TALLAHASSEE — In a day heavy with heartbreak and legal consequence, the murder of Florida State University law professor Dan Markel continued to cast a long shadow over two intertwined families.
Only hours after a jury found Donna Adelson guilty in the 2014 murder-for-hire plot that took Markel’s life, the state of Florida filed its answer brief in her son Charlie Adelson’s appeal, urging that his conviction — and life sentence — remain intact.
The state’s filing, submitted Thursday, argues that the evidence presented at Charlie Adelson’s 2023 trial was overwhelming and that his conviction should be upheld on all counts. Prosecutors detailed once again the intricate web of deceit, money, and manipulation that led to Markel’s death — a crime that shattered a family and captivated the nation.
The timing of the filing, coinciding with Donna Adelson’s conviction, underscores the tragic depth of a saga that has spanned more than a decade and left lingering wounds within both the Markel and Adelson families.
In court, jurors listened to recordings, financial records, and testimony describing a plot born from a bitter child custody dispute — one that ended with Markel’s shooting in his Tallahassee driveway in July 2014.
For Markel’s loved ones, the dual developments brought a mix of relief and sorrow.
“Justice has been a long time coming,” one supporter said outside the courthouse. “But there’s no victory in this — only loss.”
Legal experts note that the state’s response to Charlie Adelson’s appeal could foreshadow the challenges Donna Adelson’s defense team will face in her likely appeal. Both mother and son now sit behind bars, convicted in connection with a crime that has torn apart families and riveted Florida for more than a decade.
As the legal battles continue, the human cost remains unmistakable — a brilliant professor’s life stolen, a family broken, and a tragic story that refuses to fade.