Donna Adelson Proclaims Her Innocence as Judge Sentenced to Her to Life in Prison | Crime Alert 12PM 10.14.25

An emotional Donna Adelson faced stern words from the judge as she maintained her innocence during the sentencing for the murder of FSU law professor Dan Markel.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Alart hourly update, breaking crime news Now, I'm Nicole.
Pardon and emotional, Donna adels Son faced stern words from
the judge as she maintained her innocence during the sentencing
for the murder of FSU law professor Dan Markel. In September,
she became the fifth person found guilty in the murder
for higher case of her former son in law, who

(00:22):
was found brutally shot outside his Tallahassee residence in twenty fourteen.
Her son, Charlie, had previously been convicted on similar charges.
The jury determined that Donna had orchestrated Markell's murder and
provided financial support to the assassins, utilizing her son and

(00:43):
his ex girlfriend as the intermediaries. With tears in her eyes,
Donna addressed the court, initially praising the victim, Dan, my
son in law, was a wonderful and honorable man. She
said he was not only a great son in law,
but also a devoted and loving father. However, she quickly
shifted her focus to asserting her innocence. The individuals responsible

(01:06):
for this heinous act are exactly where they should be.
But I had no idea that such an evil deed
was going to happen.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
But I am an innocent woman convicted of this terrible
crime without evidence. Danny was a brilliant legal scholar. He
would have been appalled at the total lack of justice
that went on during my trial. He would have been
embarrassed to have his name associated with any of it.
There are two crimes here. The first was Danny being

(01:38):
viciously murdered. The second one is taking my life. The
life of an innocent woman. Convicting me should not be
retributioned fince Danny's death. I've never gotten a parking ticket,
but I'm going to prison for a murder I did
not commit. As I appear before you today, your honor,

(01:58):
I promise you with my lord, I swear to you
on my life. I was not involved in any way
with Teddy's murder. I was not.

Speaker 1 (02:10):
Judge Everett warned her that a lack of remorse would
be taken into account. Donna continued with her argument. Donna's husband, Harvey,
also spoke out passionately in defense of his wife, alleging
she has committed no wrongdoing and is being punished for
a crime she did not perpetrate. I thought we lived
in a just society, but I was mistaken, He concluded

(02:33):
by stating, this is not justice, it is retribution, and
it is unjust. Prior to her sentencing, Donna's defense team
submitted seven letters of support to Judge Everett. These letters,
penned by longtime friends, characterized Donna as compassionate, generous, loving,
and nurturing, urging the judge to take her positive traits

(02:54):
into consideration. One letter expressed unwavering belief in her innocence,
asserting she is incapable of threatening or harming anyone. Ultimately,
Judge Everett sentenced Donna to life in prison without the
possibility of parole, along with an additional thirty years. Following
her conviction, Donna filed emotion for a new trial, which
was promptly denied by Judge Everett. She now faces a

(03:17):
life sentence for her convictions of first degree murder, conspiracy
to commit murder, and solicitation. More crime and justice news
after this and now to South Carolina, where an eighty
two year old woman whose friends have described her as

(03:37):
the nicest person in Sun City, is accused of murdering
her husband inside the coastal South Carolina nursing home where
he lived a shooting investigators are now saying was planned.
Eighty two year old Harriet k Recker shot and killed
her eighty one year old husband, Dennis, on September twelve

(03:58):
at the Preston Health Center on Hiltonhead Island. According to
the Buford County Sheriff's Office, she is charged with murder
and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Investigators
say notes found in her purse and at her home
once she sent to a neighbor, along with interviews and
financial documents they reviewed, suggest the shooting was all premeditated.

(04:20):
Just one day before the shooting, Dennis was admitted to
the facility because of health issues that required additional care.
A neighbor who had driven the couple to the nursing home,
walked out of the room for a moment when they
heard a loud bang. They ran back in to find
Harriet holding a gun and her husband with a gunshot
wounded the chest. Despite life saving efforts, Dennis died from

(04:44):
his injuries. A witness told investigators that before he died,
Dennis appeared shocked and said she shot me. Recer reportedly
told investigators he was a good man and described the
incident as a sad situation. The investigation authorities reportedly found
a note in her purse about her declining health and

(05:05):
emotional struggles. An identical note was later found in her
home along with financial papers, and another version of the
note had been sent to her neighbor. Part of the note,
which was read in court, said to all of you,
this has just been too much for me. I so
wish I could do it with the wonderful family. We
have so many good friends. We can't have a life
without someone, and that someone can't be me, as I

(05:28):
am not strong enough or smart enough to do any
of this, all of this anymore. It's just too much
for me, the letter said. Recker was booked into the
Bruford County Jail that same day and is being held
without bond for the latest crime. Injustice news, follow Crime
Alert hourly update on your favorite podcasting app with this

(05:49):
crime Alert. I'm Nico Parton