Forensic Transmissions

Episode 113: FSU Law Professor Murder

Oct 20, 2019

FSU law professor Dan Markel was murdered and suspicion fell on his ex-wife's brother and his shady friends. The podcast includes testimonies from the ex-wife and her ex-boyfriend, revealing possible involvement in the plot. The trial resulted in a guilty verdict for one person, a mistrial for another. The podcast explores various topics including custody issues, alibis, and surveillance footage.

02:19:14

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Quick takeaways

Wendi Adelson denies any involvement in her ex-husband's murder and asserts her lack of knowledge about who killed him.

Wendi Adelson mentions her brother Charlie's exploration of options to solve her inability to relocate with the children, indicating a potential motive in the murder.

Deep dives

Summary of Podcast Episode

This podcast episode features an interview with Wendy Adelson, the ex-wife of Dan Markel, who was murdered in 2014. Adelson discusses her relationship with Markel, their divorce, and the custody arrangements for their children. She mentions her brother Charlie and his previous girlfriends. Adelson also reveals details about her own dating life after the divorce and her interactions with Katie Magbanua, who was also dating Charlie. The prosecution questions Adelson about her family's opinions of Markel, his plans to leave Tallahassee, and her own activities on the day of the murder. Adelson denies any involvement in Markel's murder and reiterates her lack of knowledge about who killed him.

Introduction

2min

Moving to Tallahassee

9min

Discussion on Deprivation of Physical Access and Non-Kosher Foods

2min

Motion and Allegations

11min

Confirmation of Beach Photo and Relationship with Katherine Magvanwa

5min

Discussion of Alibi and Victim's Plans

2min

Identifying Voices on Recorded Phone Calls

3min

Activities and Purchases

3min

Children's Whereabouts and Divorce Financials

5min

10.

The Speaker's Relationship with their Brother

12min

11.

Post-Divorce Relationships and Future Plans

15min

12.

Life Insurance and Custody Issues

3min

13.

The Relationship with Wendy Adelson

3min

14.

Unhappiness and Threats

14min

15.

Uncertainty and Erratic Behavior

5min

16.

An Awkward and Emotional Car Ride

2min

17.

A Shocking Revelation

13min

18.

Unsavory Gym Friends and Miami Beach Dinner

7min

19.

Surveillance footage capture and review process at an ATM

4min

20.

Tampering Evidence and Witness Testimony

12min

21.

Questions about Tangible Information and Physical Evidence

7min

FSU law professor Dan Markel was shot and killed in his car outside his home in Tallahassee on July 19, 2014. Markel had been involved in a bitter dispute with his ex-wife Wendi Adelson, also a law professor at FSU, about the custody of their two sons. Suspicion fell on Wendi’s brother Charlie Adelson, a playboy dentist who had a lot of friends on the shady side of the law. Three of these friends–Charlie’s ex-girlfriend Katie Magbanua, Katie’s ex-boyfriend Sigfredo Garcia, and henchman Luis Rivera–were tried for involvement in the murder. Rivera turned State’s Evidence and confessed to the trio’s role in the crime. Garcia was found guilty of first-degree murder, but Magbanua’s case was declared a mistrial. This episode includes audio of Wendi Adelson, who testified under a grant of immunity that she was not involved in the plot to kill her ex-husband. Her testimony is followed by that of her ex-boyfriend Jeff Lacasse, who said that Wendi told him that Charlie was looking into hiring a hit man to kill Dan.

Listen to the episode here