Trial of Charlie Adelson, accused mastermind of Dan Markel murder, set for April

Charlie Adelson, the accused mastermind of the murder of his brother-in-law and Florida State law professor Dan Markel, is set to stand trial in late April.

Circuit Judge Robert Wheeler scheduled opening arguments to begin April 28 during a case management conference Friday morning at the Leon County Courthouse. Jury selection will start April 24 and evidence will heard May 1.

The trial is tentatively slated to last three weeks.

Adelson is being held in the Leon County Jail on charges for his alleged orchestration and financing of the plot to kill Markel.

Adelson, once a wealthy periodontist, is charged with first-degree murder, solicitation of murder and conspiracy to commit murder charges in connection with the July 2014 murder of the acclaimed Florida State University law professor.

Adelson was arrested in April, nearly six years after the broad daylight, execution-style murder.

Late last month, convicted Markel murderer Katherine Magbanua was brought to Tallahassee from prison to give a statement to prosecutors who are seeking a conviction against Adelson. She remains in the Leon County Detention Facility, according to court records.

Attorneys did not discuss a recent proffer by co-defendant Magbanua on Friday.

Details about what Magbanua could divulge about her involvement with Markel’s former brother-in-law Adelson and the suspected murder-for-hire plot that killed the acclaimed law professor are unknown.

Also unknown is what bearing testimony against Adelson could have on Magbanua's life sentence.

There will be another case management conference ahead of Adelson's trial in late February.

Karl Etters contributed to this story. Contact Christopher Cann at ccann@tallahassee.com and follow @ChrisCannFL on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Dan Markel murder: Trial set for Charlie Adelson, accused mastermind