Prosecutors lay out their case against Charlie Adelson for orchestrating the 2014 murder for FSU law professor Dan Markel. Adelson's attorneys follow.
www.tallahassee.com
10/26/23
Opening statements begin in a Leon County courtroom against Charlie Adelson, accused of orchestrating one of Tallahassee’s most shocking crimes — the murder-for-hire killing of Florida State University law professor Dan Markel.
Charlie Adelson, who turns 47 next week, faces charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation for allegedly hiring the two hit men from Miami who stalked and killed Markel, his former brother-in-law, nearly a decade ago. Those two people, one a Latin Kings gang leader, the other his best friend, along with the woman who connected them to Adelson, have already been convicted and sent to prison for his murder.
Jeffrey Burlew
@JeffBurlew
Adelson discussed with Magbanua, the convicted conduit between him and the hit men, about whether the person who went up to his mom was a cop or blackmailer. He said it was a good thing if it was a cop because it meant investigators had no evidence to charge anyone, Dugan said.
6:58 AM · Oct 26, 2023
During the conversation, Adelson said, "If they had any evidence, we would already be at the airport," Dugan told jurors.
6:58 AM · Oct 26, 2023
Dugan telling jurors about "the bump," when an undercover FBI agent approached Donna Adelson posing as a blackmailer, and a subsequent secretly recorded conversation between Charlie Adelson and Katherine Magbanua at the Dolce Vita restaurant in Miami.
6:55 AM · Oct 26, 2023
Dugan says the conspirators talked in code when they discussed the blackmailer, using terms like TV, rap songs, relationship advice and real-estate listings, that don't make sense outside the context of the murder.
7:02 AM · Oct 26, 2023
Dan Rashbaum, Charlie Adelson's lawyer, says in his opening statement that the killing of Dan Markel was "a tragedy. The world lost a brilliant legal mind. His family lost a son and a brother. This community lost its sense of security and lost a good citizen." 1/2
7:20 AM · Oct 26, 2023
"These senseless murder continues to be felt throughout this community. It was inexcusable, despicable, evil. But what I'm going to tell you today is what actually happened. You will see that Charlie Adelson had nothing to do with the murder of Professor Markel." 2/2
7:20 AM · Oct 26, 2023
Rashbaum said Charlie Adelson had a long history of “telling bad jokes” and that he often joked that he bought his sister a TV after her divorce because “it was cheaper than paying a hit man.” He said that would become important evidence in the trial.
7:34 AM · Oct 26, 2023
Rashbaum said Sigfredo Garcia tried to kill Charlie Adelson at one point.
7:44 AM · Oct 26, 2023
Rashbaum said Charlie Adelson and Katherine Magbanua had a casual relationship at first. “Over time you’re going to see through text messages that Kati wanted a deeper relationship. And you’ll see Charlie didn’t want that.”
7:43 AM · Oct 26, 2023
Rashbaum blames the murder on Katherine Magbanua. "The state itself has called Katherine Magbanua the mastermind, and that’s exactly what she was," he said.
7:48 AM · Oct 26, 2023
Rashbaum: Around 7 p.m. on July 18, 2014, the day of the murder, Donna Adelson calls Charlie Adelson to say Markel had been shot. "He’s shocked. He’s upset. His first reaction is Wendi and the boys OK?"
7:54 AM · Oct 26, 2023
Rashbaum says Magbanua told Charlie she had nothing to do with the murder. "She was talking too much … and these people learned about the problems these people were having with Professor Markel. They heard about the million dollar offer. They got it in their minds to do this.”
7:58 AM · Oct 26, 2023
Rashbaum says the wiretaps and Dolce Vita recording "actually prove his innocence" and that they were talking about Charlie Adelson being extorted by the killers.
8:01 AM · Oct 26, 2023
“Much of their case, I agree about," Rashbaum says of prosecutors. "They’re going to put witnesses up there. I’m not going to ask them one question. Some other evidence is exactly the truth. It just doesn’t prove a murder.”
8:03 AM · Oct 26, 2023
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