'Forever taken': Charlie Adelson sentenced to life in jail as Dan Markel's father reflects

Charlie Adelson, the wealthy Fort Lauderdale periodontist who financed and planned the 2014 hit on his former brother-in-law, Dan Markel, was sentenced to life in prison for the heinous murder.

Leon Circuit Judge Stephen Everett imposed the sentence Tuesday during a short but emotional hearing in which Markel’s father, Phil Markel, spoke out on behalf of his family. With Dan Markel's mother, Ruth, and sister, Shelly, on the line from Canada, Phil Markel urged Everett via Zoom to impose the maximum sentence on Adelson.

“Dan’s life was abruptly cut short, and he was forever taken away from me, the boys and the rest of his family and all his many friends and colleagues,” Phil Markel said. “My life has been in total disarray since Dan’s murder. Many nights, I wake up in the middle of the night in a terrible sweat with thoughts of Dan’s murder and all that has happened.”

Charlie Adelson makes a statement: 'I maintain my innocence'

Adelson, 47, sat silently as Phil Markel spoke about his son’s murder and the near-zero contact his family has had with their grandchildren, Dan Markel’s two sons, since the murder. He remained defiant until the end, offering a single statement before Everett announced the sentence.

“I would just like to say that I maintain my innocence,” Adelson said.

Adelson was convicted of first-degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation on Nov. 6 after an eight-day trial at the Leon County Courthouse that featured voluminous wire taps and other secretly recorded conversations implicating him in the murder. Jurors returned guilty verdicts in just three hours.

Assistant State Attorney Georgia Cappleman, the chief prosecutor in the Markel case, asked that Everett impose the maximum sentence, 30 years, for the conspiracy and solicitation charges and that the terms run back-to-back.

Everett did just that after adjudicating him guilty for all three crimes.

“You are going to be sentenced as follows: As to Count 1, the first-degree murder count, you are sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of release or parole," Everett said, adding that he would serve consecutive 30-year sentences on the other two counts.

Everett told Adelson and his attorney, Dan Rashbaum of Miami, that they had 30 days to appeal the conviction and sentence. Everett asked that he file notice of the appeal in a “timely” fashion to avoid issues regarding any review of the conviction.

“Mr. Adelson, you are going to be fingerprinted today, and from here you are going to be sent to the Department of Corrections to begin serving your sentence.”

Dan Markel was shot at point-blank range in the garage of his Trescott Drive home on July 18, 2014. The 41-year-old law professor and father of two boys died the next day at a Tallahassee hospital.

The murder was carried out by two South Florida men tied to Adelson through his ex-girlfriend, Katie Magbanua. It happened as Markel and his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, who is Charlie Adelson’s sister, were feuding over custody of their sons after a particularly acrimonious divorce.

Phil Markel recalls his son Dan Markel's birth, life and 'heartbreak' of his murder

Phil Markel was the only person to speak out during the sentencing, though a number of his son’s family and friends also submitted victim impact statements to the court, which Everett said he had read.

He told the court of his son’s birth on Oct. 9, 1972, in Montreal, Quebec, which he was allowed to watch in person even though he said husbands typically weren’t allowed in delivery rooms at the time.

“There I was, holding in my arms this gift of life ... an absolute sheer joy,” Phil Markel said. “From the time he was a child, my son had tremendous energy, intelligence and great warmth. Dan had a vibrant, fun-living personality and lived life to the fullest.”

He said his son loved to socialize and entertain, cook and play sports and “dedicated himself wholeheartedly to everything that he did.”

"This desire of improvement and commitment to excellence was a defining characteristic of his short life,” Phil Markel said.

He said his son decided at the age of 13 that he wanted to go to Harvard University, where he graduated magna cum laude and later earned his law degree. He went on to become “extremely successful and influential,” co-authoring a book and publishing numerous articles in highly regarded law journals and newspapers including the New York Times.

Dan Markel worked for a prestigious Washington law firm before coming to Tallahassee, becoming a full tenured professor at the Florida State University College of Law before his untimely death.

“He was recognized as a scholar who contributed and made a difference in the world,” Phil Markel said.

'Wheels of justice still turning' as Donna faces murder trial

Charlie Adelson’s sentencing came the morning after his mother, Donna Adelson, pleaded not guilty during her arraignment on murder, conspiracy and solicitation charges.

His conviction marked the fourth in the state's running prosecution of the planners and perpetrators of the murder. One of the two hit men, Latin Kings gang member Luis Rivera, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2016 in a cooperation deal and was sentenced in 19 years in prison.

The other hired killer, Sigfredo Garcia, was found guilty of first-degree murder in his 2019 trial. Magbanua, the mother of Garcia’s children, was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation during her second trial last year.

Both Magbanua and Garcia are serving life sentences. Prosecutors have not publicly commented on whether Magbanua could get a reduction in exchange for her decision to cooperate after her trial. She testified against Adelson during his trial, saying he first broached the idea of hiring someone to harm Markel around Halloween 2013.

After Charlie Adelson's sentencing, Cappleman indicated that the state will continue to methodically prosecute the perpetrators.

“Onward,” she said. “One step forward. Slow but steady.”

Since his son’s death, Phil Markel said he and his family have had only “limited and very controlled” contact with his two grandchildren, Benjamin and Lincoln. For six years, the Markels were denied all visits with the boys, though he said he was allowed two supervised meetings with them over the past two years. He noted that their last names were changed from Markel to Adelson after their father’s murder.

“We have no idea of what these two boys know or have been told about Danny's death,” Phil Markel said. “I truly believe that they have been brainwashed in all these years, from the ages of 3 and 4 to the present day. I also have no idea what the boys know of us, the entire Markel family, our history ... and especially how much we love them and wish they were an active part of our family.”

He said Charlie Adelson was a “major cause of our heartbreak” and that the Markel family continues to suffer.

“It is satisfying to see justice being done,” Phil Markel said. “The wheels of justice turn very, very slowly, but right now we're grateful that they're still turning. Thank you. Today is a good day.”

Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Charlie Adelson sentenced to life in prison for Dan Markel murder