GUILTY FL - Dan Markel, 41, FSU Law Professor, Tallahassee, 18 July 2014 - #8 *arrests*

[rgrene]

I agree. I think he will get life without parole.

While the DP is still a possibility before the penalty phase, couldn't the state offer life to go after the A's?

 

[0101ABA]

Tentative next court date:

Magbanua will remain in jail as a charged co-conspirator and the state will try her case again. A pretrial hearing is set for Oct. 22.

Dan Markel murder trial verdict: Sigfredo Garcia guilty, mistrial for Katherine Magbanua

 

[clearskies1]

I seriously doubt any of the Adelsons will be indicted. It's a highly unlikely from what I've seen so far unless state has more evidence against them that we haven't seen. Which is doubtful because more evidence of conspiracy between KM and CA would've been brought out in this trial as it could've only helped convict KM. So they're not being charged anytime soon. Unless KM flips now, which is also unlikely. She's arrogant. She may view this as a good sign. I predict we only have another trial to look forward to, which I will be watching as a true obsessive! lol

Possibly SG will flip....but I doubt it. JMO.

 

[GordonX]

i posted this theory a long time ago but i want to post it again now that SG has been convicted -

a possible defense for CA if he ever goes to trial - in short, CA may argue that SG (desperate, criminal, drug-fueled, and not that bright) must have heard of CA's intense dislike of DM in passing from KM so he decided without CA's knowledge or consent to go with his buddy LR and hit DM and then he expected to go back to CA, tell him what he did, and be given big rewards and admiration - and extort him if he wouldn't. SG saw CA as a wealthy "big shot" with lots of money, fancy houses, cars, a Ferrari, and a boat and was willing to do anything to ingratiate himself with CA and get into his inner circle and get a piece of that luxury lifestyle. why didn't CA go to the cops? he was afraid of SG hurting him and his family! i bet Markus is already working on this strategy as we speak. what other plausible explanation can CA's attorney come up with? thoughts? the State needs to anticipate this defense strategy!

this strategy didn't work for this guy -

But defense attorney William Fletcher told the jury and Vista Superior Court Judge J. Lester Morgan that they should discount testimony from several key prosecution witnesses who had pleaded guilty to being part of Ruscitti's slaying in exchange for reduced sentences and who had lied to two grand juries. "In their mind, the reason that they testified was because they don't want to spend the rest of their lives in prison," Fletcher said. It was ostentatious displays of wealth such as Nix's Lamborghini Countach and habit of lavishing gifts on his confidantes that lured Gonzalez into planning the killing on his own in an attempt to become part of Nix's inner circle of friends, Fletcher said. "Why would Will Nix trust Paul Gonzalez? This is a man who said, 'I had never done anything illegal for Will Nix before.' Why, in such a dastardly, evil thing as plotting a murder, would Mr. Nix trust this guy?" Fletcher asked the jury. Gonzalez paid off his son-in-law, Albert Vargas, with a car, drugs and forgiveness of a debt to commit the killing, Fletcher said. Another person, "Tonto," whom the prosecution says was the actual triggerman, may not even exist, Fletcher said. Nix had no motive to kill Ruscitti, since no legal proceedings had begun against either Nix's parents or Nix himself at the time of the killing, Fletcher said.

Prosecutors Say Car Dealer's Fast Lifestyle Led to Slaying

 

[TTF14]

While the DP is still a possibility before the penalty phase, couldn't the state offer life to go after the A's?

I would think the only way to do that is to implicate "I love you, Katie."

 

[rgrene]

I seriously doubt any of the Adelsons will be indicted. It's a highly unlikely from what I've seen so far unless state has more evidence against them that we haven't seen. Which is doubtful because more evidence of conspiracy between KM and CA would've been brought out in this trial as it could've only helped convict KM. So they're not being charged anytime soon. Unless KM flips now, which is also unlikely. She's arrogant. She may view this as a good sign. I predict we only have another trial to look forward to, which I will be watching as a true obsessive! lol

WUT? Bummer. But if I'm on the jury, I'm ready to convict NOW! CA was essentially of trial here already.

 

[Montrealaise]

Disappointed but there are upsides. This is not game over, its a do over. The prosecution will be able to hone in on her in a retrial and the jury won’t suffer from comparison bias. By that I mean that the evidence for SG was much stronger and more direct. So by contrast the jury may have discounted the evidence against KM.

I also hope that this will move her to finally flip. One, Garcia is now in the can and her flip cannot hurt his case. Two, she has to know the retrial would be a major challenge for her, especially if her lawyers quit. Just the prospect of more time behind bars may move her to flip.

But if she does flip - just how much is her evidence worth now? She took the stand and declared under oath that she had nothing whatsoever to do with the murder. What is she going to say now - oops, I misremembered? Her credibility is shot.

 

[Wishbone]

Wonder what 20/20 will have to say about all this tonight

 

[dotr]

Interesting doubling up of tv show ads.
October 11, 2019
20/20: Over My Dead Body (9 p.m., ABC) - The ABC news magazine reports on the trial for the murder of Florida State law professor Dan Markel, who was murdered by a hitman in 2014. Markel and his wife Wendi Adelson had just gone through a bitter divorce and custody battle when Markel was found shot to death in his garage. Sigfredo Garcia, Luis Rivera and Katherine Magbanua were allegedly hired by Wendi’s brother, Charles Adelson, to kill Markel. Rivera pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, and Garcia and Magbanua are currently on trial. The special features interviews with Matthew Shaer, host of the podcast “Over My Dead Body” (you really should listen) along with interviews with prosecutors, defense attorneys and people close to the family.

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (Netflix) - Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) returns in this “Breaking Bad” sequel movie. In the film, Jesse has just escaped from captivity and must come to terms with his past if he wants any kind of future. As with the TV series, “El Camino” is written and directed by Vince Gilligan, creator of “Breaking Bad.”

Read more here: https://www.newsobserver.com/entertainment/tv/warm-tv-blog/article236035653.html#storylink=cpy

 

[TTF14]

But if she does flip - just how much is her evidence worth now? She took the stand and declared under oath that she had nothing whatsoever to do with the murder. What is she going to say now - oops, I misremembered? Her credibility is shot.

I think she would be believed if she said, "I lied under oath in an attempt to save my own butt." I mean, there's plenty of other evidence against her.

 

[Gardenista]

State attorney Jack Campbell: Happy with verdict but still mid-case

ETA: Reporter said, before they knew it was a mistrial, GC said they would be starting over. So it sounds like she is not giving up.

 

[Weki]

Maaaaan I'm still bummed!! Uggghhhhhh. I hope GC comes back on fire for the retrial!! Da**, da**, da**!!!

 

[Montrealaise]

I seriously doubt any of the Adelsons will be indicted. It's a highly unlikely from what I've seen so far unless state has more evidence against them that we haven't seen. Which is doubtful because more evidence of conspiracy between KM and CA would've been brought out in this trial as it could've only helped convict KM. So they're not being charged anytime soon. Unless KM flips now, which is also unlikely. She's arrogant. She may view this as a good sign. I predict we only have another trial to look forward to, which I will be watching as a true obsessive! lol

Sadly, this may be one of those cases where the police and prosecutors know who the perpetrators of a crime are, but just don't have enough evidence to get a conviction. Does anyone really believe that SG and LR just woke up one fine morning and decided, on their own, to drive eight hours to murder a professor they had never met and had no connection to? I wonder whether people are shunning the Adelsons because they believe they're involved, indictment or not.

 

[Gardenista]

Dan Markel case: Garcia's attorney says jury didn't believe Luis Rivera

 

[ak47dj]

Tell me I am dreaming?????? WTH. The As need to be scooped today. I am so sick of this....

 

[Weki]

Listen, if it's this hard to convict KM and we all agree that the evidence is overwhelming against her, imagine how hard it would be to convict the Adelsons?? It's not happening folks. The Adelsons will be in civil court, not criminal.

 

[GordonX]

Listen, if it's this hard to convict KM and we all agree that the evidence is overwhelming against her, imagine how hard it would be to convict the Adelsons?? It's not happening folks. The Adelsons will be in civil court, not criminal.

You don't throw the baby out with the bathwater - especially because of (probably) just one rogue juror. This is a very winnable case with a new jury IMO.

 

[Gardenista]

Dan Markel murder trial: Social media reacts to Sigfredo Garcia guilty verdict, Magbanua's mistrial

 

[Weki]

You don't throw the baby out with the bathwater - especially because of (probably) just one rogue juror. This is a very winnable case with a new jury IMO.

I think the proximity of KM to the actual killers makes her case a lot stronger. But there's no communication between CA and KM where he tells her to hire someone to do the kill. There's only communication after the bump and the financial transactions. It's still pretty good circumstantial evidence imo. But I don't know if it's beyond a reasonable doubt. I just feel like if state were going to indict the Adelsons they'd have done so by now. I'm not hopeful. JMO.

eta: Even then it'd only be CA. No way DA and WA get indicted. IMO.

 

[GordonX]

Court TV just read a letter from CA's attorney. I'm going from memory - but it started with some feigned sympathy for the Markel family and that they must be relieved that SG was convicted. But that CA and his family had nothing to do with the murder and that's why they were never charged in this case and that this is why people are tried in the court and not via "podcasts or the internet". He also implied that KM was innocent. Surprise.