Professor Daniel Markel was fatally shot in the head at his home on July 18, 2014, CNN reported.
On Wednesday, Charles Adelson, Markel’s ex-son-in-law, was indicted in León County on charges of first-degree murder; conspiracy to commit murder; and incitement to murder, according to the indictment of the grand jury.
The indictment alleges that Adelson recruited two men, Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera, for the murder of Markel.
Rivera, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder as part of a plea deal, was sentenced to 19 years in 2016, according to WCTV, a subsidiary of CNN. Garcia, who pleaded not guilty, was sentenced to life in prison in 2019, according to the Florida Penitentiary Department. Leon County Court administrators would not comment on the cases immediately.
Catherine “Katie” Magbanoua is also named in the indictment of the grand jury. She faces the same charges as Adelson.
In 2016, investigators said Magbanoua, Garcia’s ex-girlfriend, helped organize the murder of Markel, who was in a fierce custody dispute with his ex-wife Wendy Adelson, CNN reported.
Adelson and Magbanou were in a romantic relationship at the time, Magbanou’s lawyer said.
Tabba Kawas, Magbanua’s lawyer, told CNN on Friday in 2019 that Magbanua was initially on trial on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and incitement to murder.
The state of Florida has joined the trials of Gracia and Magbanua, Kavas said. The jury convicted Garcia of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. However, the jury could not agree on the Magbanua case, which led to improper court proceedings, Kavas told CNN.
The case against Magbanua is scheduled to begin on May 16, 2022, according to the Leon County Court. On Friday morning, she pleaded not guilty to all three charges listed against her in Wednesday’s indictment, Kavas said.
Prosecutors say Magbanua was the only link between Garcia, Rivera and the Adelson family, according to Kavas.
Cavas, meanwhile, told CNN that while Sigfredo Garcia and Charles Adelson met at one point, the two men “conspired behind her back” about Markel’s murder.
As for Charles Adelson, the grand jury heard new audio that helped get him involved in the murder, according to Jack Campbell, state attorney for the 2nd District Court of Leon, Florida.
“This recording includes statements by Charles Adelson that can be heard clearly for the first time,” he said in a statement. According to the CNN affiliate WCTV, the FBI recorded a conversation between Adelson and Magbanou in a restaurant in 2016.
“The government has the record for six years and one day,” Magbanua’s lawyers Tara Kavas and Christopher DeCost said in a statement to CNN on Thursday. “Since then, they have had endless sessions with various audio / video experts trying to hear voices beyond. What you can hear – and not what is in their extremely inaccurate and inadmissible subtitles – is that Catherine Magbanua is innocent.
Adelson was arrested at his home in South Florida on Thursday, according to Campbell’s statement. The grand jury indicted him on Wednesday, and “he was detained without incident,” he said.
“Charlie is innocent and prosecutors have no new information that led to this arrest,” David Oscar Marcus and Margo Moss, Adelson’s lawyers, told CNN. The weather is really bad, isn’t it? On the eve of the long-awaited trial against Katie, this move smells of despair.
“The Markel family is deeply grateful to the Attorney General’s Office, the FBI and all law enforcement officials for their tireless pursuit of justice,” said a statement from Orn Snyder and Matt Benjamin, lawyers for the Markel family, obtained by a CNN affiliate. WTXL.
“Nearly eight years after Danny’s tragic murder, these dedicated government officials continue to fight to honor Danny’s memory and hold everyone responsible for his horrific death accountable. On behalf of Danny’s family and friends in the Tallahassee community and around the world, thank you, “the Markel family said in a statement.
“Dr. Markel’s family, the Attorney General’s Office and the law enforcement team behind this ongoing investigation will not be reassured until justice is given to everyone involved in this horrific crime,” Campbell said.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly describes how Garcia and Adelson first met.
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