In this pivotal moment from the Trial of Donna Adelson, the defense introduced testimony from digital forensics expert Kelsey Guay, a former investigator with the Portland Police Bureau who has logged more than 400 hours of training in digital analysis, including 100 hours on cell-site location evidence. Her role was to take jurors deep into the world of call logs, data records, and phone analysis, giving the courtroom a technical yet critical perspective on Donna’s communications with her son, Charlie Adelson.
The heart of her testimony revolved around Donna’s call patterns with Charlie, the son already convicted of orchestrating Dan Markel’s murder-for-hire. Prosecutors have long argued that suspicious timing and frequency of calls between mother and son reflect coordination, while the defense countered with Guay’s expert lens to suggest alternative explanations or reasonable doubt.
Why does this testimony matter? Because in the absence of a smoking gun, the state leans heavily on circumstantial evidence—particularly Donna’s phone activity. Guay’s testimony potentially reshapes how jurors interpret that digital trail: were Donna’s calls a sign of conspiracy, or the normal communication of a worried mother deeply entangled in family stress?
Her credentials lent weight to her analysis, but the cross-examination loomed large, pressing the question of whether forensics can truly capture intent. The result: a layered and technical testimony that left jurors with more to consider about the role Donna’s conversations with Charlie played in this tragic saga.
This raw courtroom footage captures Guay’s testimony in full—watch closely as the digital breadcrumbs of the case are laid bare for the jury, piece by piece, in a trial where every call, text, and connection could sway the final verdict.
#DonnaAdelsonTrial #DigitalForensics #CallRecords #CharlieAdelson #DanMarkelCase #TrueCrime #CourtroomDrama #ExpertWitness #MurderForHire #JusticeForDan
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