Victim
Dan Markel
Florida State University law professor and father of two who was shot and killed at his Tallahassee home on July 18, 2014 — the victim whose death underlies every case in this record.
212 mentions · 4 trials
About
Markel is the fixed reference point of the entire case record: his death is the charged offense in each prosecution, and the physical, medical, surveillance, and phone evidence introduced across the trials is organized around his final morning. His divorce and custody filings, entered as exhibits, are also the primary documentary record of the dispute prosecutors identified as the motive. Anyone tracing how the case evolved from the accused shooters through to the alleged solicitors will find his role largely constant while the surrounding proof accumulates.
Trial Record (212)
GM Garcia–Magbanua Sep 26, 2019 – Oct 11, 2019
Trial Summary
Named throughout the trial as the July 18, 2014 homicide victim whose killing was the central event underlying the murder, conspiracy, and solicitation charges, appearing in the record through neighbor and first-responder accounts, medical and autopsy testimony, surveillance and phone evidence, and the State's murder-for-hire theory.
Mentioned (66)
Procedural
Trial Procedures and Sequestration Rulings
Day 1 Opening Opening Statement - Georgia Cappleman
Day 1 Opening Opening Statement - Saam Zangeneh
Day 1 Opening Opening Statement - Tara Kawass Murder victim; FSU law professor; Kawass acknowledged the tragedy of his death while arguing Magbanua had nothing to do with it
Day 1 Direct James Geiger - Direct Victim found bleeding and unresponsive in his garage; Geiger knew him as his neighbor 'Danny'
Day 1 Cross James Geiger - Cross
Day 1 Redirect James Geiger - Redirect
Day 1 Direct David Sims - Direct
Day 1 Cross David Sims - Cross
Day 1 Direct Stuart Schlazer - Direct
Day 1 Direct Joanne Maltese - Direct
Day 1 Cross Joanne Maltese - Cross
Day 1 Direct Carrie Rosana - Direct
Day 1 Direct Robert Shawn Yao - Direct
Day 1 Direct Shelby Blank - Direct
Day 1 Direct Anthony Clark - Direct
Day 1 Cross Anthony Clark - Cross
Day 1 Cross Brock Dietz - Cross An interval showing Markel sitting in his car at Premier Gym was removed from processed Exhibit 124 at the prosecution's request.
Day 1 Direct Robert Shawn Yao - Direct
Day 2 Cross Robert Shawn Yao - Cross Victim's seated posture, body position at time of shooting, stippling on facial entrance wound, and the geometry of the two entrance wounds were discussed throughout; Yao admitted he had not seen a sketch of Markel's position and could not verify the assumed upright seating.
Day 2 Cross Robert Shawn Yao - Cross
Day 2 Redirect Robert Shawn Yao - Redirect
Day 2 Direct Craig Isom - Direct
Day 2 Cross Craig Isom - Cross
Day 2 Cross Craig Isom - Cross
Day 2 Redirect Craig Isom - Redirect Month of his death identified as Magbanua's peak cash deposit month, linking the financial anomaly directly to the homicide.
Day 2 Direct Wendi Adelson - Direct
Day 2 Cross Wendi Adelson - Cross
Day 2 Jury Questions Wendi Adelson - Juror Questions Victim; referred to by Wendi as 'Danny'; his parents' blocked access to their grandchildren was the subject of a juror question.
Day 2 Direct Len Harvey - Direct
Day 3 Cross Len Harvey - Cross
Day 3 Direct Bill Brannon - Direct
Day 3 Redirect Bill Brannon - Redirect
Day 3 Direct Jeffrey Lacasse - Direct
Day 3 Cross Jeffrey Lacasse - Cross
Day 3 Direct Christopher Corbitt - Direct
Day 3 Cross Christopher Corbitt - Cross Established to have called Wendi Adelson earlier on the morning of July 18, 2014, before her return call at 11:42 a.m.
Day 3 Direct Luis Rivera - Direct
Day 3 Cross Luis Rivera - Cross
Day 4 Direct Jonathan Grossman - Direct Named as the murder victim whose case prompted the Tallahassee authorities to request Grossman's assistance with the Prius inspection
Day 4 Direct Keith Leland - Direct Victim whose children attended Creative Preschool; identified as arriving at the school the morning of July 18 2014 through the side gate around 9:45–10:00 a.m.
Day 4 Cross Keith Leland - Cross
Day 4 Direct Elizabeth Richey - Direct
Day 4 Direct June Umchinda - Direct
Day 5 Direct Yindra Velazquez Mascaro - Direct
Day 5 Cross Yindra Velazquez Mascaro - Cross
Day 5 Cross Yindra Velazquez Mascaro - Cross
Day 5 Direct Christopher Corbitt - Direct
Day 5 Direct Christopher Corbitt - Direct (Recall, Part 2)
Day 5 Direct Oscar Jimenez Jr. - Direct Murder victim; the flyer used in the bump operation was a news article about his killing
Day 6 Cross Christopher Corbitt - Cross
Day 7 Direct Patrick Sanford - Direct
Day 7 Direct Patrick Sanford - Direct (Part 4)
Day 7 Cross Patrick Sanford - Cross
Day 7 Cross Patrick Sanford - Cross (Part 2)
Day 7 Cross Patrick Sanford - Cross
Day 8 Procedural Isom Juror Question and Evidence Clarification
Day 8 Procedural State Rests and Judgments of Acquittal
Day 8 Direct Christopher Corbitt - Direct Named in the stipulation as the person who dropped off and picked up the children on July 14–16 and dropped them off on the murder morning July 18 at 8:50 a.m.
Day 8 Direct Katherine Magbanua - Direct
Day 9 Cross Katherine Magbanua - Cross
Day 9 Jury Instruction Final Jury Instructions - Charges and Deliberation Law
Day 10 Closing Closing Argument - Georgia Cappleman
Day 10 Closing Closing Argument - Saam Zangeneh
Day 10 Closing Closing Argument - Christopher DeCoste
Day 10 Rebuttal Rebuttal Closing - Georgia Cappleman
Day 10 KM Magbanua Retrial May 18, 2022 – May 27, 2022
Trial Summary
Named throughout the retrial as the homicide victim whose July 18, 2014 shooting at his Betton Hills home framed every charge, Markel appeared only as a subject of testimony, exhibits, and argument, never as a participant.
Mentioned (43)
Opening
Opening Statement - Sarah Kathryn Dugan
Day 1 Opening Opening Statement - Tara Kawass
Day 1 Direct James Geiger - Direct Victim; Geiger's next-door neighbor; found critically wounded in his garage by Geiger on the morning of July 18, 2014; head moving but unresponsive
Day 1 Direct David Sims - Direct
Day 1 Direct Joanne Maltese - Direct
Day 1 Direct Anthony Clark - Direct
Day 1 Cross Anthony Clark - Cross
Day 1 Direct Brock Dietz - Direct
Day 1 Direct Craig Isom - Direct
Day 1 Cross Craig Isom - Cross
Day 1 Direct Wendi Adelson - Direct
Day 2 Cross Wendi Adelson - Cross
Day 2 Direct Bill Brannon - Direct
Day 2 Direct Jeffrey Lacasse - Direct
Day 2 Cross Jeffrey Lacasse - Cross
Day 2 Redirect Jeffrey Lacasse - Redirect
Day 2 Direct Luis Rivera - Direct
Day 2 Cross Luis Rivera - Cross (Part 1)
Day 2 Procedural Admissibility ruling — co-conspirator statements and murder-for-hire conspiracy timeline
Day 3 Cross Luis Rivera - Cross (Part 2)
Day 3 Direct Christopher Corbitt - Direct
Day 3 Direct Christopher Corbitt - Direct (Continued)
Day 3 Cross Christopher Corbitt - Cross
Day 4 Redirect Christopher Corbitt - Redirect
Day 4 Direct Yindra Velazquez Mascaro - Direct
Day 4 Cross Yindra Velazquez Mascaro - Cross
Day 4 Direct June Umchinda - Direct
Day 4 Cross June Umchinda - Cross
Day 4 Direct Elizabeth Richey - Direct The two projectiles examined by Richey were recovered from Markel's head; he is the murder victim whose death is the subject of the case.
Day 5 Direct Mary Hull - Direct
Day 5 Direct Oscar Jimenez Jr. - Direct
Day 5 Cross Oscar Jimenez Jr. - Cross
Day 5 Direct Patrick Sanford - Direct (Part 1)
Day 5 Direct Patrick Sanford - Direct (Part 2)
Day 6 Cross Patrick Sanford - Cross
Day 6 Direct Ryan Fitzpatrick - Direct
Day 7 Charge Conference Charge Conference Referenced as murder victim in lesser included offense discussion
Day 7 Procedural Second Motion for Judgment of Acquittal — Denied Referenced in passing as the subject of the paperwork described in Rivera's account of the murder-for-hire.
Day 7 Redirect Katherine Magbanua - Redirect
Day 7 Jury Instruction Jury Instructions (Final)
Day 8 Closing Closing Argument - Georgia Cappleman
Day 8 Closing Closing Argument - Tara Kawass
Day 8 Rebuttal Rebuttal Closing - Georgia Cappleman Victim; described by Cappleman as the brother-in-law of Magbanua's boyfriend, killed by her child's father
Day 8 CA Charlie Adelson Oct 26, 2023 – Nov 6, 2023
Trial Summary
Present throughout the trial record as the homicide victim whose July 18, 2014 shooting in his Tallahassee driveway was the subject of the prosecution, and whose divorce and custody litigation with Wendi Adelson framed both sides' motive arguments.
Mentioned (51)
Opening
Opening Statement - Sarah Kathryn Dugan
Day 1 Opening Opening Statement - Dan Rashbaum
Day 1 Direct James Geiger - Direct
Day 1 Direct David Sims - Direct
Day 1 Direct Joanne Maltese - Direct
Day 1 Procedural Lunch Recess — Defense Objection to Medical Examiner Photos Overruled
Day 1 Direct Anthony Clark - Direct
Day 1 Direct Patrick Sanford - Direct
Day 1 Cross Patrick Sanford - Cross
Day 1 Direct Wendi Adelson - Direct
Day 1 Cross Wendi Adelson - Cross (Part 1)
Day 1 Cross Wendi Adelson - Cross (Part 2)
Day 2 Redirect Wendi Adelson - Redirect
Day 2 Direct Bill Brannon - Direct
Day 2 Direct Jeffrey Lacasse - Direct
Day 2 Procedural Motion in Limine: Exclusion of Lacasse Proffer on Wendi Adelson's Alleged Hitman Statement — Ruled Out on Fairness Grounds Named in Wendi's alleged statement as 'the Danny Markel problem' that Charlie had allegedly explored addressing by hiring a hitman. Also referenced in the temporal framing — the statement was made five days before his murder.
Day 2 Cross Jeffrey Lacasse - Cross
Day 2 Redirect Jeffrey Lacasse - Redirect
Day 2 Direct Stephen Webster - Direct
Day 2 Cross Stephen Webster - Cross Webster's client; discussed in terms of litigation history, court admonishment, and prior counsel withdrawal
Day 2 Cross June Umchinda - Cross
Day 2 Direct Luis Rivera - Direct
Day 2 Redirect Wendi Adelson - Redirect
Day 2 Direct Jeffrey Lacasse - Direct (Recall)
Day 2 Redirect Jeffrey Lacasse - Redirect Victim; Lacasse cites the brutality of the murder as partial motivation for his extensive documentation effort
Day 2 Cross Luis Rivera - Cross
Day 3 Direct Katherine Magbanua - Direct
Day 3 Cross Katherine Magbanua - Cross
Day 3 Direct Mary Hull - Direct Murder date July 18, 2014 used as reference baseline for all financial pattern analysis
Day 3 Direct Corey Hale - Direct Murder victim in the case Hale investigated
Day 3 Direct Christopher Corbitt - Direct
Day 3 Cross Christopher Corbitt - Cross
Day 4 Cross Christopher Corbitt - Cross (Continued)
Day 4 Redirect Christopher Corbitt - Redirect
Day 4 Direct Oscar Jimenez Jr. - Direct
Day 4 Direct Patrick Sanford - Direct (Recall)
Day 4 Cross Patrick Sanford - Cross (Recall) Referenced as murder victim; Charlie Adelson's wire statement calling his death 'a tragedy' is the climax of the examination.
Day 5 Procedural Defense Motion for Judgment of Acquittal — Denied on All Counts
Day 5 Direct Kristin Adamson - Direct
Day 5 Redirect Kristin Adamson - Redirect Referenced as the opposing party whose fraud allegations Adamson characterizes as 'esoteric' and whose disbarment demands she identifies as the source of the case being 'odd'
Day 5 Direct Charlie Adelson - Direct (Part 1)
Day 6 Direct Charlie Adelson - Direct (Part 2)
Day 6 Direct Charlie Adelson - Direct (Part 4)
Day 6 Direct Charlie Adelson - Direct (Part 5)
Day 6 Cross Charlie Adelson - Cross
Day 7 Charge Conference Charge Conference — Jury Instructions Finalized for All Three Counts
Day 7 Jury Instruction Final Jury Instructions — Three Counts of Murder-for-Hire Conspiracy
Day 8 Closing Closing Argument - Georgia Cappleman
Day 8 Closing Closing Argument - Dan Rashbaum
Day 8 Rebuttal Rebuttal Closing - Georgia Cappleman
Day 8 Verdict Verdict The murder victim whose killing is the subject of all three counts; the verdict resolves criminal liability for his death.
Day 8 DA Donna Adelson Aug 22, 2025 – Sep 4, 2025
Trial Summary
Named throughout the trial as the homicide victim — the Florida State University law professor and former son-in-law of the defendant, shot in his Tallahassee driveway on July 18, 2014 — whose divorce and custody litigation with Wendi Adelson supplied the State's motive evidence.
Mentioned (52)
Opening
Opening Statement - Sarah Kathryn Dugan
Day 1 Opening Opening Statement - Jackie L. Fulford
Day 1 Direct James Geiger - Direct
Day 1 Direct David Sims - Direct
Day 1 Direct Joanne Maltese - Direct
Day 1 Direct Anthony Clark - Direct
Day 1 Procedural OJP — Contested Admissibility of Composite Email Exhibit 64
Day 1 Direct Craig Isom - Direct
Day 1 Direct Craig Isom - Direct (Continued)
Day 1 Cross Craig Isom - Cross
Day 1 Cross Luis Rivera - Cross
Day 1 Procedural Foundation Hearing: 'Grandma Motion' (State's Ex. 60-JJ) and Wendi Adelson Proffer Procedure
Day 2 Direct Jason Newlin - Direct
Day 2 Cross Jason Newlin - Cross
Day 2 Direct Wendi Adelson - Direct
Day 2 Cross Wendi Adelson - Cross
Day 2 Redirect Wendi Adelson - Redirect
Day 2 Direct Robert Adelson - Direct
Day 2 Cross Robert Adelson - Cross
Day 2 Direct Jeffrey Lacasse - Direct
Day 3 Direct Ryan Fitzpatrick - Direct
Day 3 Cross Ryan Fitzpatrick - Cross
Day 3 Direct Mary Hull - Direct
Day 3 Cross Clariza Lebredo - Cross
Day 3 Redirect Clariza Lebredo - Redirect
Day 3 Direct Katherine Magbanua - Direct
Day 3 Cross Katherine Magbanua - Cross
Day 3 Direct Christopher Corbitt - Direct
Day 3 Direct Christopher Corbitt - Direct (Continued)
Day 4 Cross Christopher Corbitt - Cross
Day 4 Direct Oscar Jimenez Jr. - Direct
Day 4 Direct Patrick Sanford - Direct (Part 1)
Day 4 Direct Patrick Sanford - Direct (Part 3)
Day 6 Direct Christopher Corbitt - Direct (Recall)
Day 6 Procedural Defense Motion for Judgment of Acquittal on Counts 1 and 3
Day 7 Direct Ann Elizabeth Cunningham - Direct
Day 7 Cross Ann Elizabeth Cunningham - Cross
Day 7 Procedural Sequestration Dispute — Tim Kelly Courtroom Presence Named as party to the home search that is the sole subject of Kelly's proposed testimony
Day 7 Direct Tim Kelly - Direct
Day 7 Cross Tim Kelly - Cross
Day 7 Direct Kristin Adamson - Direct
Day 8 Cross Kristin Adamson - Cross
Day 8 Redirect Kristin Adamson - Redirect
Day 8 Procedural Bailey Sequestration Dispute — Proffer and Ruling Opposing party in the Adelson-Markel divorce; Bailey reviewed his motion filings and text messages with Wendi Adelson; his pending custody hearing was a focal point of Bailey's expert scope
Day 8 Cross Linda Bailey - Cross
Day 8 Charge Conference Charge Conference — Jury Instruction Settlement Before Closing Arguments Named throughout jury instructions as the deceased victim in all three counts
Day 8 Procedural Jury Instruction Colloquy — Lesser-Included Waiver, Calendar Rule-of-Completeness Ruling, Renewed JOA
Day 9 Jury Instruction Final Jury Instructions Named throughout as the murder victim in the elements of each count
Day 9 Closing Closing Argument - Georgia Cappleman
Day 9 Closing Closing Argument - Jackie L. Fulford
Day 9 Rebuttal Rebuttal Closing - Georgia Cappleman
Day 9 Verdict Verdict Victim; referenced throughout Ruth Markel's impact statement and implied throughout verdict publication
Day 9