Charlie Adelson trial Day 4: Focus shifts to evidence trail in Dan Markel murder | RECAP

Elena Barrera and Jeff Burlew, Tallahassee Democrat
Updated ·8 min read
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The murder trial for Fort Lauderdale periodontist Charlie Adelson continues on its fourth day in a Leon County courtroom. Adelson is accused of orchestrating one of Tallahassee’s most shocking crimes — the murder-for-hire killing of Florida State University law professor Dan Markel.

Adelson, is accused of orchestrating the murder and paying two Miami men, Luis Rivera, a Latin Kings gang leader, his close friend, Sigfredo Garcia, to carry out the hit. Rivera, Garcia and Adelson's former girlfriend, Katherine Magbanua, the other of Garcia's children, have already been convicted in the murder.

Magbanua admitted to a litany of lies in past trials during testimony Monday, but insisted she was telling the truth now as she testified that Adelson arranged and paid for the hit.

"I believe that the truth needed to come out now so that the family can get some type of closure," Magbanua said

Court resumes Tuesday with cross-examination Sgt. Chris Corbitt of the Tallahassee Police Department. He is supervisor of the Technical Operations Unit, which examined cellphone records in the Dan Markel case.

Scroll on for live updates from the courtroom.

Daniel Rashbaum cross examines TPD Sgt. Chris Corbitt

During the first day of his testimony, Tallahassee Police Sgt. Chris Corbitt walked the jury through numerous examples of text messages and call logs that began in May 2014.

Daniel Rashbaum said Adelson was arrested in 2022 and asked if any of the data in yesterday's presentation was new or different than what TPD acquired back when they first investigated the case. Corbitt said no, everything he has now is what he had then.

"Are you sure that when you did this report you received every message included in Adelson's iCloud?" Rashbaum asked.

"I do believe," Corbitt said.

Corbitt testified that they look at frequency reports to help identify coconspirators. Adelson had significant amounts of communication with Katherine Magbanua, Luis Rivera and Sigfredo Garcia — the three who have previously been convicted for the murder of Dan Markel.

But Rashbaum countered saying that just because a boyfriend or a son communicates a lot doesn't inherently make him a coconspirator. Corbitt agreed.

Adelson used his cellphone, never a landline, pay phone or another person's phone, Rashbaum said. He asked Corbitt if he said that people tend to use landlines when trying to hide information, but Corbitt clarified and said he testified that there is a perception that landlines are more safe than cell phones.

"On all of the calls to the Adelson landline are they all from Charlie Adelson’s cellphone?” Rashbaum asked.

“Yes, we were looking at Charlie Adelson’s cellphone,” Corbitt said.

Court recesses after juror askes to speak to the bailiff

In the middle of Corbitt's testimony, a juror raised his hand asking to speak with the bailiff in private. Moments later, the bailiff returned and consulted with the judge.

Judge Stephen Everett announced to the gallery that murmuring and whispering is preventing them from listening to the testimony.

"Nothing is to distract the jurors from the job at hand," he said.

Everett also announced that the gallery cannot nod or indicate they agree with any testimony as the trial proceeds because it could impact the jury's perception.

Examination of Corbitt continues

Rashbaum pointed out that investigations focus on messages and calls from dates that events occurred.

"Was it common on days where events didn't occur that Charlie Adelson almost always spoke to his girlfriend?" he asked.

"Yes," Corbitt said.

Assistant State Attorney Sarah Kathryn Dugan took over questioning and presented records from Dan Markel and Wendi Adelson's divorce case.

Based on the records, both May 2 and 7 had significant events going on in the case, Dugan said.

State calls its next witness, a retired FBI agent

A retired FBI agent who went undercover during "the bump" operation of the case, explained that a bump is an investigative tool where an agent or officer makes contact with a person of interest during an investigation.

The goal is to extract information, give information or set up future meetings with that person, said the agent.

In this case, the agent posed as a Latin King gang member- the gang that convicted hitmen Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera were a part of - and approached Donna Adelson to "engage in a conversation with her."

The agent, who the judge asked not be identified, acknowledged he was trying to "act like" a Latin Kings gang member in his call with Charlie Adelson.

"Quite frankly I was instructed not to be so gang-like with Donna. To be polite," he said.

He handed her a flyer and told her Katherine Magbanua and Sigfredo Garcia were being "taken care of," referring to their payments.

The bump" happened on April 19. "You hoped that phone calls would happen or someone would pay the money?" Rashbaum asked. "That was the intention," the agent said.

Second FBI agent takes the stand

The state called another FBI agent to testify about the Dolce Vita operation He was one of two special agents who went to the crowded and noisy restaurant in April 2016 to secretly record a conversation between Charlie Adelson and Katherine Magbanua.

Forensic engineer Keith McElveen testifies

Keith McElveen was given two recordings from the Dolce Vita operation. One had better audio but poor video. Using computer software, they "unblurred" the sound "like you would a photograph" to "zoom in" on a subject's voice.

The recording was filled with background noise from the busy café.

"It was frankly a mess," McElveen said.

In addition to this undercover mission, McElveen also clarified a recording of a conversation between Charlie Adelson and his dad, Harvey Adelson, at the Matsuri restaurant in Miami.

Special agent testifies

FBI agent, whose name Assistant State Attorney Georgia Cappleman requested to keep off the record, says he recorded Charlie Adelson and his dad Harvey Adelson at the Matsuri restaurant on April 21, 2016.

The two were sitting at the sushi bar, and the agent sat next to Harvey Adelson. Under direct questions, he said he couldn't hear the conversation.

Under cross examination the agent said Charlie Adelson surrendered peacefully during his arrest last year.

Pat Sanford is called back to the stand for the second time

Patrick Sanford was called back to the stand after his first testimony from the first day of the trial. On the stand today he said the FBI intercepted "thousands" of calls between Charlie Adelson and Katherine Magbanua via phone taps. They were all entered into evidence at state's behest and over defense objection.

Assistant State Attorney Georgia Cappleman asked whether there was evidence in the wire taps of Charlie and Donna Adelson "meddling" in Wendi Adelson's life. "Yes there's quite a bit," Sanford said.

He said one text said "Wendi pulled the plug on the house." The text happened on Halloween 2013 — 10 years ago today — the same day that Adelson first approached Magbanua about killing Dan Markel.

Phone call recordings were played for the courtroom. The first call was between Charlie and Donna Adelson from April 15, 2016. The two discussed her dating and financial decisions

Another call between the two from May 3, 2016, was played. The mother-son duo started the conversation with Adelson saying he just got Wendi a job with a law firm in Miami.

Adelson later said, "Wendi just doesn't comprehend at all how lucky she is. It doesn't register in her head how lucky she is."

The state followed this call by playing the video footage from "the bump" and a call between Adelson and his mother where she explained her encountering with the undercover agent who posed as a Latin King gang member.

Donna Adelson told Charlie Adelson she had "some paperwork" hand-delivered to her and that they needed to talk in person.

"Does it involve me or other people?" Charlie asked.

"Well, probably both of us," his mom said. "Probably the two of us. So you probably have a general idea what I'm talking about."

In a follow-up phone call, Charlie said ""Listen, whatever it is, whatever someone sent you, I wouldn’t worry too much about anything."

"Ok," Donna said.

She told him to bring cash when they meet. Charlie asked if she was being blackmailed or threatened. He said they needed to go to the police if she was being threatened.

Sanford testified that nobody went to the police.

After multiple phone calls with his mother, Adelson called Katherine Magbanua to ask if she knew anything about this. Magbanua was unaware of the whole encounter.

Hard-to-understand recordings of the Dolce Vita meeting were played next. During the meeting Charlie told Magbanua, "Even if they bug your phone, you're still not talking about anything. How do you get people to talk? You throw a smoke grenade, and then you get all the cockroaches to run out."

The two discussed Donna's encounter and what to do about it.

"Let me explain something to you," Charlie said to Magbanua. "If we go to the police, this is gonna put a spotlight on the investigation. The FBI. The FBI. We're talking about a big-wig in the FBI; not like the first-year rookie. You're gonna have a 20-year vet with the FBI knocking at your door, wanting to speak with you, and wanting to speak with your attorney."

Chronicling the case:

GAVEL-TO-GAVEL COVERAGE:

The Tallahassee Democrat will livestream each day of the trial of Charlie Adelson from the courthouse in Tallahassee. Watch on Tallahassee.com and the Tallahassee Democrat's Facebook and YouTube pages. For best viewing experience: Download the Tallahassee Democrat app to watch and receive text alerts on when to watch – from opening arguments to the verdict.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: RECAP: Charlie Adelson trial Day 4 | Dan Markel murder