South Florida matriarch seeks new trial in Markel murder-for-hire case

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Donna Adelson, the matriarch of a South Florida family, was convicted in the hired killing of her former son-in-law, Daniel Markel, and is seeking a new trial. Attorneys for Adelson filed a motion Tuesday asking Circuit Judge Stephen Everett to grant another hearing, arguing juror misconduct and trial errors warrant a retrial. The verdicts, returned earlier this month after a weekslong trial, included charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation in the 2014 killing in Tallahassee, where Markel taught as a Florida State University law professor. Adelson faces life in prison if the verdicts stand.

The defense contends that two jurors spoke publicly after the trial, potentially influencing the panel's decisions. One juror posted a video on TikTok about jury service, and another appeared on a true-crime podcast, Surviving the Survivor, discussing the case. In the motion, attorneys Joshua Zelman and Jackie Fulford argued that such conduct amounts to juror misconduct and that the defense is entitled to a new trial. "Where is the evidence Mrs. Adelson agreed; conspired; combined; or confederated with anyone else that Mr. Markel be killed? There is none," they wrote, asserting gaps in the government's case.

Prosecutors argued Adelson helped orchestrate Markel's killing after he stood in the way of letting her daughter, Wendi Adelson, and two grandsons move from Tallahassee to South Florida to be closer to the rest of the family. The case had riveted Florida's capital city for more than a decade amid sordid details of a messy divorce, tensions with wealthy in-laws and custody fights leading to the fatal shooting outside Markel’s home in 2014. Markel was a professor with Florida State University at the time of his death, and the case has been a persistent source of public and legal scrutiny in the state.

Prosecutors summarized their theory of the case during the trial by detailing how a network of family tensions, financial interests and custody considerations culminated in Markel's killing. Adelson, the matriarch of a prominent South Florida family, was accused of supporting the plan and providing input that prosecutors said helped carry it out. The defense, in seeking a new trial, has emphasized alleged procedural missteps and questions about the integrity of the jury process, arguing that the verdicts were not supported by the law or the weight of the evidence and that courtroom dynamics favored the prosecution.

The motion for a new trial is the latest development in a case that has stretched for more than a decade and repeatedly drawn public attention in Florida’s capital. The narrative includes a bitter custody dispute between Markel and Wendi Adelson, the latter of whom prosecutors said stood to benefit from moving closer to her extended family in South Florida. Court filings indicate Adelson’s team contends there was no direct evidence linking her to a conspiracy to kill Markel and that the government relied on inference rather than direct proof. The defense also contends that the judge showed favoritism to the prosecution during the trial, a claim they say undermines the integrity of the proceedings.

Daniel Markel’s death in 2014 left questions that have persisted as family tensions and legal battles unfolded in court records and local coverage. The jurors who ultimately delivered the guilty verdicts faced questions of their own after the trial, prompting the defense to pursue a retrial on the grounds of possible juror misconduct and trial irregularities. If the court grants a new trial, proceedings would be scheduled to reexamine the evidence with a fresh jury. If not, Adelson would proceed to a potential sentencing phase under the existing verdicts, facing life in prison.

The case has raised broader questions about the influence of wealth, family dynamics and legal strategy in high-profile offenses, as observers note the remarkable length of time over which investigations and court actions have unfolded. The court is expected to evaluate the new-trial request based on established standards for juror conduct, evidentiary issues and potential procedural errors, with a decision likely to shape how similar cases are handled in the future. In the meantime, the Markel family and the broader Florida legal community await the judge’s ruling on the motion for a retrial, a decision that will determine the next chapter in a case that has become a focal point of state capital-city attention for more than a decade.