How Charlie Adelson’s Crazy Defense Came Back to Haunt Donna
September 10, 2025
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18:20Now PlayingHow Charlie Adelson’s Crazy Defense Came Back to Haunt Donna
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as posted by the channelEven though Charlie Adelson never set foot inside Donna Adelson’s courtroom, prosecutors managed to hang his defense on Donna. It wasn’t the defense Donna wanted, and it didn’t work.
Now grandmother Donna Adelson has been convicted in a murder conspiracy against her ex-son-in-law, professor Dan Markel. Markel was shot in his driveway on July 19, 2014. Prosecutors followed a maze of clues to two hitmen in Miami, and then to a woman who had dated both Charlie Adelson and one of the hitmen.
Prosecutors say Donna and her son Charlie Adelson hired the hitmen to kill Markel. Markel had been married to Wendi Adelson, Donna’s daughter and Charlie’s sister. Wendi and Markel were locked in a bitter custody battle, and prosecutors say Donna was afraid she would lose easy access to her grandchildren.
Charlie Adelson is now behind bars, sentenced to life in prison for his role in hiring hitmen to kill his brother-in-law, Dan Markel. Last fall authorities arrested Donna Adelson as she was about to board a flight to Vietnam. She is now facing her own charges in the murder of Dan Markel.
#Donnaadelson #matriarchmurder #charlieadelson #Danmarkel #wendiadelson #Hitmanconspiracy #dentistmastermindmurder #truecrime #wendyadelson
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