Ryan Fitzpatrick, a close friend of Charlie Adelson from roughly 2013 to 2020, testifies about Charlie's habitual cash-bundle payments, Donna Adelson's implied hostility toward Dan Markel, and Charlie's behavioral shift — from conspicuous silence about the murder to visible agitation after the FBI undercover operation. On cross, Jackie Fulford elicits that Fitzpatrick never heard Donna make a direct negative comment about Markel, and that the friendship with Charlie ended badly.

Day 4 →

Proceedings

Direct Ryan Fitzpatrick - Direct Line 1

Cross Ryan Fitzpatrick - Cross Line 70

Direct Ryan Fitzpatrick Georgia Cappleman

1 2:39:50

JUDGE EVERETT: Please call your next witness.

2 2:39:52

MS. CAPPLEMAN: State calls Ryan Fitzpatrick.

3 2:40:44

JUDGE EVERETT: Please — Raise your right hand, sir. Do you swear or affirm the testimony you're about to give will be the truth?

4 2:40:50

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes, Your Honor.

5 2:40:51

JUDGE EVERETT: You may take your seat.

6 2:40:52

JUDGE EVERETT: Please speak loudly and clearly.

7 2:40:53

MS. CAPPLEMAN: Sir, please introduce yourself and spell your name.

8 2:40:57

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Ryan Fitzpatrick. R-Y-A-N, F-I-T-Z-P-A-T-R-I-C-K.

9 2:41:04

MS. CAPPLEMAN: Sir, do you know the defendant in this case, Donna Adelson?

10 2:41:07

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes, ma'am.

11 2:41:08

MS. CAPPLEMAN: How do you know her?

12 2:41:08

RYAN FITZPATRICK: She was Charlie's mother.

13 2:41:10

MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. Were you friends with Charlie?

14 2:41:11

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes, ma'am.

15 2:41:12

MS. CAPPLEMAN: What was the time frame that you all were friends?

16 2:41:14

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Probably 2013, 2014 to 2019, 2020. I can't really —

17 2:41:14

MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. And during the time y'all were friends, were you like best friends?

18 2:41:28

RYAN FITZPATRICK: We're very close friends, yes, ma'am.

19 2:41:30

MS. CAPPLEMAN: And based on your knowledge of Charlie Adelson, was he really close with his mother, Donna Adelson?

20 2:41:38

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes, ma'am.

21 2:41:39

MS. CAPPLEMAN: And also with his sister, Wendi?

22 2:41:41

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes, ma'am.

23 2:41:42

MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. Um, how did they feel about Dan Markel, if you know?

24 2:41:42

MS. FULFORD: I'm gonna object — uh, they haven't laid a foundation as to which person. They — it doesn't describe anything related.

25 2:41:58

MS. CAPPLEMAN: I'll re-ask the question. How did Donna Adelson feel about Dan Markel?

26 2:42:03

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Didn't like Dan.

27 2:42:05

MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. And Charlie — did he have a lot of girlfriends?

28 2:42:09

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes, ma'am.

29 2:42:10

MS. CAPPLEMAN: And was Katherine Magbanua one of those girlfriends?

30 2:42:13

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes, ma'am, she was.

31 2:42:14

MS. CAPPLEMAN: Is that somebody that you ever met or hung out with?

32 2:42:17

RYAN FITZPATRICK: I believe once or twice in passing, but didn't — you know, like I've testified before, didn't pay any attention to Charlie's girlfriends.

33 2:42:22

MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. So she didn't stand out to you as anything special among the crowd?

34 2:42:27

RYAN FITZPATRICK: May have looked like the others, but no, didn't stand out to me at all.

35 2:42:34

MS. CAPPLEMAN: Are you familiar with Charlie Adelson's practice of how he keeps his cash?

36 2:42:40

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes, ma'am, I am.

37 2:42:41

MS. CAPPLEMAN: And how is that?

38 2:42:44

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Stapled money. Ten one-hundreds equals a thousand.

39 2:42:47

RYAN FITZPATRICK: I've been paid with stapled money by Charlie Adelson before. That's how I know.

40 2:42:52

MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. And when the murder of Dan Markel occurred, was that during the time frame that you were really close with Charlie Adelson?

41 2:43:00

RYAN FITZPATRICK: No, ma'am. It was prior to us growing closer as friends.

42 2:43:04

MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. When you did grow closer as friends, did Mr. Adelson mention the murder to you?

43 2:43:13

RYAN FITZPATRICK: It wasn't discussed. Dan wasn't a topic of discussion. There was no — nobody — it was odd because it wasn't.

44 2:43:24

MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. Okay, so you were aware of it, that it happened?

45 2:43:27

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes, ma'am.

46 2:43:28

MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay, but nobody talked about it?

47 2:43:30

RYAN FITZPATRICK: No, ma'am.

48 2:43:31

MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay, and are you familiar with the law enforcement operation that's been referenced as the bump, where Donna Adelson was approached on the street?

49 2:43:39

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes, ma'am, I am.

50 2:43:40

MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. And did Charlie Adelson talk to you about the bump — his mom being approached?

51 2:43:47

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes, ma'am.

52 2:43:48

MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. And prior to that, had Charlie Adelson ever mentioned being harassed or extorted or anything like that?

53 2:43:55

RYAN FITZPATRICK: No, ma'am.

54 2:43:56

MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. So when this happened with his mother, was he — did his demeanor change? How was he acting about this incident?

55 2:44:04

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Charlie became agitated, nervous, anxiety — I guess, looking back now, guilty. Just abnormal.

56 2:44:18

MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. Did he ever make a statement to you about murder?

57 2:44:23

RYAN FITZPATRICK: He made the statement at one time that you could get away with anything if you keep your mouth shut.

58 2:44:30

MS. CAPPLEMAN: Implied murder. After the arrest that occurred in this case — and I'm referencing the three suspects that were arrested prior to him — did that impact his behavior, demeanor around you?

59 2:44:46

MS. CAPPLEMAN: When the others were arrested — when other arrests occurred —

60 2:44:49

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes, ma'am, it — uh, you know, it — that behavior continued to increase.

61 2:44:55

MS. CAPPLEMAN: Okay. So he was anxious. Would you say more needy?

62 2:45:00

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Uh, Charlie talked a lot. Uh, and he talked a lot about it.

63 2:45:00

MS. CAPPLEMAN: Yes, ma'am. And he talked a lot about what? Those arrests?

64 2:45:09

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes. Charlie would talk about something repeatedly, almost to help himself believe something, or to talk to you till you were — he was blue in the face, until you were almost so tired of hearing it that you were like, "Okay," and you believed it. But — okay, it was nauseating. It's tiring. He was a talker.

65 2:45:33

MS. CAPPLEMAN: Yes, ma'am. All right. Is it fair to say that Charlie was not stressed out at all about the murder or anything related to this case prior to that law enforcement operation?

66 2:45:47

RYAN FITZPATRICK: From my understanding, yes, ma'am.

67 2:45:49

MS. CAPPLEMAN: And after that operation, based on your observations of him, he became very upset and worried about this case.

68 2:45:56

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes, ma'am.

69 2:45:56

MS. CAPPLEMAN: No further questions.

Cross Ryan Fitzpatrick Jackie L. Fulford

70 2:46:52

MS. FULFORD: Morning, sir. I've never met you, but we spoke on the phone once, and then you did a deposition. Do you recall that?

71 2:46:58

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes, ma'am, I do.

72 2:46:59

MS. FULFORD: The deposition was recently — I think August the 14th. Do you recall that?

73 2:47:03

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes, ma'am.

74 2:47:03

MS. FULFORD: I think you appeared by video.

75 2:47:05

MS. FULFORD: Yes, ma'am. Okay. When you gave your deposition, you indicated that you barely know Donna Adelson, correct?

76 2:47:13

RYAN FITZPATRICK: I didn't know her like I knew Charlie, no, ma'am.

77 2:47:16

MS. FULFORD: You've been around her many times.

78 2:47:18

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes, ma'am.

79 2:47:19

MS. FULFORD: And she was always nice to you.

80 2:47:21

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Very nice. She and Harvey were pleasant to be around.

81 2:47:23

MS. FULFORD: Very pleasant. You knew Charlie very well, as you've testified.

82 2:47:26

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes, ma'am.

83 2:47:27

MS. FULFORD: And you were friends, right? But that ended, didn't it?

84 2:47:31

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes, ma'am.

85 2:47:32

MS. FULFORD: And it was an ugly ending.

86 2:47:34

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes, ma'am.

87 2:47:35

MS. FULFORD: Okay. You — said you were very good friends with Charlie. Were you familiar with the cash that he kept in his house?

88 2:47:46

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes, ma'am.

89 2:47:47

MS. FULFORD: Did he keep it stapled?

90 2:47:48

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes, ma'am.

91 2:47:49

MS. FULFORD: Yeah. Hundred-dollar bills, ten of them, so a thousand at a time?

92 2:47:52

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes, ma'am.

93 2:47:52

MS. FULFORD: Has a safe in his house, and that's where he kept his money, correct?

94 2:47:55

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yes, ma'am.

95 2:47:59

MS. FULFORD: Kind of had some issues. I think my co-counsel was asking you some questions in your deposition, but the bottom line is, you have a feeling, and you say that it's known that the Adelsons didn't like Dan Markel, but you couldn't give us a specific comment in your deposition that Donna Adelson ever made. It's just well known, correct?

96 2:48:20

RYAN FITZPATRICK: It was implied, yes, ma'am.

97 2:48:22

MS. FULFORD: Thank you. No further questions.

98 2:48:24

JUDGE EVERETT: Any redirect examination?

99 2:48:26

MS. CAPPLEMAN: No, Your Honor.

100 2:48:28

JUDGE EVERETT: Will the witness be recalled at any time?

101 2:48:34

MS. CAPPLEMAN: No, Your Honor.

102 2:48:35

JUDGE EVERETT: You are released, sir. Have a good day.

Insights

Direct Ryan Fitzpatrick

Charlie Adelson's close friend corroborates the stapled-cash payment method used by the hitmen, confirms Donna Adelson personally disliked Dan Markel, and describes Charlie's dramatic behavioral collapse — anxiety, paranoia, and obsessive repetition — following the FBI undercover operation targeting Donna.

Case Significance

Fitzpatrick provides insider corroboration of the stapled-cash payment method and delivers the most direct testimony yet about Charlie Adelson's guilt-conscious behavioral shift after law enforcement operations began.

Stapled-cash testimony from personal experience connects Charlie Adelson's financial habits to the documented hitman payment method
Charlie's 'keep your mouth shut' statement and behavioral collapse after the bump operation constitute significant consciousness-of-guilt evidence
Donna Adelson's hostility toward Dan Markel confirmed through a close family insider
Fitzpatrick's limited direct contact with Donna herself constrains the evidence's direct probative value against her

Highlights

“Didn't like Dan.”

— Ryan FitzpatrickFitzpatrick's blunt, unqualified characterization of Donna Adelson's feelings toward Dan Markel — delivered by a close family insider with no hedging — is concise motive testimony from inside the Adelson social circle.Testimony

Fitzpatrick establishes Charlie Adelson's personal habit of keeping cash in stapled $1,000 bundles and confirms he was personally paid that way — corroborating the hitman payment method from firsthand experience.

“I've been paid with stapled money by Charlie Adelson before. That's how I know.”

— Ryan FitzpatrickFitzpatrick grounds his stapled-cash testimony in direct personal experience rather than observation alone, connecting Charlie Adelson's distinctive financial habit — ten $100 bills per bundle — to the method documented in the hitman payment.

“It wasn't discussed. Dan wasn't a topic of discussion. There was no — nobody — it was odd because it wasn't.”

— Ryan FitzpatrickFitzpatrick's observation that the murder was conspicuously absent from conversation among Charlie's close circle — and that he found this omission 'odd' — suggests deliberate silence consistent with concealment, corroborating similar observations from earlier witnesses.Testimony

Fitzpatrick describes Charlie Adelson's behavioral transformation after the FBI 'bump' operation: he became 'agitated, nervous, anxiety' — with Fitzpatrick adding, 'looking back now, guilty' — marking a clear before/after arc around the undercover operation.

“Charlie became agitated, nervous, anxiety — I guess, looking back now, guilty. Just abnormal.”

— Ryan FitzpatrickFitzpatrick's retrospective attribution of guilt to Charlie's post-bump demeanor is notable for its candid self-qualification ('looking back now'), presenting as personal interpretation rather than scripted testimony and making it harder to dismiss as coaching.Admission

Fitzpatrick relays Charlie Adelson's statement that 'you could get away with anything if you keep your mouth shut,' with Cappleman immediately characterizing it as implying murder — Fitzpatrick does not contest this framing.

“He made the statement at one time that you could get away with anything if you keep your mouth shut.”

— Ryan FitzpatrickCharlie Adelson's statement, relayed by Fitzpatrick immediately after being asked about murder, is the most direct consciousness-of-guilt remark in this testimony and Fitzpatrick does not contest Cappleman's characterization that it implied murder.Testimony

After co-defendants were arrested, Fitzpatrick describes Charlie's compulsive repetitive talking about the case — 'almost to help himself believe something' — speaking until listeners were 'so tired of hearing it' they acquiesced. Fitzpatrick calls this 'nauseating' and 'tiring,' portraying deliberate narrative management rather than natural processing.

People Mentioned

Katherine Magbanua Donna Adelson Charlie Adelson Dan Markel

Deep Analysis

Attorney Strategy

Targeted Three-Point Structure

Cappleman uses Fitzpatrick efficiently: (1) establish Donna's hostility toward Markel through a close family insider, (2) link Charlie's cash habits to the hitman payment method via personal experience, (3) document Charlie's guilt-conscious behavioral arc. The examination is brief and avoids overreach given Fitzpatrick's limited direct contact with Donna herself.

Case Theory Connections

Payment Method Chain

Fitzpatrick's firsthand experience with Charlie's stapled-cash payment practice links the Adelson family's financial habits to the documented hitman payment method, supporting the state's theory that the conspiracy was funded through Charlie's personal cash transactions.

Silence Pattern Corroboration

Fitzpatrick's observation that the murder was conspicuously never discussed — and that he found this 'odd' — corroborates the Umchinda and Lacasse testimony about deliberate silence in the Adelson social circle, consistent with coordinated concealment across multiple witnesses.

Credibility Observations

Self-Qualifying Retrospective

Fitzpatrick qualifies his 'guilty' characterization with 'I guess, looking back now' — signaling retrospective interpretation rather than contemporaneous certainty. This honest framing may enhance credibility with jurors who are skeptical of overly polished witness accounts.

Firsthand Basis for Cash Habit

Fitzpatrick establishes his knowledge of the stapled-cash habit through direct personal payment experience, not mere observation or hearsay — a stronger evidentiary foundation than general familiarity with Charlie's practices.

Evidentiary Or Procedural Notes

Foundation Objection on Group Feelings

Fulford objected when Cappleman asked how 'they' felt about Dan Markel without specifying which person, forcing Cappleman to re-ask the question specifically about Donna Adelson. The court did not formally rule — Cappleman immediately rephrased without contest.

Followup Questions Or Open Threads

Retrospective vs. Contemporaneous Observation

Defense will likely probe whether Fitzpatrick's 'guilty' characterization is a retrospective interpretation shaped by subsequent arrests, media coverage, and legal proceedings rather than a genuine contemporaneous assessment — the qualifier 'looking back now' directly invites this line of cross-examination.

Context of the Keep-Your-Mouth-Shut Statement

The specific circumstances in which Charlie made the 'keep your mouth shut' statement were not developed on direct — when, where, and in what conversation it occurred may be probed on cross to determine whether it was a casually hypothetical remark or a specific reference to the Markel case.

Notable Admissions

Charlie: Silence Enables Escape

Charlie Adelson told Fitzpatrick 'you could get away with anything if you keep your mouth shut.' Fitzpatrick relays this in direct response to a question about murder and does not contest Cappleman's framing that it implied murder — the most proximate expression of guilty knowledge in this examination.

Testimony Themes

Stapled-Cash Corroboration

Fitzpatrick confirms Charlie Adelson's personal habit of paying with stapled $1,000 bundles and grounds this in firsthand experience — he was personally paid that way — connecting the Adelson family's financial practices to the documented hitman payment method.

Post-Bump Guilt Consciousness

Fitzpatrick establishes a clear before/after: no stress or discussion of the murder before the bump operation; dramatic anxiety, agitation, and behavioral abnormality after. His retrospective 'looking back now, guilty' framing is the most direct characterization of Charlie Adelson's mental state offered by any witness to this point.

Compulsive Narrative Management

After co-defendants were arrested, Charlie engaged in repetitive, exhausting talking about the case — described as speaking 'until you were almost so tired of hearing it that you were like okay and you believed it' — suggesting an effort to shape others' perceptions rather than process events naturally.

Witness Role And Importance

Witness Role And Importance

Ryan Fitzpatrick was a close personal friend of Charlie Adelson from roughly 2013 to 2020, placing him inside Charlie's social circle during the entire post-murder period. His value to the state is threefold: he corroborates the stapled-cash payment method from personal experience, he observed Charlie's guilt-conscious behavioral deterioration following law enforcement operations, and he provides a brief but direct insider characterization of Donna Adelson's hostility toward Dan Markel.

Cross Ryan Fitzpatrick

Defense extracts the critical concession that Fitzpatrick had no specific statement from Donna Adelson about disliking Dan Markel — only a general implication — and establishes that he found her personally pleasant, blunting the animus inference.

Case Significance

Short cross with one meaningful concession — no specific Donna statement about Markel, only implication — and a credibility seed about an ugly friendship ending.

Fitzpatrick admits Donna's dislike of Markel was 'implied,' not expressed in any specific statement he could recall
Fitzpatrick voluntarily describes Donna as 'very nice' and 'pleasant'
Friendship with Charlie ended 'ugly,' flagging potential bias

Highlights

“Very nice. She and Harvey were pleasant to be around.”

— Ryan FitzpatrickFitzpatrick's own characterization of Donna Adelson as personally pleasant directly counters the state's narrative of her hostility toward Markel.Testimony

Fitzpatrick acknowledges his friendship with Charlie Adelson ended 'ugly,' establishing a potential bias context for the jury.

Testimony

Fulford extracts that Fitzpatrick could not produce a single specific statement from Donna Adelson about disliking Dan Markel — only that it was 'implied' and 'well known' — the cross's central strategic gain for the defense.

“It was implied, yes, ma'am.”

— Ryan FitzpatrickFitzpatrick concedes he had no specific statement from Donna Adelson expressing hostility toward Dan Markel — her dislike was inferred rather than directly expressed, weakening the animus inference against her.

People Mentioned

Charlie Adelson Dan Markel Harvey Adelson

Deep Analysis

Attorney Strategy

Narrow, Targeted Cross

Fulford avoids challenging Fitzpatrick's corroboration of the cash bundles — already consistent with defense theory — and focuses entirely on limiting the evidentiary weight of his Donna-animus testimony. The cross is brief and precise, ending once the key concession is secured.

Impeachment Or Tension Points

Ugly Friendship Ending With Charlie

Fulford surfaces that Fitzpatrick's friendship with Charlie ended badly, suggesting the jury weigh whether animosity toward Charlie colors his interpretation of events.

Notable Admissions

Animus Was Implied, Not Stated

Fitzpatrick admits he could not recall a specific comment from Donna Adelson about disliking Dan Markel — the dislike was 'implied,' undercutting the strength of his testimony on her motive.

Testimony Themes

Limits of Fitzpatrick's Donna Knowledge

Defense establishes Fitzpatrick had minimal direct knowledge of Donna Adelson's statements or intent — his characterization of her dislike of Markel was based on implication, not firsthand observation.

Witness Role And Importance

Witness Role And Importance

Ryan Fitzpatrick is a former close friend of Charlie Adelson whose direct testimony provided corroboration of the stapled-cash payment method and described Charlie's behavioral deterioration after the FBI undercover operation. On cross, the defense limits his usefulness against Donna specifically by showing his knowledge of her animus was inferential rather than based on any statement she made.

Summary

Georgia Cappleman's direct examination of Ryan Fitzpatrick develops three evidentiary strands. On family dynamics, Fitzpatrick testifies that Charlie Adelson was closely bonded with both his mother and sister, and that Donna Adelson's dislike of Dan Markel was something he perceived as generally understood in their circle. On payment practices, he testifies from personal experience that Charlie routinely kept cash in stapled $1,000 bundles — ten $100 bills — and had paid Fitzpatrick that way. On Charlie's conduct after the murder, Fitzpatrick traces a behavioral arc: before the FBI undercover "bump" operation, the murder was conspicuously never discussed and Charlie appeared unstressed; after the bump, Charlie became agitated and made a statement Fitzpatrick characterized as implying awareness of murder — that "you could get away with anything if you keep your mouth shut." Following subsequent arrests, Charlie's anxiety reportedly became compulsive and repetitive. Jackie Fulford's cross-examination targets credibility and softens the Donna testimony. Fitzpatrick concedes he cannot point to a specific comment Donna made about Markel and describes her dislike as "implied" rather than spoken; he volunteers that Donna and her husband Harvey were pleasant to him. Fulford also surfaces that the friendship with Charlie ended "ugly," leaving a credibility question without further development. The stapled-cash details are confirmed on cross. The state declines redirect and Fitzpatrick is released.

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