FL - FSU Law Professor Dan Markel Murdered by Hitmen-Donna Adelson Upcoming Trial - *5 Guilty* #28

[Best of What's Around]

He heard about Wendi’s drive to Trescott
He heard about what she told Rob
He heard about her TV repair alibi
He heard about changing the children’s name to Adelson almost immediately
He heard from Jeff Lecasse
He saw Wendi testify

And he said more evidence is needed to convict her.

JMO

Correct. Again, this trial was for Donna, not Wendi. It would be unwise for the prosecution to put out every shred of Wendi evidence or question everyone who had testimony regarding Wendy’s guilt at Donna’s trial. Moreover, the prosecution’s questioning of Wendi would be very, very different, longer, etc, were it her own trial. So he sees her involvement but of course it is not enough to convict. It was not her trial. There is a reason they are not being tried together at once. And had they been, you can bet the trial would have been twice as long to accommodate the additional evidence and testimony.

 

[Zedzded]

Wendy is the most adept of any Adelson of playing a role of innocence. There is absolutely nothing authentic in her testimony in any of these trials. Do you think that happens by accident? Note Jurors #6 stating he expected Wendi to be a mess. Exactly - like Rob. She was not only not a mess, she is calculated in every single answer. This also jives with her deft ability to never be caught speaking of the case at anytime with any family member. Even attorneys who know better would have a difficult time being so coldly precise in the application of their support and defense of their family through something like this.

Look at how she deftly lies about the foster care email. She cannot even give an inch that she may have overreacted. For someone innocent, she has surely put in so much time and effort into playing a role where she has done nothing wrong. Made no mistakes. Is not even guilty of using a mean name to shade her ex behind his back. It was silly, not mean. It was because she was scared, not flippant and cruel.

Underestimate Wendi at your own peril.

I agree. I've vacillated between thinking WA was manipulated into killing DanM by her brother and mother and thinking she was actually the primary architect. Because as you said, she's very good at playing the innocent role. I now believe she was the one that surreptitiously planted the seed in her families minds.

Allowing her Mum to think the relocation motion was continuing, telling her family she had resigned herself to live in Tallahassee (enraging them further) and then the straw that broke Donna's back, telling them she was buying a house in Tallahassee. That last act set the wheels in motion.

She had no intention of buying a house or intending to live in Tallahassee. She played her victim card yet again, knowing her families pathological obsession with protecting her would come to the fore yet again and they would take action. She fed the fire by continuing to detail Dan's "abuse" to her family. She told them how much she hated Tallahassee.

CA probably was the first to mention killing DanM, I can imagine WA acting shocked and initially appalled as the idea was first mooted all the while in her head thinking "what took you so freaking long......"

An exemplification of her manipulative behaviour was her attempt to throw CA under the bus at the first opportunity as opposed to try and protecting him. She knew what she was doing from day 1. Play the victim, allow her family to fix the problem, stay as disconnected as possible, blame them if the cops come calling.

 

[Zedzded]

Correct. Again, this trial was for Donna, not Wendi. It would be unwise for the prosecution to put out every shred of Wendi evidence or question everyone who had testimony regarding Wendy’s guilt at Donna’s trial. Moreover, the prosecution’s questioning of Wendi would be very, very different, longer, etc, were it her own trial. So he sees her involvement but of course it is not enough to convict. It was not her trial. There is a reason they are not being tried together at once.

"questioning of Wendi"

eviscerating of Wendi!

 

[Zedzded]

People cite the way she specifically worded the text as suspicious because she asked if he was in town the “July 14-18” which were the custody ‘days’ Dan had the boys. The custody arrangements specified if the parent with custody was traveling their week, the Wednesday crossover day was trumped by the traveling parent. With that information, its not such an odd text – unless of course someone is murdered and every singe word, e-mail, and text prior to the murder is analyzed post murder.

The point that has been raised is that she knew he was in town. He had the boys, He was not travelling. She got the kids on the Wednesday for the day. On the opposite week he got the kids on the Wednesday for the day. That was in their parenting plan. There was no reason for her to confirm it.

 

[ShadyLady]

Correct. Again, this trial was for Donna, not Wendi. It would be unwise for the prosecution to put out every shred of Wendi evidence or question everyone who had testimony regarding Wendy’s guilt at Donna’s trial. Moreover, the prosecution’s questioning of Wendi would be very, very different, longer, etc, were it her own trial. So he sees her involvement but of course it is not enough to convict. It was not her trial. There is a reason they are not being tried together at once. And had they been, you can bet the trial would have been twice as long to accommodate the additional evidence and testimony.

Also, he knows not to say he would convict anyone till he saw both sides of a trial. He said just the right thing, imo.

Georgia and Sarah holding many more cards, imo.

 

[Zedzded]

have always said if she were directly involved, its unfathomable to me she would have suggested Charlie as a suspect AND that she would have told Jeff Lacasse days prior to the murder that Charlie had looked into hiring a hitman the previous summer.

And why is it "unfathomable" to you? Because reasonable and rational people who are well adjusted and stable would not do that, right? Telling your boyfriend your brother had hired hitmen a week before their ex was killed by hitmen and then dropping their brother in it in a police interview.
That's insane. And only something an insane person would do....

This is why the murder plot was so bizarre, poorly though out, clumsy and easily detected. These people are so mal-adjusted, they are incapable of planning a murder because they are not able to think as rational human beings.

They did stuff that is so abnormal, so dumb that we are inclined to think it didn't happen because intelligent people would never do things so dumb. People have questioned the validity of the TV repair as an alibi - "it doesn't make sense, Wendi could have alibied herself by just going to the shops (CCTV)"

Exactly. It does not make any sense to us. To them it was a brilliant idea. An exemplification of their superior intellect. The more convoluted the alibi the more people would believe. Whereas, it had the opposite effect.

 

[ShadyLady]

I agree. I've vacillated between thinking WA was manipulated into killing DanM by her brother and mother and thinking she was actually the primary architect. Because as you said, she's very good at playing the innocent role. I now believe she was the one that surreptitiously planted the seed in her families minds.

Allowing her Mum to think the relocation motion was continuing, telling her family she had resigned herself to live in Tallahassee (enraging them further) and then the straw that broke Donna's back, telling them she was buying a house in Tallahassee. That last act set the wheels in motion.

She had no intention of buying a house or intending to live in Tallahassee. She played her victim card yet again, knowing her families pathological obsession with protecting her would come to the fore yet again and they would take action. She fed the fire by continuing to detail Dan's "abuse" to her family. She told them how much she hated Tallahassee.

CA probably was the first to mention killing DanM, I can imagine WA acting shocked and initially appalled as the idea was first mooted all the while in her head thinking "what took you so freaking long......"

An exemplification of her manipulative behaviour was her attempt to throw CA under the bus at the first opportunity as opposed to try and protecting him. She knew what she was doing from day 1. Play the victim, allow her family to fix the problem, stay as disconnected as possible, blame them if the cops come calling.

I also wonder if the Markels have changed their mind how Dan became hated by Donna and Charlie. After hearing what Wendi told Jeff about Dan, and the many lies she told, it was Wendi that turned her family against Dan. Maybe Markels will now look at Wendi more closely.

Wendi planted all the seeds, imo.

 

[Weki]

Correct. Again, this trial was for Donna, not Wendi. It would be unwise for the prosecution to put out every shred of Wendi evidence or question everyone who had testimony regarding Wendy’s guilt at Donna’s trial. Moreover, the prosecution’s questioning of Wendi would be very, very different, longer, etc, were it her own trial. So he sees her involvement but of course it is not enough to convict. It was not her trial. There is a reason they are not being tried together at once. And had they been, you can bet the trial would have been twice as long to accommodate the additional evidence and testimony.

The evidence for one is the evidence for all. Because any evidence that implicates one implicates all since this is a conspiracy case. At this point, there’s no reason for the state to withhold more evidence against Wendi. Besides they have to turn over everything they have to the defense. It would be a Brady violation if they had evidence of Wendi’s culpability at Donna’s trial and didn’t turn that over to her defense. Especially when Donna’s defense was her kids did this without her knowledge.

JMO

 

[Going Rogue]

Wendy is the most adept of any Adelson of playing a role of innocence. There is absolutely nothing authentic in her testimony in any of these trials. Do you think that happens by accident? Note Juror #6 stating he expected Wendi to be a mess. Exactly - like Rob. She was not only not a mess, she is calculated in every single answer. This also jives with her deft ability to never be caught speaking of the case at anytime with any family member. Even attorneys like Wendi who know better would have a difficult time being so coldly precise in the application of their support and defense of their family through something like this.

Look at how she repeatedly lies about the foster care email. She cannot even give an inch that she may have overreacted. For someone innocent, she has surely put in so much time and effort into playing a role where she has done nothing wrong. Made no mistakes. Is not even guilty of using a mean name to shade her ex behind his back. It was silly, not mean. It was because she was scared, not flippant and cruel.

Underestimate Wendi at your own peril.

PS she knew she couldn’t cover for her family and also protect herself during the police investigation. Everyone knows both she and her family hate Dan. So does she cover for them all and pretend they don’t or throw them under the bus bc it would come out anyway and this makes her look innocent, and in her kind, her family as well when she proclaims they were properly shocked. In her mind, she helped them all.

She also made mistakes. Why did she think she was a suspect in the car if she didn’t know what happened until she arrived at the police station? Now she is lying to cover that as well, but it is clear she is told for the first time there on tape.

I fully agree that there is nothing authentic about Wendi. She is a liar, deceitful, and lacks empathy. I could add several other unflattering qualities, but I’ll stop there. I’m not debating her character, nor am I advocating for her in any way—I’m simply providing alternate views that I believe are possible. She did many cruel and reprehensible things after Dan’s murder, and I’m sure anyone who has followed this case would agree. Where my views differ from most is that, while I recognize her lies, deceit, and other deplorable qualities, I don’t let these well-documented facts about her bad character cloud my judgment when evaluating the evidence. I know that may come across as a bit arrogant, but I don’t mean it that way. I also think many people simply believe that "liar = guilty," which is not necessarily the case. Having followed this case for as long as I have, I’ve seen many posts like yours where I agree with everything said about her bad character, but bad character doesn’t mean she was necessarily involved. I’m not trying to minimize your post, and I completely agree that she lied about many things in a conscious effort to cover for her family’s crime, whether or not she was directly involved. Both can be true—she can be a liar and a bad person, AND Donna and Charlie could have plotted this behind her back.

As for the "suspect in the car" comment, without having the full context of the conversation Wendi had with Isom prior to her "feeling" like a suspect on the car ride over, it’s difficult to 'fairly' place any weight on that specific comment.

 

[Knitpicker]

Speaking of Wendi's guilt or innocence, I really want to hear from the people who were around her at the time of the murder.

I think Jane McPherson has a story to tell. She was the person who accompanied Wendi into the police interview room and she's the one who suggested Jeff LaCasse could be the killer. Did she do that of her own volition, or did Wendi feed her a bunch of tales about JL being jealous and controlling in the days beforehand?

And, I want to hear from the friends at the lunch. How did Wendi act prior to Isom picking her up? Was she discombobulated or was she the same old Wendi? If it's true she just couldn't help herself and drove by Trescott to see the aftermath, then I think her nervousness would have been apparent to the others.

As far as I know, none of those folks have ever spoken publicly about Dan's murder and Wendi's involvement. But, I think their testimony alone could make or break Wendi's prosecution.

Wendi walked with Jane on Wednesday. Apparently her laryngitis healed by then. ((Sarcasm)).
Her friend Jeannine talked to law enforcement and there was something about a call she made to Wendi that she claimed was a butt call when it probably wasn’t.
Maybe we will hear about that at the next trial (Wendi’s)

 

[Going Rogue]

The point that has been raised is that she knew he was in town. He had the boys, He was not travelling. She got the kids on the Wednesday for the day. On the opposite week he got the kids on the Wednesday for the day. That was in their parenting plan. There was no reason for her to confirm it.

Per the custody agreement, during the summer, if the parent with custody was traveling out of town during their custody week, the other parent didn’t get the Wednesday crossover day. That was specifically outlined in the agreement.

Both parents absolutely had a legitimate reason to confirm whether the other was traveling, as it affected the Wednesday crossover date. Which was precisely what Wendi was asking in that text. I have said many times, I'd love to see the text exchanges between Dan and Wendi several month prior to the murder.

 

[Going Rogue]

And why is it "unfathomable" to you? Because reasonable and rational people who are well adjusted and stable would not do that, right? Telling your boyfriend your brother had hired hitmen a week before their ex was killed by hitmen and then dropping their brother in it in a police interview.
That's insane. And only something an insane person would do....

This is why the murder plot was so bizarre, poorly though out, clumsy and easily detected. These people are so mal-adjusted, they are incapable of planning a murder because they are not able to think as rational human beings.

They did stuff that is so abnormal, so dumb that we are inclined to think it didn't happen because intelligent people would never do things so dumb. People have questioned the validity of the TV repair as an alibi - "it doesn't make sense, Wendi could have alibied herself by just going to the shops (CCTV)"

Exactly. It does not make any sense to us. To them it was a brilliant idea. An exemplification of their superior intellect. The more convoluted the alibi the more people would believe. Whereas, it had the opposite effect.

It’s unfathomable because I simply can’t believe that was a conscious and calculated move by Wendi—I guess you could call it one of my many mental hurdles in this case

 

[Knitpicker]

I'm not really sure how excelling in school is a good sign they are happy and well adjusted. CA was a dental surgeon as was his Dad and WA a lawyer... they did great in school and later became fully qualified psychopaths.

"Donna who drove a wedge between Her son and Wendi."

That is of no relevance. Ultimately WA signed off on the contract to kill her children's father, ripping out a part of them forever. She is cut from the same cloth as her mother and bragged to multiple people that "Danny got his face blown off."

I'm sure that will come out in her trial. WA is the worst of this bunch for many reasons and is an unfit mother, least of all because she killed their father! That is contrary to good parenting....

So I'm sure she's getting them tutors and making sure they study, driving them to basketball practice, packing them school lunches etc but they would swap all of that in an instant for more time with their Dad.

I'm sure your empathy comes from a good place, but it is completely misguided.

Well if someone asked Ruth how the boys are doing, and she chose to mention their academics, I’d think that your problem is with her and not me bc I didn’t make that comment, she did.

No comment on anything else.

 

[Weki]

I fully agree that there is nothing authentic about Wendi. She is a liar, deceitful, and lacks empathy. I could add several other unflattering qualities, but I’ll stop there. I’m not debating her character, nor am I advocating for her in any way—I’m simply providing alternate views that I believe are possible. She did many cruel and reprehensible things after Dan’s murder, and I’m sure anyone who has followed this case would agree. Where my views differ from most is that, while I recognize her lies, deceit, and other deplorable qualities, I don’t let these well-documented facts about her bad character cloud my judgment when evaluating the evidence. I know that may come across as a bit arrogant, but I don’t mean it that way. I also think many people simply believe that "liar = guilty," which is not necessarily the case. Having followed this case for as long as I have, I’ve seen many posts like yours where I agree with everything said about her bad character, but bad character doesn’t mean she was necessarily involved. I’m not trying to minimize your post, and I completely agree that she lied about many things in a conscious effort to cover for her family’s crime, whether or not she was directly involved. Both can be true—she can be a liar and a bad person, AND Donna and Charlie could have plotted this behind her back.

As for the "suspect in the car" comment, without having the full context of the conversation Wendi had with Isom prior to her "feeling" like a suspect on the car ride over, it’s difficult to 'fairly' place any weight on that specific comment.

Well said.

This level of vitriol against Wendi was not present in the 1st or even 2nd trials. During that period, the focus of trial watchers was on Charlie and Donna. The obsession with Wendi started after the proliferation of YouTube grifters. I’m thinking particularly of 2 male YouTubers. I fully believe it is these particular YouTubers’ projection that has infected many in the J4D community. With the way parasocial relationships work, it is no surprise that many people have bought into this narrative unquestioningly.

To be clear, I am not a Wendi fan either. I think she knew and she’s a person of low morals/character.

It’s unfortunate that Georgia can’t even take a breath to enjoy the verdict before everyone is jumping down her throat about a Wendi arrest. By treating Wendi as the ultimate get, Donna’s verdict is diminished. And that’s pretty sad because Donna IS the ultimate get in this murder.

JMO

 

[Zedzded]

It’s unfathomable because I simply can’t believe that was a conscious and calculated move by Wendi—I guess you could call it one of my many mental hurdles in this case

I've struggled to understand a lot of what was done and said by the Adelsons until I started looking at them from a different angle. i.e I hate to use the word "normal" but they do not function like normal people, hence the reason we remain puzzled and bemused.

I don't know why WA told JL CA had considered hiring hitmen to kill Dan. According to JL she was drinking heavily at the time, heavily medicated. Her Dad was prescribing her medication including anti-depressants and anti-psychotic medication. To say her thoughts must have been disordered would be an understatement.

 

[ch_13]

And why is it "unfathomable" to you? Because reasonable and rational people who are well adjusted and stable would not do that, right? Telling your boyfriend your brother had hired hitmen a week before their ex was killed by hitmen and then dropping their brother in it in a police interview.
That's insane. And only something an insane person would do....

Wendi also told Jeff that she vomited at the "celebration dinner" after Dan's murder.

She said that to her ex-boyfriend. The one who was just named as a potential suspect by her friend. Why would she ever tell him that? Naturally Jeff turned around and told it to Isom. It's come up in all the trials to date. And the only reason anyone knows about it is because of her big mouth.

I think she's cold and calculating, but at the same time she also does stuff that just makes no logical sense.

 

[LetsSolvIt]

After listening to Jack Campbell's comment about how worried he is that his prosecutors are going to be sick from trying these cases, *I* am feeling sickened, quite frankly. I have never been all that impressed with the lead prosecutor in this case. Her affect and low energy has never been more evident than in her 2 hour closing argument at Donna's trial. It was a long, tedious summary that she read to the jury for 2 hours. It came across as lazy and as if she was just going through the motions.

Her performance at every one of these trials in my opinion leaves a lot to be desired. I find her rushed and impatient with many aspects of the proceedings. She leads witnesses and gets testy when told not to by the judge, she speaks over objections/rulings, she gets irritated at low stakes events and seems non-plussed at the high stakes events etc. Her cross of Charlie was pretty tepid as well. I feel that she didn't put Charlie in his place enough. She answered his questions and got defensive at times. A curt, one-time "I ask the questions not you" was all that was needed to remind him that he's not the maestro anymore. I think the cool, calm, and collected demeanor is nothing more than haughtiness.

And now listening to Jack Campbell and watching his affect, it's like this is about the prosecutors and the DA's office. No, sir! This is about a man's reprehensible murder and seeking justice for him and his family. If your prosecutors are going to be sick from trying one of the most notorious murder cases in recent Tally history, then you need better prosecutors.

JMO

I totally disagree with you about Georgia — I think she and her team were brilliant. OMO.

 

[Best of What's Around]

I fully agree that there is nothing authentic about Wendi. She is a liar, deceitful, and lacks empathy. I could add several other unflattering qualities, but I’ll stop there. I’m not debating her character, nor am I advocating for her in any way—I’m simply providing alternate views that I believe are possible. She did many cruel and reprehensible things after Dan’s murder, and I’m sure anyone who has followed this case would agree. Where my views differ from most is that, while I recognize her lies, deceit, and other deplorable qualities, I don’t let these well-documented facts about her bad character cloud my judgment when evaluating the evidence. I know that may come across as a bit arrogant, but I don’t mean it that way. I also think many people simply believe that "liar = guilty," which is not necessarily the case. Having followed this case for as long as I have, I’ve seen many posts like yours where I agree with everything said about her bad character, but bad character doesn’t mean she was necessarily involved. I’m not trying to minimize your post, and I completely agree that she lied about many things in a conscious effort to cover for her family’s crime, whether or not she was directly involved. Both can be true—she can be a liar and a bad person, AND Donna and Charlie could have plotted this behind her back.

As for the "suspect in the car" comment, without having the full context of the conversation Wendi had with Isom prior to her "feeling" like a suspect on the car ride over, it’s difficult to 'fairly' place any weight on that specific comment.

With all due respect, to say you are simply presenting an alternative point of view while not advocating directly contradicts your contention that anyone who argues in favor of Wendy’s guilt is allowing her poor character to cloud their judgment.

May I be arrogant for a moment myself? Just in the last paragraph alone you appear to not be in command of the facts. We know exactly the context as Wendi stated during her interview (which was not an interrogation) that she thought she might be suspect during the car ride. When asked to explain that in court, she lies and states she was told her ex was shot by the detective in the car ride. It is clear from her performance during the interview that she was unaware there was a shooting until she listened to her voicemail.

Lies can show consciousness of guilt as well as cover up. They are circumstantial evidence.

It was Wendy and not anyone else (other than her attorney) who was facing a very serious filing headed her way coincidentally on the day of or after the shooting. She was being accused of committing a fraud upon the court and that could have repercussions for her license in the eyes of some FL attorneys. Amazing that it needed to be done by this date and this was the date quoted to her attorney that the filing would mean the point of no return for this accusation to be on the books.

If every liar, selfish person were a murderer we would never be able to hold them all! I put more confidence in the mindset of both fellow Websleuths as well as many actual practicing attorneys who have commented on this trial. Attorneys currently practicing in Tallahassee even - their reputations are not worth click bait.

Speaking of not seeing straight, some evidence that many weigh against Wendi have less worth to me - for example, both the license plate number and travel schedule. These two points of knowledge I find to be not persuasive of Wendi’s guilt without more evidence since I also know that Donna had spent a great deal of time in town to help with the boys - giving her many opportunities to ascertain Dan’s license plate number surreptitiously as well as his travel schedule since it has been established that she was always advised of this so she could plan for when Wendi might need help. I could be wrong and there could be better evidence to back these points up, but from what little I know, I do not find them persuasive.

So is my judgment clouded or not that I see other evidence as persuasive? While someone’s likability should not be a factor in evaluating evidence, someone’s lies, behavior, how they conduct themselves on the stand, how they conduct themselves in interviews taped…these all go to circumstantial evidence that may be drawn by jurors as to someone’s guilt or innocence. I have not found that Wendy lies because she is a terrible person - I have found her lies to be with great purpose. You don’t need to lie about your actions the day of the shooting if you have nothing to hide. The truth tends to be more easily remembered as well. The truth doesn’t change to fit later evidence.

I am happy to be a participant in a devil’s advocate argument, but I have been simply debating why I do believe there will be enough evidence to proceed to trial of Wendy in some capacity related to the murder.

 

[Going Rogue]

Well said.

This level of vitriol against Wendi was not present in the 1st or even 2nd trials. During that period, the focus of trial watchers was on Charlie and Donna. The obsession with Wendi started after the proliferation of YouTube grifters. I’m thinking particularly of 2 male YouTubers. I fully believe it is these particular YouTubers’ projection that has infected many in the J4D community. With the way parasocial relationships work, it is no surprise that many people have bought into this narrative unquestioningly.

To be clear, I am not a Wendi fan either. I think she knew and she’s a person of low morals/character.

It’s unfortunate that Georgia can’t even take a breath to enjoy the verdict before everyone is jumping down her throat about a Wendi arrest. By treating Wendi as the ultimate get, Donna’s verdict is diminished. And that’s pretty sad because Donna IS the ultimate get in this murder.

JMO

Yes, I also give credit to many of the YouTube content creator’s for ‘amping up’ the crowd and for creating the illusion that case against Wendi is so strong. I am still open to the possibility of Wendi being fully shielded and never being directly brought into the loop. I do agree there is plenty of reason to believe that at a minimum she had ‘knowledge’ – I’m just not sure if she was told directly OR figured it out.

 

[LetsSolvIt]

Like WA the case against HA is now stronger post DA trial. There has been a lot of speculation and confusion regarding the circumstantial evidence that has predominated this case i.e will it be accepted by the jury, and for the most part it has been accepted.

There is not a lot of evidence against HA, but it is sufficient (IMO) for him to be indicted. He drove DA to CA's house for the money drop. He had contact with the hitmen. Matsuri tapes. Unaliving himself with DA discussion and flee attempt to Vietnam. He has also alienated his older son Robert with no valid reason plus a whole bunch of other anecdotal evidence e.g acting strangely at Dans funeral, refusing to talk to the police etc

The thing I am struck by is, there seems to be a sincere affection between HA and DA — the warm smiles exchanged during the trial and a supportive presence from HA. If he really loves her in a way those adoring smiles indicate, and had anything to do with the murder, how can he be going on with his life la-tee-da and letting his wife and son take the fall. OMHO.

We’re all dumping on Wendi as the self-centered princess, what is HA?