Ruth and Phil Markell who raised him in a
00:03:51conservative
00:03:51Jewish home in Toronto, Canada. A young woman named Wendy Adelson searched him on J-Date.
00:04:00The Jewish dating service. And she was sitting with her mother, Donna, searching for a candidate for
00:04:08her to meet. And so they're looking up Dan Markell. She was a very warm, she's a very attractive person.
00:04:17And it was a beautiful thing to see Danny in love. Wendy and Dan's relationship moves quickly,
00:04:24and in less than a year they're engaged. But as soon as they tie the knot, it becomes clear who's
00:04:29calling the shots in this family. It's not Dan or even Wendy. It's Wendy's mother, Donna.
00:04:36She was extremely controlling. She had very strong opinions about all the decisions in Wendy Adelson's
00:04:44life, whether it be about her career, her relationships, or even purchasing a home.
00:04:53After their wedding, Wendy Adelson and Dan Markell moved to Tallahassee, the capital of Florida.
00:04:59Dan and Wendy did both get jobs at Florida State University Law School.
00:05:04They lived in Betton Hills, which is a neighborhood in the center of Tallahassee. It's quite an affluent
00:05:10community. I know they owned a house and they both lived there together with their two boys.
00:05:16Danny was a great father. With all his accomplishments, to me, I'm the proudest of him as a father.
00:05:24His boys were the entire world to him. While Dan is thriving in Tallahassee,
00:05:31Wendy is lamenting the state of her marriage. She reveals her feelings in this 2015 episode of the
00:05:36podcast Writing Class Radio. Our marriage dissolved after the children arrived, as the loneliness of
00:05:42being married to someone that didn't view me as an equal crept in. By 2012, it's during one of his
00:05:48trips to a conference in New York City that Wendy calls Dan to deliver devastating news. She says,
00:05:54I'm leaving. It's over. Dan says, please don't do this. We can still work this out.
00:06:02He gets on a flight to come back to Tallahassee. He walks into the bedroom and there was divorce papers
00:06:11on the bed. Less than seven years after exchanging wedding vows, Wendy Adelson and Dan Markell
00:06:18are exchanging accusations in divorce court. The divorce got really nasty. I think the boiling point
00:06:24was when Wendy couldn't leave Tallahassee, couldn't relocate to South Florida. Dan wouldn't agree to it.
00:06:31Which means Donna's grandchildren will remain almost 500 miles away from her.
00:06:36With Wendy and Dan's divorce now finalized, the focus for the Adelson family becomes custody of the
00:06:42two boys and where they will live. So Donna Adelson, being the doting grandma that she says she is,
00:06:50was upset. Donna began this campaign that she wrote these lengthy emails to Wendy.
00:06:58Donna refers to Dan Markell as jibbers, which is clearly a derogatory term.
00:07:05It's time to take control of your life and not let jibbers think he's won anything by having you remain
00:07:14in Tallahassee. A month before their next court appearance, Donna sends Wendy a long email suggesting
00:07:21ways to needle her ex-husband. Let's show this what will make him absolutely miserable.
00:07:29You know his weak points, money, religion, control.
00:07:35Then Donna suggests to Wendy that they baptize their grandsons and dress them in Nazi uniforms.
00:07:41A stunning proposition from someone of the Jewish faith.
00:07:45Let jibbers know that your children will be baptized in the Catholic church.
00:07:51That's when, in at least one of those emails, Donna puts her money where her mouth is.
00:07:56We plan to make a financial offer to him to allow this relocation.
00:08:01She suggested to Wendy that they should go three ways to pay Danny a million dollars.
00:08:08Her and Harvey, Charlie and Wendy.
00:08:11Jibbers hasn't beaten the Adelson family yet. You have a very strong family behind you. Just remember that.
00:08:19I don't think at this point money, threats of Catholic school, you name it,
00:08:24we're going to convince Dan to be separated from his kids.
00:08:27During Wendy and Dan's nasty custody fight, Dan says he discovered Donna Adelson was telling her
00:08:32grandchildren their father was stupid. In fact, things appear to be coming to a head when Dan goes
00:08:39as far as filing a motion to prevent Donna from having unsupervised visits with her grandchildren.
00:08:45It would be the last motion that Dan would ever file.
00:09:03Dan Markell was known as Danny to his friends and family.
00:09:07The last day of his life began like any other day of his that summer.
00:09:13Hey Wendy, it's Danny. Good morning. It's 9 o'clock on Friday.
00:09:17He woke up, he took his two young sons to preschool, and then he went to the gym to work
00:09:23out.
00:09:26After finishing his workout, he returned home.
00:09:29As he pulls into his driveway around 11 a.m., shots ring out. He's shot in his face and head,
00:09:35and a neighbor finds him slumped over in the front seat, but still breathing.
00:09:42As I looked inside, I saw a bloody head, and I hollered immediately, Danny, what happened?
00:09:51And at that point, I knew that I had to get the emergency medical team there as quickly as I
00:09:58could.
00:10:019-1-1, what's the address of your emergency?
00:10:04It's right next door to my house.
00:10:08Okay, what's going on with him?
00:10:11He's not responding to me.
00:10:15Once the paramedics arrive, he's quickly rushed to the hospital.
00:10:20Police track down his ex-wife, Wendy, who's out to lunch with friends, and they bring her into the police
00:10:24station.
00:10:25There was a shooting at your ex-husband's home.
00:10:30Oh my god.
00:10:31Okay.
00:10:34What happened?
00:10:35Well, before we get into everything, I have to establish where you were and who you were with,
00:10:43and so forth.
00:10:44Okay. I just don't understand.
00:10:47How could this happen?
00:10:52She sits down for hours, and then during that time, the police look at her phone,
00:10:56they look at her ID, they swab her for fingerprints.
00:11:00Everything that you would do with a potential suspect.
00:11:03My ex-husband caused me a lot of grief, but I would never do something like that.
00:11:09I don't.
00:11:12I want to figure out who this is.
00:11:14Talking with police, Wendy drops a hint. She tells them she just had another bad breakup.
00:11:20This one with her new boyfriend. So police bring him in for an interview as well.
00:11:24Did he have a motive?
00:11:26Jeffrey LeCasse comes in to talk to police willingly three times.
00:11:31He keeps coming back because it seems that he has a story to tell.
00:11:39Your name did come up because you were associated at some point with Wendy.
00:11:44Of course.
00:11:45I spent a lot of time with Wendy.
00:11:47I was in love with this girl, man.
00:11:50I was surprised you guys didn't call me earlier, though,
00:11:51because I probably said a hundred times in public that I like to kick his ass.
00:11:55He's right up front about saying that he didn't like this guy.
00:11:58He also has an ironclad alibi. He was out of town.
00:12:03You know, right away, something clicks in his head.
00:12:07And he seems to say, I think I know what happened.
00:12:11I'm concerned about my safety with what I'm going to tell you, to be honest.
00:12:14So Danny Markel just got killed and I don't want to be next.
00:12:17I'm sorry if that sounds paranoid, but I do have some ideas.
00:12:21In his police interview, LeCasse points to Wendy's family, her parents,
00:12:26and specifically her brother Charlie, the dentist.
00:12:29The family desperately wants her back in South Florida.
00:12:35They hate Danny in a way.
00:12:37I've never seen this kind of obsession.
00:12:41Like their hobby is hating Danny.
00:12:43As police are learning about all this bad blood between the Adelsons and their former in-law,
00:12:48Dan Markel, there's this very telling moment in Wendy's police interview,
00:12:52when she calls her mother to break the news that Dan had been shot.
00:12:57Hi, Mom. How's it going? I need you to sit down.
00:13:00So during this police interview, Wendy tells Donna that Dan has been shot. He's not expected to live.
00:13:09Danny has been shot.
00:13:12There was a point where she was just kind of saying she was relieved to find that her mom
00:13:17was surprised at the news.
00:13:20Well, my parents sounded really surprised, so it's at least a relief. My parents would be angry,
00:13:27but they're not capable of this.
00:13:29And that's not all. Wendy makes this startling comment about something her brother Charlie once said to her.
00:13:34My brother, the one his name is Charlie, the one I'm really close to,
00:13:40he makes a lot of jokes and bad taste, and it was a joke he made.
00:13:43You know, I looked into hiring a hitman, and it was cheaper to get you this TV,
00:13:47so instead I got you this TV. It was my divorce present.
00:13:51Okay.
00:13:52It's such a horrible thing to say.
00:13:57Would you think that this guy Charlie would even be capable of doing something like this?
00:14:01No. It's just talk.
00:14:03He's the Joker.
00:14:04Okay.
00:14:06But Wendy's former boyfriend, Jeff Lacoste,
00:14:08told police that when she related the account to him, there was nothing funny about her.
00:14:13She told me that Charlie had looked into having Danny killed in the summer of 2013.
00:14:18She meant a dead serious.
00:14:21They could just say, I would be investigating Charlie Adelson.
00:14:26I don't know if he did this, but if you're looking at somebody,
00:14:30don't miss him.
00:14:35Meanwhile, Dan's parents rush to Tallahassee, but they're too late.
00:14:40He dies less than 24 hours after being shot.
00:14:46I had wished that I could at least hold his hand before he passed away.
00:14:53I regret that very much.
00:14:57Dan's death was felt by so many.
00:15:00There were headlines all across Florida that covered his death, his murder, and the memorial
00:15:07for him because he touched so many lives.
00:15:10I was unbelievably moved.
00:15:14Just the outpouring of love for him.
00:15:21After Dan was murdered, the children went back to South Florida with Wendy.
00:15:29They're all living their lives down there. The children are growing up.
00:15:32They have adamantly denied any connection to the homicide or any involvement.
00:15:39It appears that the Adelson's get what they wanted after all.
00:15:42Wendy finds a new job in Miami and she enrolls her sons in school there.
00:15:47All this leaving Tallahassee police with just one single lead in the crime scene.
00:15:53You said there was another vehicle that you called driving away?
00:15:56Yes. And it left the scene rapidly. It looked sort of like a Prius.
00:16:13The scene there, the crime scene left no trace of the killers.
00:16:17There was no fingerprints, no DNA, no bullet casing, nothing was stolen.
00:16:23And so police began to suspect that this may be a professional killing.
00:16:28One path is to track down that light-colored Prius that the neighbor saw fleeing from the scene.
00:16:36And it left the scene rapidly. It looked sort of like a Prius.
00:16:40Police take a particular interest in a green Toyota Prius seen at the gym Dan worked out at the morning
00:16:46he was shot.
00:16:47He exercises, comes back out, goes to his car, and the same vehicle, which hasn't left the parking lot,
00:16:55is then seen pulling out of the parking lot, following behind the victim.
00:16:59We also find that car on video on a bus camera pulling into the victim's neighborhood or thereabouts shortly before
00:17:08the murder.
00:17:09And they notice there's a sun pass. It's the toll road pass.
00:17:14When police pulled those toll records, it led them to a hole-in-the-wall rental agency in Miami that
00:17:19rents mostly hybrids.
00:17:20They find a contract was signed, and that leads police to the men who rented that green Prius.
00:17:26Investigators are able to figure out who rented this green Prius.
00:17:30They track it back to the rental application, and on it they see both names, Luis Rivera and Sigfredo Garcia,
00:17:36who is listed as Luis's brother.
00:17:39Sigfredo Garcia was a low-level criminal, had some drug arrests down in Miami.
00:17:45Luis Rivera, however, more of a hardened criminal, more hardened criminal involved in a lot of gang activity.
00:17:52They rented it in their names, with their phone numbers, with a sun pass.
00:17:57They had their phones on while they were driving up there. Essentially, they just wrote a map for the cops.
00:18:06After tracking the two men from Miami all the way to Dan Markell's neighborhood in Tallahassee,
00:18:10investigators are convinced Garcia and Rivera committed the murder.
00:18:15We also have the ATM video where, on the day of the homicide, the two killers are seen driving through
00:18:22an ATM in that Pine Micah Prius.
00:18:26The police, they had a substantial amount of information to begin collecting a warrant to arrest these guys.
00:18:34But the question still not answered is, why?
00:18:38How did these two people, Sigfredo and Luis, have any connection to Dan Markell?
00:18:50They discover that there is a link, and there's a mysterious woman who will be connected to this case.
00:18:57That link is Katie McBanawa. She shares a child with Sigfredo Garcia, and get this, she's the former girlfriend of
00:19:04Charlie Adelson.
00:19:06Katie becomes this conduit, this connection point, between the Adelsons and Dan Markell's murder.
00:19:12Absent her, you have nothing that links any of these people directly.
00:19:18Investigators form a picture of a complicated web involving two accused hitmen, a female go-between, and the Adelson family.
00:19:26So investigators set out to follow the money.
00:19:30Investigators discovered that in the months after the murder, Katie McBanawa received some checks from the Adelson Institute.
00:19:37And she made some rather large cash deposits, and those checks were signed by none other than Donna Adelson.
00:19:44With the Adelsons now firmly on their radar, investigators in South Florida put the family under surveillance.
00:19:52Because it was Donna who signed those checks to Katie, investigators are now wondering if she's the mastermind behind this
00:19:58alleged plot.
00:19:59So they come up with an audacious plan to confront the family matriarch outside her luxury condo building in Miami
00:20:05Beach.
00:20:05She's got sunglasses on, she's got a black crossbody bag, and her hair is pulled back to the ponytail.
00:20:12Donna Adelson is approached on the street by a man she's never seen before.
00:20:17This person turns out to be an undercover FBI agent.
00:20:29And he says that he was the brother of one of the assailants, and that he needed something a little
00:20:36extra to take care of.
00:20:37He helped your family with this problem you guys had up north. He's going through some rough times.
00:20:42The undercover detective says that I want $5,000 for you to help my family.
00:20:55He hands her a piece of paper that has a press release of Dan's murder on it,
00:21:00and it has a phone number for her to call to make that transaction with the money.
00:21:06When Donna calls her son Charlie to tell him what happened, it's a cryptic conversation.
00:21:11I've got some paperwork hand-delivered to me.
00:21:31She doesn't use the words murder or Dan Markell. She just refers to it as,
00:21:37you know about it, we'll talk later. It may have to do with the two of us.
00:21:42And Donna eventually calls the undercover agent.
00:21:46Hello?
00:21:47I have to tell you, I mean, this is important. I have been so stressed out because I don't
00:21:54know your friend who is in jail. I've never met him.
00:21:58Let's stop f***ing around, okay? You know who Katie is. And you know that Katie has somebody
00:22:04that knows Tato. And they took care of a problem for you people. You talk to the right people,
00:22:09you talk to people, you make this 5K come to me. That's all I need. Just do it and get
00:22:14it to me.
00:22:14I'll call you back. Bye.
00:22:17Despite those suspicious-sounding phone calls, prosecutors ultimately feel they don't have
00:22:21enough evidence to move forward against Katie or any of the Adelsons, but they do have more than
00:22:26enough to pull the trigger on arresting the suspected hitmen.
00:22:29One of the men accused of killing FSU law professor Dan Markell is now behind bars.
00:22:34On May 25th, 2016, the news breaks in Tallahassee.
00:22:38Sigfredo Garcia is arrested for the murder of Dan Markell.
00:22:41And soon after, Luis Rivera is also charged for the murder.
00:22:46We can provide additional information regarding this investigation.
00:22:51Just eight days later, police released the probable cause affidavit for Sigfredo Garcia.
00:22:56In it, investigators allege his involvement in this murder stemmed from the desperate desire
00:23:01of the Adelson family to relocate Wendy and the children to South Florida.
00:23:08It's all over the news. So there's some feeling of, oh, wow.
00:23:13We just pray that those involved have to pay the price for what they've done.
00:23:18Then, in October 2016, there's this dramatic breakthrough.
00:23:24Prosecutors announce a plea deal with Luis Rivera.
00:23:26They say he's ready to reveal who else he says was involved in Dan Markell's murder.
00:23:32The facts are why you're going to kill me back.
00:23:44Before she was at the center of a murder investigation.
00:23:47And we now meet Donna Adelson from Coral Springs, Florida.
00:23:51I want to hear all about you, Donna. Let's go.
00:23:52Donna Adelson was center stage on Wheel of Fortune in October 1989.
00:23:57Donna.
00:23:58F.
00:23:59Yes.
00:24:00Mischief maker.
00:24:01Yeah, that's it.
00:24:02But now, Donna is suspected of making much more than just mischief.
00:24:10Excuse me, Mrs. Adelson?
00:24:12Investigators have targeted Donna Adelson as the alleged mastermind in a murder-for-hire plot
00:24:17against her own former son-in-law, Dan Markell. But to make the case against her,
00:24:22investigators have to construct a trail leading from the two alleged hitmen directly to the Adelson family.
00:24:28It's a murder case. And you can compare it, I would say, to a major drug deal. You get the
00:24:33lower
00:24:33hanging fruit, right? The people selling the drugs, they're selling it, but they're getting it from
00:24:38somewhere. They went up the ladder like you would do in a drug case.
00:24:43And in 2016, the first domino was about to fall. One of those alleged hitmen, Luis Rivera,
00:24:50decides to take a plea deal and confesses in exchange for a lesser sentence of second-degree murder.
00:24:58You solemnly swear or affirm that the evidence you are about to give me is the truth,
00:25:03the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
00:25:04Yes, sir.
00:25:06But Donna's name never comes up when he reveals what he claims his friend Sigfredo Garcia told him
00:25:11before they killed Dan Markell together.
00:25:14And he showed you a picture of Markell.
00:25:16Oh, Markell.
00:25:17And said y'all were going to go kill him.
00:25:18Mm-hmm.
00:25:20Rivera says they've already been given $5,000 in traveling expenses
00:25:23from a mysterious person that Garcia would only refer to as the lady.
00:25:28If I ask him why you're going to go kill him back, because the lady wants your two kids back.
00:25:34The Rivera plea deal was important, because although he was a gang member and part of this
00:25:40murder, everything he said was corroborated by the other evidence.
00:25:44Where the Markell's house, Garcia jumps out, goes around the car, where he's driving,
00:25:48shot him twice, got in the car, we left.
00:25:51He calls Katie, thank you very much.
00:25:54We had dumped the gun, and he said, everything is done.
00:25:58Make sure you have my money. I'm on my way.
00:26:01Once Luis Rivera starts talking and gives all of this information to police,
00:26:06they now have enough to bring down their next suspect, Catherine McBanua.
00:26:12Well, who is Catherine McBanua? Well, oh, she happened to be Charlie's ex-girlfriend.
00:26:18She was the connection between Charlie Adelson and those two hit men that actually came up to
00:26:23Tallahassee to murder Dan. Police in Florida arresting a single mom,
00:26:28accusing her of arranging the killing of a prominent Florida state law professor.
00:26:32Which brings us to the trial. Both Sigfredo Garcia and Katie McBanua
00:26:57are on trial, but it seems like the prosecution is intent on making a case against Charlie
00:27:06too. For example, listen to Wendy Adelson herself, subpoenaed by the state,
00:27:11as she testifies about Katie and Charlie.
00:27:15Did you say how you know who's McBanua?
00:27:18She was dating my brother.
00:27:20Is it fair to say that your brother is very protective of you?
00:27:23I think that's fair to say.
00:27:25Did he ever joke about hiring a hit man?
00:27:27He did make that joke.
00:27:29Then, perhaps the most critical testimony about Charlie
00:27:32comes from his former girlfriend, Katie McBanua herself.
00:27:36General, at this time, the defense calls Captain McBanua to the time.
00:27:41Testifying in her own defense, Katie takes the stand and denies she had any involvement in the plot.
00:27:46Did you have anything to do with the murder of Dan Markell?
00:27:50No, ma'am.
00:27:51Did you get the father of your children, Mr. Garcia, to commit a murder on behalf of Mr. Charlie Adelson?
00:28:01No, ma'am.
00:28:02But look who she does implicate, her former boyfriend, Charlie.
00:28:07Based on everything you've seen, do you think Charlie was involved in this?
00:28:10Yes.
00:28:12Despite her denials, eventually, both McBanua and Garcia are convicted on all charges.
00:28:16But the next domino is about to fall.
00:28:18Prosecutors waste no time working their way up that proverbial ladder,
00:28:23alleging that Charlie Adelson hired those two hit men to drive to Tallahassee to kill Dan Markell.
00:28:31And a big step to building that case comes in early 2022. New evidence against Charlie,
00:28:37a secretly recorded videotape of a meeting years earlier between him and Katie Magbanua
00:28:43and a South Florida restaurant.
00:28:46Technology allowed the FBI to enhance the audio years after the recording,
00:28:49but you still have to listen carefully to make it out.
00:29:11He's saying if I thought they had enough evidence, I'd be at the airport suggesting that he would skip town
00:29:17if he thought there was more evidence out there against him.
00:29:21A grand jury has now indicted Charlie Adelson in Markell's death.
00:29:26Charlie is arrested. Adelson is charged with first-degree murder,
00:29:31conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation to commit murder. He pleads not guilty to all charges.
00:29:37From inside the Leon County Detention Facility,
00:29:39Charlie Adelson made his first appearance before Leon County Judge Tuesday.
00:29:43Now Charlie will go on trial himself, but before he does, his defense attorney drops a bombshell.
00:29:49Charlie is going to take the stand, leaving everyone to wonder,
00:29:53might he implicate someone else in the family to save his own skin?
00:30:06Prosecutors have long believed there was a larger conspiracy to kill Dan Markell,
00:30:10with Donna Adelson as the ringleader. But on one October day in 2023,
00:30:14it's her son Charlie they put on trial for his role.
00:30:17This defendant carried out his plan to hire a hitman to kill Dan Markell. He conspired and he solicited
00:30:27Catherine McBanois to get this murder done.
00:30:30They tell jurors that everything Charlie did, including plotting and payments,
00:30:36involves his mother, Donna. Donna is the overbearing matriarch who nags everyone to death.
00:30:42And this defendant fancied himself the savior of this family. Equal parts black sheep and mama's boy.
00:30:49I was in courtroom 3G for Charlie Adelson's trial to watch the prosecution make their case
00:30:56against him. I don't think that Tallahassee has seen a bigger story than this.
00:31:01Many people knew Dan Markell and many people knew Wendy Adelson as well.
00:31:07And a key part of the prosecution's case, the already convicted Katie McBanois takes the stand.
00:31:13Remember, in her own trial, she had denied being part of the plot. Now she does a complete 180.
00:31:19You may take your seat. She testifies she was in on the murder all along. And she claims it was
00:31:24orchestrated by Charlie starting nine months before the actual killing. He got in the car with me and he
00:31:33asked me a question. Do you know anybody that can harm someone? And did you know anybody that can harm
00:31:39someone? Yes, ma'am, I did. Who was that? Sigfredo. So you knew that the person that was going to
00:31:45be
00:31:46initially harmed was Wendy's husband? Yes, ma'am. Katie also testifies about how she says Charlie
00:31:53directed her to transfer the money to the hitman. And where did you get the money from to do that?
00:32:00From Charlie Adelson. It's compelling testimony against Charlie, but his defense attorney,
00:32:05Daniel Rashbaum, has a shocking explanation for jurors. He tells them Charlie wasn't part of the
00:32:10plot to kill Dan Markell. Instead, he was a victim of extortion that happened after the killing.
00:32:17You will learn that Charlie Adelson was told if he didn't pay within the next 48 hours,
00:32:22he or one of his family members would be next. It was a jaw drop moment. I'm scratching my head
00:32:30thinking, is that going to work? Is that going to fly in this courtroom? Is the defense ready to call
00:32:36its next witness? Yes, your honor. We call Charlie Adelson. This is the biggest moment of the trial.
00:32:43Charlie testifying in his own defense. Please raise your right hand. The defense attorney wanted to have
00:32:49him on the stand as long as possible to really show these jurors all of the details. How do you
00:32:55feel
00:32:55right now? I'm really nervous. My whole life depends on it. The whole key was going to be
00:33:02his testimony. It was going to be Charlie's testimony and then cross-examination. She's like,
00:33:08just come sit down. I need to talk to you. Katie denies it, but Adelson tells the jury about a
00:33:13conversation with Meg Banua the night of the murder. He claims she said that Danny Markell's killers knew
00:33:19that Adelson's had money and the murder was to get at that cash. If he didn't agree to pay them
00:33:25off,
00:33:25he and his family would be next. And I'm like, Katie, I'm not going to be part of paying for
00:33:30a murder. This is insane. And she's like, look, if you don't pay in 48 hours, they will kill you.
00:33:38That's why Adelson testifies he paid her. That night, he says he gave Katie $138,000 from his safe.
00:33:46Over the months that followed, he admits he paid Katie thousands more and asked his mother,
00:33:50Donna to put Katie on the payroll at the family dental practice. She said,
00:33:55was Katie going to be coming into the office? Is she going to start working for us?
00:33:59And I said, no, she's not. According to Charlie, Donna knew about the alleged extortion,
00:34:04and that's why she signed all those checks made out to Katie. On cross,
00:34:08the prosecutors poke holes in that explanation like a pinata.
00:34:12Do extortionists send a girlfriend of their victim to collect their extortion money? Is that the way
00:34:21it's done, doctor? I'm telling you what happened to me. And I was told that if I didn't pay in
00:34:2748
00:34:28hours, I would be killed. Georgia Kappelman asked Charlie, if he was so afraid, why did he buy Katie
00:34:33a series of gifts? Did you offer to buy Katherine Magbanoa and her mom a cruise? Yes. Did you pay
00:34:40for
00:34:40a meal service for Katherine Magbanoa? Yeah, I did. Did you pay for car repairs for her? Yeah. Are these
00:34:49gifts what it took to secure her silence for so long? No, absolutely not. I was never trying
00:34:55to get her silence. I was hoping she'd tell the truth. But listen to what happens when Wendy Adelson
00:35:03herself is asked about Charlie's extortion story. When did you learn that Katherine Magbanoa was
00:35:10blackmailing your brother for the murder of your ex-husband? Today. So he never told you? No.
00:35:18Wendy goes on to testify that despite the state never clearing her, she was not involved in the
00:35:23plot against Dan. Ms. Adelson, did you have anything to do with the murder of your ex-husband? Absolutely
00:35:29not. It's fair to say the state has it wrong? Absolutely. But now it's up to the jury. Will they
00:35:37buy Charlie's defense? If this was a murder for Hyde, why was payment not made before? See,
00:35:46because he had no idea it was going to happen. That's the only thing that makes sense. He didn't do
00:35:53it. He didn't conspire to do it. He didn't solicit. Even his own sister doesn't believe this load he's
00:36:01trying to send you all. In her closing arguments, Prosecutor Georgia Kappelman takes the jury back to
00:36:08the motive for the murder. So who did it appear had a motive to want Dan Markell dead? His own
00:36:15family.
00:36:17Wendy appears to be the weakling of the pack. She needs to be saved by Donna and the defendant.
00:36:22The evidence has shown that Dan Markell was a major problem for Wendy, and that meant he was a major
00:36:29problem for Donna, who in turn made Dan Markell a major problem for this defendant.
00:36:38And it's soon apparent the jury has little trouble deciding. After just three hours,
00:36:43they're back on the verdict. When the verdict was read, the tension in the courtroom, you could feel it.
00:36:50We, the jury, find as follows as to count one of the indictment, first degree murder. The defendant is
00:36:56guilty of first degree murder. Charlie Edelson is also found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and
00:37:03solicitation to commit murder. He looked devastated, deflated.
00:37:11Could you just describe the moment for us? Unbelievable. Joy, happiness. So long.
00:37:21In the aftermath of Charlie Edelson's conviction, everyone is wondering,
00:37:26is this the end? And the reaction from the prosecution is simply, stay tuned.
00:37:33Is the investigation still going on? Yes, yes.
00:37:37With four convictions already in the books, it's clear who prosecutors now have squarely in their
00:37:42sights. She's running scared. But can she outrun her own estranged son coming forward to testify
00:37:48against her? Could you tell us your name, please? Sure. Robert Todd Adelson, A-D-E-L-S-O-N.
00:38:07You can't make it up. The victim has gone down like nothing. That someone thinks they can do this crime
00:38:17and get away with it.
00:38:18I didn't know there was a warrant. Aren't they supposed to be informed?
00:38:22No. We don't alert murderers that there's a warrant out for their arrest or alleged murderers.
00:38:27Now, an all-new look inside a trial the country couldn't stop watching. Is this grandmother the
00:38:33mastermind behind murder? Never in a million years would I have wanted Danny to be harmed or killed.
00:38:39A key witness who's speaking for the first time? And how did Donna Adelson feel about Dan Markell?
00:38:46I mean, she hated him. You have a son testifying against his own mother. She's just being a parent,
00:38:54not a killer. She's a meddler, not a murderer. Does a typical Jewish grandmother suggest dressing her
00:39:02grandchildren up in Nazi uniforms? Not to my knowledge. I couldn't believe this was happening.
00:39:07If I had become aware of this plan before Danny was murdered, I would have stopped it.
00:39:13Do we need to stay tuned?
00:39:15We need to stay tuned.
00:39:18Not one single thing that said anything about wanting Danny Markell killed.
00:39:34Tallahassee has not seen a bigger story than this. The Dan Markell case seems like something out of a
00:39:38television series. Charlie Adelson conspired with Catherine McBanawha to hire hitmen to drive up to
00:39:45Tallahassee to kill Dan Markell. And a jury finds Charlie guilty in just a matter of hours.
00:39:52The defendant is guilty of first-degree murder. The biggest question on everyone's mind after that
00:39:59conviction was, who's next? Is the prosecution going to go after Donna Adelson?
00:40:10This is a prepaid collect call from Charlie. An incarcerated individual at the Leon County Jail.
00:40:19This call is not private. It will be recorded and may be monitored.
00:40:24In the days after Charlie Adelson's conviction for the murder of Dan Markell,
00:40:28there's a flurry of calls between Charlie and his mom, Donna.
00:40:33They painted a picture without evidence. That's what they did.
00:40:38I was upset. I was in shock. I just put my head down for a second and then take my
00:40:42head back off.
00:40:43In 24 hours, I went from feeling like I was ready to win the suit full.
00:40:48Yeah.
00:40:48I was fighting after I got cancer.
00:40:50They blamed the legal system. It wasn't the legal system's fault. The evidence was the evidence.
00:40:56But there's no out of this.
00:41:03But that's what happens when you commit crimes. People commit the crimes, but they don't want to do the time.
00:41:12Investigators in these recorded calls, they hear one that seems to take an ominous turn.
00:41:18Charlie, Charlie, can you hear me? Can you hear me?
00:41:23Donna's on the phone with her son, Charlie, and she understands that he has disconnected from the line,
00:41:29but she doesn't fully hang up the phone on her end. She puts the phone down, but it continues to
00:41:36record,
00:41:36even as she's having conversations in her house with other people.
00:41:40You can trust what she's saying at that point is probably the most truth she's ever going to say.
00:41:45And she does. She spills. It's clear. She's ready to end her life.
00:41:49I can't. I can't push it. I'm not that strong. And I'm wondering willing to just say goodbye.
00:41:55We bought our cemetery property a couple months ago. We're good. I'm good. Leave a note.
00:42:01They'll know when to come and care. And we'll do it together.
00:42:05And then, still being recorded, Donna bears her soul, complaining the life she envisioned with
00:42:10her beloved grandchildren isn't all she'd imagined it would be.
00:42:13When they need us to babysit. So we've been really good nannies. And I guess our job is up.
00:42:19Because now the boys are older, so she doesn't need grandma and grandpa.
00:42:23Pretty hurtful. I have one son that I don't speak with. I have one son and his husband's dead.
00:42:30I don't get it. I said to Harvey, I swear to God, our family was cursed.
00:42:35It was absolutely cursed. And I don't know how to take care of it anymore.
00:42:40Sounding desperate and alone, Donna on that same recording now suggests the best thing to do
00:42:45might be to leave the country and fast.
00:42:49There's a lot of things that we have to do and we've got a very tight time frame.
00:42:53We've been looking it up over and over. Things change if there is extradition from Vietnam.
00:43:00Because we've looked at all the places. I mean, I could go to Korea and China, but
00:43:04there's no extradition. But we're looking for places where there's no extradition.
00:43:08Before Donna makes her exit, she's heard on that recorded call,
00:43:12making plans to share important documents with her daughter, Wendy.
00:43:16We're going to be gone. I want her to have all this information. I have the cemetery property.
00:43:21I want her to see all that. I want her to have all these papers and the wills. I want
00:43:26her to see all this.
00:43:29What investigators learn is that she has this one-way ticket.
00:43:32Donna Adelson along with her husband, Harvey, they arrive at the Miami International Airport,
00:43:38planning to take this flight to Vietnam with a stop in Dubai.
00:43:43She had booked the flight one way. They hurriedly went to the judge and had the judge sign the warrant
00:43:50for arrest.
00:43:54With help from the FBI, local police converge on Miami International Airport to make that now
00:43:59infamous arrest.
00:44:06Final destination is Vietnam. And based on the allegations and the evidence in this case,
00:44:11it appears she was going there specifically because Vietnam is not a country with an extradition treaty
00:44:17with the United States. Somebody fleeing from a crime scene can be interpreted as consciousness of
00:44:24guilt. Where you flee or you do something that evidences your guilt. And the jury instruction is
00:44:29you can infer guilt from that conduct. And it's very damaging. And that ticket was a one-way ticket.
00:44:36Right. One of the fascinating things about murder cases, especially conspiracies,
00:44:40is it usually is their first rodeo. So they will do a series of things that are smart,
00:44:45and then everything after that is done. And this case is a perfect example.
00:44:52Donna talks with the officer about the warrant that was issued for her, both curious and also
00:44:57protesting. I didn't know there was a warrant. How would I know that? Aren't they supposed to inform
00:45:03that there was a warrant? And of course, the answer to that is no, we don't alert murderers that
00:45:10there's a warrant out for their arrest or alleged murderers.
00:45:14Now, the only trip she's about to take is to the Leon County jail, the polar opposite of her former
00:45:20luxury high rise. And now Donna's worried if she'll even make it to trial.
00:45:27My son came up behind me, pulled my left hand away from the sink, twisted my arm. She's a big
00:45:34woman,
00:45:34and I was afraid of her.
00:45:47Handcuffed to a bench, everything is gray and gray because that is, that's the future in custody.
00:45:53The evidence against this woman is extremely powerful.
00:45:57Donna Adelson was booked into the Miami-Dade County jail tonight on an out-of-county warrant.
00:46:02The arrest comes one week after a jury found Charlie Adelson guilty of orchestrating the fatal shooting
00:46:07of his former brother-in-law, Dan Markell.
00:46:16More than a year passes as Donna waits for trial charged with first-degree murder,
00:46:22conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and solicitation to commit first-degree murder.
00:46:28At a bond hearing February of 2025, the 74-year-old matriarch whose residence had been a Tony Miami
00:46:35condo tells a judge the Leon County detention facility is no luxury hotel.
00:46:41Can you describe the conditions inside the annex, please?
00:46:45There are 66 women all in bunk beds, all open. You're kind of one on top of the next. There's
00:46:53no
00:46:53separation at all. And it's not just the grim living conditions. She's also apparently unhappy
00:47:00about what jail food has done to her once-trimmed figure.
00:47:04I've gained more than a third of my body weight here. The diet is all carbs, no protein. And,
00:47:13you know, when you get, you get spaghetti with mashed potatoes, cornbread and white bread,
00:47:18that's your dinner. Donna also claims she's been the target of intimidation
00:47:22and assault by fellow inmates. I do want to talk to you then about some physical
00:47:29issues that have taken place in the jail. The first one I want to talk about is an incident that
00:47:34took
00:47:34place in the shower. I was washing my hair and all of a sudden someone came up behind me
00:47:41and pulled my left hand away from the sink and twisted my arm. I said, what are you doing?
00:47:53And she's in the same breath that she did that with my arm? She said, you're going to buy me
00:47:58commissary.
00:48:00I said, I'm going to what? And she said, unless you want those pretty white teeth knocked out of your
00:48:07mouth, you're going to buy me commissary. So I said, okay, okay.
00:48:13And I know that you don't want to talk about who, who did this to you because why?
00:48:18There's one thing I've learned since I'm there is you don't, and the word is snitch. You don't
00:48:25snitch. You don't sell on anyone because you'll be sorry. She's a big, she's a big woman and I was
00:48:32afraid of her.
00:48:34Pleading for release five months before her trial and insisting she's not a flight risk,
00:48:39Donna now offers an explanation for the purchase of those infamous one-way tickets to Vietnam.
00:48:45My husband and I were literally shocked and traumatized at what had happened to Charlie.
00:48:55And he said, we need to just get some peace. We need some, sweetheart. Let's go just get away.
00:49:02We're going to just get away somewhere so we can have some time to think.
00:49:06Not surprisingly, the state is a bit skeptical. Okay. So your testimony is that you weren't
00:49:13trying to go to Vietnam because you wouldn't be able to be extradited from there.
00:49:18It's because I don't know, maybe we watch too much TV or too many movies, but I've seen movies where
00:49:26people are stuck in like third world prisons and waiting and waiting and waiting. And my feeling was
00:49:35that this is not what we want to happen. If we, if, if the state says they want us to
00:49:41come back,
00:49:41we'll buy a ticket. We'll come back on our own terms. We don't have to be sitting in a jail
00:49:46somewhere. We'll come back home and turn ourselves in. But jail is exactly where the judge rules Donna
00:49:53will have to stay until her trial, which begins in August of 2025. Now 11 years after her former son
00:50:00-in-law
00:50:00was gunned down. After multiple delays and attorney changes, we are now here
00:50:08at the start of the Donna Adelson trial. Adelson has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
00:50:21Everyone can be seated.
00:50:26Good morning, members of the jury. Thank you.
00:50:31Day one of the trial, seeing the amount of media that was there, there was sort of this like nervous
00:50:37apprehension of what's going to happen. Who is the state going to call? Is there going to be
00:50:41a new piece of evidence we haven't seen or a new witness that we haven't seen?
00:50:45Is the state prepared to give its opening statement at this time? You may proceed.
00:50:51You will see that this defendant conspired with her son, Charlie Adelson, who solicited his girlfriend,
00:51:00Catherine McBanois, to get this murder done. And then this defendant paid her with cash, with checks,
00:51:06for the job. And these acts make her guilty as a principal to first-degree murder, just as if
00:51:14she was the one pulling the trigger in the garage herself.
00:51:18Is the defense prepared to give its opening statement at this time?
00:51:22Yes, Judge.
00:51:23You may proceed.
00:51:25I want to talk to you now about my client, Donna Adelson.
00:51:30Donna Adelson. She is a normal person. People who know Donna will tell you that she is not the
00:51:41person that the state is portraying her to be. She's kind, caring, loving. She cares more about people
00:51:52than she does about herself. The state has a theory. And for the past nine years, they have told
00:52:01the whole world that Mrs. Adelson was the reason that this happened. Without any evidence, only motive
00:52:10and theory, they put her at the top of this pyramid. She's the matriarch. She's the matriarch
00:52:18mastermind behind Danny being killed. And they don't have evidence of that.
00:52:24Over the next two weeks, jurors will hear testimony from a parade of witnesses, including many of the
00:52:30same ones called to testify in the previous trials. They include investigators, forensic examiners,
00:52:37the convicted hitmen, Katie McVanua, and even Wendy Adelson. But there's also a new witness who may
00:52:43surprise you. One we've never heard from in this whole saga. Please raise your right hand to be sworn.
00:52:49Donna's a strange son, Rob Adelson.
00:53:02Good morning, members of the jury.
00:53:05Every day, Tallahassee courtroom 3G is packed as the now 75-year-old family matriarch,
00:53:11Donna Adelson is on trial. Everyone can be seated. Courtroom 3G was so busy for the entirety of the
00:53:19trial. The energy in the courtroom was tense, but also there was a kind of nervous excitement about it.
00:53:27This murder was set into motion because back in 2014, this defendant's family had a big problem.
00:53:34And the big problem was Dan Markell. Prosecutors lay out their case against Donna. Those nasty
00:53:40emails attacking Dan over the custody battle, that undercover sting video, and those payment
00:53:45checks written out to Katie and signed by Donna. But then, anticipation in the courtroom ratchets
00:53:51up to a whole new level when the prosecution calls a brand new witness.
00:53:57Please raise your right hand to be sworn. Donna Adelson's eldest son, Rob Adelson, walks into the courtroom.
00:54:06You have a son testifying against his own mother. Rob Adelson is estranged from his family. When he
00:54:14wanted to marry someone who wasn't Jewish, it was something that they didn't approve, and that created
00:54:18friction in the family. This is his first time ever testifying. We haven't heard from him before.
00:54:25Would you describe Donna Adelson's personality as being more, uh, controlling or more laid back?
00:54:32I think more on the controlling side. I think she had certain sort of rigid fixed, um, ideas or
00:54:37impressions for what she wanted for us. And, uh, you know, if you went along with that, things were
00:54:41fine. If you didn't, things were not fine. And Rob testifies that his mother was clearly not fine
00:54:47with her son-in-law, Dan Markell, after his divorce from Wendy.
00:54:51And how did Donna Adelson feel about Dan Markell in 2014?
00:54:57I mean, she, she hated him. Rob also testifies that after Dan Markell's murder,
00:55:04he got a call from Donna warning him not to talk to law enforcement.
00:55:08She had called me and said, you know, I just want to let you know, you know,
00:55:10if the police come around, um, you know, don't talk to him.
00:55:14Did you let her know that you already had talked to law enforcement?
00:55:17I said, I already did.
00:55:18What'd she say to that?
00:55:19She said, oh, well, you don't know anything anyway.
00:55:21You don't, you don't know anything anyway?
00:55:22Correct.
00:55:24Rob Adelson testified that Donna Adelson had a complete lack of curiosity
00:55:29about the person behind the murder of Dan Markell.
00:55:34After the murder of Dan Markell, did Donna Adelson seem curious about who killed Dan Markell?
00:55:40No.
00:55:41Did you actually ever ask her, like, after the murder, like, hey, like, what do you think happened?
00:55:46Yeah. And I said, you know, what do you guys think happened? And she had said, you know,
00:55:51I don't know and I don't care. It doesn't concern me.
00:55:54Rob testifies that seemingly lack of concern about the case continued even after the two hitmen were
00:56:00arrested.
00:56:01So I finally approached the top and said they arrested someone who killed Danny.
00:56:05Um, you know, there's no response. And then I said it, you know, at least two or three times that,
00:56:11you know, they actually, they arrested, they made an arrest. They got the guy who killed Danny.
00:56:15Yeah. And then her response was, you know, I've got to go.
00:56:20That was the last time I spoke to her.
00:56:22The prosecution then brings forward two more bombshell witnesses.
00:56:27Two of Donna Adelson's fellow inmates now turned jailhouse snitches.
00:56:35According to these inmates, Donna promised them in exchange for positive testimony,
00:56:40everything from cash, veneers, health care, property, even prescription drugs.
00:56:47Did you ever outright ask her whether she did what she's accused of?
00:56:53I did.
00:56:54And what did she say to that?
00:56:56She said she did. It was to keep her grandkids, but it wasn't supposed to go that far.
00:57:03The reaction in the courtroom was audible. There was a gasp. There was a, an emotional reaction.
00:57:09But on cross-examination, the defense gets burned to admit that Donna never stated that she
00:57:13actually carried through on her plans.
00:57:16Haven't you previously said that Ms. Adelson, my client, did not plan the murder?
00:57:21Drina Bernhardt, hurry. Please call your next witness.
00:57:25The other fellow inmate of Donna's who takes the stand is Drina Bernhardt.
00:57:32She too says she became close to Donna in jail, but went to authorities after she claims Donna
00:57:39asked her to lie on the stand for her. One of the key pieces of evidence during Drina Bernhardt's
00:57:44testimony was a notebook that she had while she was incarcerated. And inside that,
00:57:50that was Donna's handwriting with what she wanted Drina to say on the stand. Almost like a question
00:57:57and answer script.
00:57:58Is this the script that was prepared for you by Ms. Adelson?
00:58:02Yes, ma'am, it is.
00:58:05Whose handwriting is this on this first page?
00:58:09That's Donna's Ms. Adelson.
00:58:10Okay, so she wrote this in your notebook?
00:58:14Yes, ma'am.
00:58:15And what is it you're supposed to do with this information?
00:58:19I was supposed to study it and answer it correctly on the stand for her.
00:58:27Drina testifies that one of those passages was an invented conversation between Donna and Katie
00:58:33about that supposed extortion plot.
00:58:35Charlie was scared and easy to extort. What a stupid fool. He believed her that she was keeping him
00:58:43safe from the killers. Ha ha, what a joke. Is that the type of language that Catherine McBanawell would use?
00:58:52No.
00:58:53The defense claims that Drina had a lot to gain by testifying on the state's behalf
00:58:59to try and get a reduced sentence.
00:59:01You are facing 15 years mandatory day-for-day sentencing, unless you can reach an agreement
00:59:07with the state.
00:59:08Correct.
00:59:09And then you meet Donna Adelson.
00:59:11Correct.
00:59:12You're getting out of jail free card.
00:59:14I don't have an answer to that.
00:59:16The prosecution rests their case.
00:59:19That's what that must take rests.
00:59:21The members of the jury who are willing to take our break in the trial at this point.
00:59:25And now it's the defense's turn. Do they have a trick up their sleeve? Because it sure looks
00:59:31like Donna's feeling good about her chances.
00:59:47It's day 10 inside of the courtroom and it's the first time the defense is going to present their case.
00:59:55But before even starting, without the jury present, the defense takes a bold step.
01:00:00They asked the judge to dismiss some of the charges.
01:00:04The emails, text messages, testimony. No one has said that my client solicited anybody to commit work.
01:00:13What the defense is claiming is that the prosecution hasn't presented any evidence
01:00:18that Donna was actually involved in this murder plot before it happened.
01:00:22Fenting about how somebody is treating their daughter is not the same as asking somebody to
01:00:27have them killed. The harassment report. Grant judgment of acquittal on counts one and count three.
01:00:35Judges rarely grant these kinds of motions because they don't want to take the decision away from the jury.
01:00:41While there is a lot of circumstantial evidence and inferences in this case, there is also direct evidence.
01:00:47And in this case, after hearing from prosecutors, that's just what happened.
01:00:51The motion for judgment of acquittal will be denied at this time.
01:00:55So the jury returns to the courtroom and the defense starts calling witnesses.
01:00:59And these are essentially friends of Donna Adelson's who are all talking about
01:01:04her good character and how she's a good person.
01:01:07Do you describe Donna as a typical Jewish grandmother?
01:01:11More than typical.
01:01:13And a typical Jewish mother?
01:01:15Yes.
01:01:16Have you ever heard her threaten anyone?
01:01:18Never.
01:01:19Have you ever seen her harm anyone?
01:01:21Never.
01:01:21Have you ever heard her threaten to have somebody harmed?
01:01:24No.
01:01:24The defense is trying to make Donna look as sympathetic as they can for the jury,
01:01:28but prosecutors can attack that image on cross-examination.
01:01:32Does a typical Jewish grandmother suggest dressing her grandchildren up in Nazi uniforms?
01:01:39Not to my knowledge.
01:01:41Did she talk to you about plans to threaten or to convert the children to Christianity
01:01:47in order to strong arm Mr. Markell?
01:01:49She mentioned that she had said that, and she said, that was so foolish of me.
01:01:55Those friends go on to testify about what they say they saw
01:01:58after Donna's son Charlie was convicted.
01:02:01Was she upset?
01:02:02Yes.
01:02:03She cried a lot.
01:02:05Just incredibly sad.
01:02:07She was considering taking her own life.
01:02:13Because of that, the defense is sticking to that story that
01:02:16Donna wanted to go to Vietnam to clear her head.
01:02:19A temporary vacation as those friends go on to testify.
01:02:23And I suggested, since you don't know when you're coming back until sometime in January,
01:02:29book a one-way, said I'd be willing to bet it's cheaper to fly from Vietnam to United States
01:02:34than it is from the United States to Vietnam.
01:02:38The one-way ticket was not them fleeing the country,
01:02:41because they had to come back for a bar mitzvah that was scheduled.
01:02:45They didn't know how long they were going to be gone.
01:02:46But they were coming back for the bar mitzvah.
01:02:49Oh, definitely. They wouldn't miss it for the world.
01:02:52Once again, prosecutors pointedly challenged the testimony on cross-examination.
01:02:57And when she went to Vietnam or was trying to go to Vietnam to clear her head, she was going
01:03:03to clear
01:03:04her head in a non-extradition country. Can you agree with that?
01:03:07I wasn't aware it was non-extradition.
01:03:11Remember, the defense just needs to convince at least one juror that there's reasonable doubt,
01:03:15that the story is not what the prosecutors claimed.
01:03:19For example, that whole divorce custody case, that supposedly highly charged fight that
01:03:25prosecutors claim led to the murder, the defense calls Wendy's divorce lawyer.
01:03:30Would you call her divorce a bitter custody battle?
01:03:34I would not. A run-of-the-mill kind of parenting issue kind of case.
01:03:40And then a lawyer who was not involved, but who the defense hired to review the records of the case.
01:03:46It was settled amicably, and everybody was moving on with their lives.
01:03:52And quickly?
01:03:53Yes.
01:03:54It appeared my client accepted that Wendy was going to be staying in Tallahassee.
01:04:01Yes. It was done.
01:04:03To you, it might not seem like a big deal.
01:04:05But to the parties, it might be the most important thing in the whole wide world.
01:04:09There was a really heated cross-examination by the prosecution, really focusing on the fact that
01:04:13it might not be contentious for her, who practices law every day, but it is contentious for the two
01:04:20people involved in this case when what's at stake is the custody of their children.
01:04:24You would not say that divorce and child custody issues are emotionally charged?
01:04:30They can be. But in this case, they weren't.
01:04:33They weren't? How do you know from the pleadings?
01:04:37Still, as the defense case goes on, Donna appears in good spirits.
01:04:47There's actually body camera footage of an officer escorting Donna to court,
01:04:51and she's all smiles as she arrives in a wheelchair.
01:04:54Yeah.
01:04:56You got a big day.
01:04:58Yeah, you know, judge me not like that.
01:05:02There was a lot of questioning about, is Donna going to testify? Are we going to hear from her
01:05:08for the first time and hear in her own words what happened?
01:05:12That's going to require some additional conversations.
01:05:15But when the lawyers tell the judge Donna still hasn't decided if she wants to testify,
01:05:19the judge calls a halt to the proceedings. He gives the jurors a long lunch break.
01:05:24So Donna's going to have plenty of time to make up her mind.
01:05:26Everyone can be seated.
01:05:28When court resumes.
01:05:31Concerning those rights as to whether you will remain silent or whether you will testify,
01:05:36have you made a decision concerning this matter?
01:05:40I haven't. I'm not prepared to make that decision.
01:05:43This decision affects the rest of my life.
01:05:46I couldn't believe this was happening. I can't believe that we're here and we're still waiting for
01:05:50her to make a decision. Mrs. Edelson, you're in the same position as every other criminal
01:05:55defendant who faces trial. Ultimately, you must decide whether you will testify
01:06:00or whether you will not. I will give you exactly five additional minutes.
01:06:21Mrs. Edelson, Ms. Fulford, Ms. Edelson, the extra time that you have been provided,
01:06:27that has come to a conclusion.
01:06:28Those five minutes the judge gave Donna to decide if she's going to testify are now over.
01:06:33Her answer may be the most hotly anticipated moment of the whole trial.
01:06:38As it relates to your right to remain silent and your right to testify,
01:06:44what is your decision concerning those two rights?
01:06:47I just remember that it being seconds of silence, complete and utter silence. And you're seeing people
01:06:54craning to see what she's doing, what she's seeing, what she's thinking. What is she going to say?
01:07:00Then, finally, Donna answers softly.
01:07:04At this time, I don't want you to accept it.
01:07:07Donna is not going to tell her side, not going to subject herself to cross-examination.
01:07:13And with that, the defense rests. The state calls no rebuttal witnesses.
01:07:18And so the next day, it's on to the closing arguments.
01:07:23Well, this is Dan Markell. He's the victim in this case. A son, a brother, a colleague,
01:07:32but most of all, a father.
01:07:34The prosecutor, Georgia Kappelman, she begins her closing argument where she's telling this jury that
01:07:40Dan Markell, he's the victim here, he's the center, and that he was someone who was trying to fight for
01:07:46custody of his kids. But the more that he fought, the more that Donna Adelson got angry.
01:07:53She wasn't going to get what she wanted through the legal system, but that wasn't the only way to skin
01:07:57a cat, was it? The ends justify the means for her people. Kappelman says those ends, relocating her grandkids
01:08:06away from Tallahassee, led to Donna's plan. She used Charlie to get Dan killed.
01:08:13What was the cost of that to not only Dan Markell, but to those little boys?
01:08:20Those boys who lost their father. It wasn't better for them to be in South Florida. It was better for
01:08:26them to have their father. This defendant decided they didn't need their dad. She doesn't get to
01:08:33decide that. May you have the strength and the common sense to see this evidence for what it is.
01:08:38It's only one thing, only one truth. Find her guilty.
01:08:43That was a highly emotional moment. And I think for them, it was a chance to say,
01:08:48this is what you're doing it for. This is who we're seeking justice for.
01:08:51It is for these two little boys that lost their father. But then the defense came in and said something,
01:08:56equally as powerful. We sat here for days listening to testimony of witness after
01:09:02witness getting on the stand. Not a single one of them connected my client to Danny Markell's murder.
01:09:08Not one. Jackie Fulford tells the jury not to get sidetracked by all that emotion.
01:09:14She says they must focus only on the evidence of what Donna did leading up to the murder.
01:09:20What? Not a single email, no phone calls that are recorded, no written documents, no emails,
01:09:27not one single thing that said anything about wanting Danny Markell killed.
01:09:34She admits Donna called Dan Markell a lot of bad names and that she may have been overly involved in
01:09:39her kids' lives. But she's just being a parent, not a killer. She's a meddler, not a murderer.
01:09:46They haven't proven that to you. You have to find her not guilty because they have failed to do their
01:09:52job. Prior to that closing argument, I would say that the general consensus was that she's guilty.
01:09:58I think for the first time after the defense's closing arguments, there was an element of,
01:10:04maybe they will find her innocent. The defense team looked rather confident with their client,
01:10:09like they had given it their all. They had put on a great defense and that hopefully they had given
01:10:15the jury something to think about that equaled reasonable doubt. And in fact, trial watchers saw
01:10:21some legal analysts predicting a possible win for Donna. I don't believe the case was proven
01:10:26against Donna Adelson. I believe it's very, it's far from being proven. I think she's,
01:10:31she should be acquitted completely. And then only about three hours after the jury left.
01:10:36We have a verdict in the matriarch mastermind murder trial. It's about the same amount of time
01:10:41the jury took in Charlie's trial. We really weren't sure what this jury was coming back with.
01:10:47After three hours, there was a sentiment that it was possible it could go either way.
01:10:53The judge comes in. Please bring in the jurors. It was so tense in that room. I've never felt tension
01:11:00like that. The jury comes in. Has the jury reached a unanimous verdict? Yeah.
01:11:09The bailiff hands the verdict to the judge. No one was moving. I don't think anyone was breathing,
01:11:14honestly. It was that tense. The defendant is guilty of first-degree murder.
01:11:22Mrs. Adelson, control yourself. When the verdict was read out, Donna Adelson
01:11:28let out a very audible gasp. A lot of like, no, no, no, moving around.
01:11:34While this was not the outcome I'm sure that you desired, there will not be any further outbursts in
01:11:40front of the jury. It was so emotional that Judge Everett had to ask the jury to be removed
01:11:45from the courtroom. Members of the jury, the bailiff will escort you to the jury room.
01:11:51So he could remind Donna Radelson to control her emotions.
01:11:55Do you need a moment to collect yourself? Please give her tissues if she needs them.
01:12:03There's part of me that thinks it was an act, that she wasn't just going to sit calmly. She was
01:12:08going
01:12:08to give the reaction that perhaps the public expects from someone when they are innocent and found guilty.
01:12:15Dan Markell's parents sit stoically a few feet away. How many times must they have wanted to speak
01:12:20their mind to Donna? In just a few minutes, they will finally get their chance. And Donna speaks and
01:12:28says something the jury never heard. And one of them is now speaking to 2020. My name is Evan Higginbotham.
01:12:35That was juror number six in Donna Adelson's trial.
01:12:48My name is Evan Higginbotham. That was juror number six in Donna Adelson's trial.
01:12:53The defendant is guilty of first-degree murder.
01:12:57The prosecution had a long list of evidence. And I think it was how they presented that evidence
01:13:04in the trial that laid out everything to finally land me in a guilty verdict at the end of it.
01:13:10We, the jury, find as follows. The defendant is guilty of first-degree murder.
01:13:17Mrs. Adelson, control yourself.
01:13:21I expected it to be difficult to be in the same room as her when she was told that she
01:13:25would likely be spending the rest of her life in prison. But it was definitely challenging to see
01:13:30her come to terms with that. After the verdict comes down, Dan Markell's parents are allowed to address
01:13:39the court. Our lives will never return to normal. For those who love Danny and for those who Danny
01:13:47loved, there is no escape from the wicked effects of what Don Adelson set in motion, carried out,
01:13:54and paid for, and for many years enjoyed the aftermath off.
01:14:01Donna's selfishness, cruelty, and complete disrespect for human life, along with that of her
01:14:10co-conspirators, have left families forever broken. I wish that every day of her remaining days,
01:14:19she thinks about the harm she has caused to so many, especially those two boys she claims to have
01:14:27loved so much. And my only short question to Donna, was it worth it?
01:14:38When Donna's being transported to the facility from the courthouse, she's visibly emotional.
01:14:50After the trial, prosecutor Georgia Kappelman reflects on the case and its littlest victims,
01:14:56Dan and Wendy's sons.
01:14:58Yeah, there's no justice for them, and I haven't done them any favors today, and I want to sleep over
01:15:03that fact. The family's just been totally destroyed, and I need that. Sometimes it feels a little bit
01:15:09like being a part of it, you know, and so I wish them nothing but the best.
01:15:15Reporters immediately want to know if there will be more prosecutions in the case.
01:15:19Do we need to stay tuned?
01:15:20You can stay tuned.
01:15:22The last time Georgia Kappelman says stay tuned is after Charlie was convicted,
01:15:27and Donna's arrested days later.
01:15:29All right, all right, all right, all right, all right.
01:15:48All right.
01:15:50At sentencing, we heard from Harvey for the first time on the record.
01:15:55Donna has always been a loving and caring wife and is innocent of the charges.
01:16:03A biased judge and jury were influenced by years of one-sided news pieces.
01:16:12Donna Adelson wanted to share some comments at her own sentencing.
01:16:16If I had become aware of this plan before Danny was murdered, I would have stopped it.
01:16:22The minute Donna Adelson starts speaking, she's immediately emotional.
01:16:28With not one iota of actual evidence, the state convinced a Tallahassee jury
01:16:34that I solicited and conspired with other people to have Danny killed.
01:16:41Where is the evidence prior to the murder?
01:16:45Mrs. Adelson, you certainly can continue.
01:16:49However, the court can take into consideration the utter lack of remorse that you are displaying.
01:16:56The judge reminds her that this is her opportunity to show remorse,
01:17:00to tell him why he should sentence her to less.
01:17:04But it seems that Donna isn't really interested in that.
01:17:07Never in a million years would I have wanted Danny to be harmed or killed,
01:17:12nor could I ever do something that would leave these two small boys to grow up without him.
01:17:20You certainly can choose to deny your involvement and maintain innocence.
01:17:25The court finds the evidence in this case is clear.
01:17:29He will be sentenced accordingly this afternoon.
01:17:33Ms. Adelson, please rise.
01:17:36Despite her pleas of innocence, Donna Adelson is sentenced to life in prison without parole
01:17:42for the murder of Dan Markell with an additional 30 years for the solicitation and conspiracy charges.
01:17:53This is Dan.
01:17:54As for Dan Markell's family, their lives remain forever changed.
01:17:59I was Danny's older sister.
01:18:03Nothing can ever be the same again.
01:18:05Danny is gone.
01:18:07And that's number one.
01:18:10But number two, we don't have the connection to his family, to his boys.
01:18:15So for my parents, they have a gaping hole because their son was murdered,
01:18:21but they also lost their grandchildren.
01:18:24It's very difficult.
01:18:27These boys are missing out on a set of grandparents that have all this warmth
01:18:34and desire to spoil them and be grandparents to them.
01:18:38This is a great picture of the two of us.
01:18:43I try very hard to push all this to the back of my mind, but needless to say,
01:18:49every single day in one way or another, it gets pushed back from the back to the front.
01:18:56Dan's mother says she remembers her son for what she considers his most meaningful achievement.
01:19:02Danny was a great father.
01:19:04One of the things, with all his accomplishments, to me, I'm the proudest of him as a father.
01:19:18We should point out tonight that Charlie Adelson has appealed his murder conviction,
01:19:21and his mother, Donna, says she plans to as well.
01:19:24It has now been 10 years since Dan Markell's murder. His children are actually teenagers now.
01:19:31That's our program for tonight.
01:19:32Thanks for watching. I'm Deborah Roberts.
01:19:34And I'm David Muir from all of us at 2020 and ABC News. Good night.
01:20:02I'm David Muir from all of us at the end of the day of the day of the day of
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