Trial Recap: Donna Adelson

In 2014, Florida State law professor Dan Markel was shot in his driveway in what prosecutors called a calculated murder-for-hire plot. Over the years, three people—including Donna Adelson’s son, Charlie—were convicted for their roles. But investigators always believed the real mastermind was Donna herself. In September 2025, after nearly a decade of speculation, Donna Adelson finally stood trial. Prosecutors leaned on phone records, wiretaps, financial transfers, digital breadcrumbs, and even testimony from jailhouse informants to argue she orchestrated the killing. The defense insisted the evidence was circumstantial and that Donna was nothing more than a grieving grandmother. On September 4, 2025, a jury found Donna Adelson guilty on all counts. She now faces a mandatory life sentence without parole. This special episode of Forensic Tales breaks down the forensic evidence, courtroom drama, and the final verdict that brought the Adelson matriarch to justice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices