ABC 20/20 will unbox the murder-for-hire case against Charlie Adelson in the shooting death of his brother-in-law, Dan Markel. The upcoming episode, titled “First Divorced. Then Dead,” airs on the network on Friday, November 10, at 9 p.m. ET.
On November 6, 2023, a jury convicted Charlie Adelson of Dan Markel’s 2014 shooting death. Markel was a professor from Florida. According to the New York Times, he was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder. The convict is yet to be sentenced but faces life in prison. His current whereabouts remain unknown.
The outlet reported that police found 41-year-old Markel shot on July 18, 2014, in his Tallahassee home. He was severely wounded at the time and died at a hospital hours later.
The case against Charlie Adelson, explained
USA Today reported that Charlie Adelson, a Fort Lauderdale dentist, was one of the many accused in Dan Markel’s 2014 murder case. He faced first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation charges. The investigation into the crime was complex, staggering, and involved Tallahassee police as well as the FBI.
The outlet reported that Adelson’s guilty verdict marked the fourth conviction in connection with the case. Moreover, prosecutors have long suspected the involvement of the Adelson family, including the victim‘s ex-wife, Wendi. They also believe that her parents, Donna and Harvey, were also involved as co-conspirators.
Prosecutors reportedly claimed that Charlie Adelson paid two men, namely Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera, to murder Markel. They believe the defendant wanted the victim out of the way so that his sister Wendi Adelson could relocate to South Florida with the couple’s two young sons. Wendi and Markel were divorced, but a judge had denied her petition to relocate.
One of the hired hitmen Rivera pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2016, receiving a 19-year sentence. He also testified against his accomplices, which included Garcia, Adelson, and Adelson’s then-girlfriend Katherine Magbanua.
CNN stated that Charlie Adelson’s sentencing is scheduled for December 12, 2023.
