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Dan Markel— Case Archive
personpersonJoanne MalteseJoanne MalteseRetired Tallahassee Police Department forensic specialist who processed the Dan Markel crime scene and testified as a State witness in four trials.← All People
Expert witness· Tallahassee Police Department

Joanne Maltese

Courtroom still of Joanne Maltese.

Retired Tallahassee Police Department forensic specialist who processed the Dan Markel crime scene and testified as a State witness in four trials.

AppearedGarcia–MagbanuaMagbanua RetrialCharlie AdelsonDonna Adelson
369 lines·13 proceedings·5 mentions·4 trials

About

Her testimony provides a recurring foundation for the physical-evidence record: what was documented, collected, photographed, and subject to forensic limits at the scene and hospital.

Joanne Maltese was a Tallahassee Police Department forensic specialist, later retired, who documented, collected, and preserved evidence connected to the Trescott Drive scene and hospital. Across the trials, she identified photographs and physical exhibits including eyeglass pieces, vehicle glass, a wallet, hospital photographs, and materials associated with the vehicles. She described swabbing vehicle handles, collecting clothing and other items, and reported that recovered fingerprints were not sufficient for identification; a stipulated DNA result from collected swabs was uninterpretable in magbanua-retrial-2022. Maltese also testified about a photographed darkened area on Daniel Markel's forearm that she considered consistent with stippling. Her cross-examinations addressed the boundaries of her forensic role, vehicle and garage details, her present recollection of measurements, and items that had not been forensically examined.

Trial Record (13)

GMGarcia–MagbanuaSep 26, 2019 – Oct 11, 2019Called by prosecution

On Day 1, forensic specialist Joanne Maltese documented and processed the Trescott Drive vehicle scene, authenticated photographs and exhibits, and testified that no vehicle fingerprints were sufficient for identification. Cross-examination addressed her limited present recollection of measurements and several nearby items that were not forensically examined.

Day 1

DirectJoanne Maltese - DirectJoanne MalteseGeorgia Cappleman4highlights120lines spoken

Summary

Forensic specialist Joanne Maltese documented scene evidence, vehicle and hospital photographs, and the limits of fingerprint recovery; the court overruled an objection to a hospital photograph.

Highlights (4)

testimony highlightMaltese testified that no fingerprints from the vehicle were sufficient for identification and explained that swabbing for DNA could affect fingerprint recovery.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“No, it doesn't. And on the door handles, you're using a swab, also. So that could potentially destroy any fingerprints. But DNA is what investigators normally will choose to be collected.”— Joanne MalteseMaltese explained why the absence of identifiable fingerprints did not establish that no one touched the vehicle.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
evidence eventThe court admitted hospital photographs of Dan Markel, and Maltese identified a dark stain on his left forearm as consistent with stippling.Open in transcript →
Quote“Close contact to a weapon being fired. It will be some of the gunpowder residue.”— Joanne MalteseMaltese explained her description of the forearm stain as stippling.Open in transcript →
CrossJoanne Maltese - CrossJoanne MalteseSaam Zangeneh5highlights32lines spoken

Summary

Maltese described limits on her present recollection of scene measurements and confirmed that several garage items were not forensically examined.

Highlights (5)

testimony highlightMaltese testified that the scene measurements were on an impounded sketch rather than in her report, and she could not independently recall the distance.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“I couldn't even guess at this point. I have not been there since that day.”— Joanne MalteseShe explained the limit on her present recollection of the scene measurements.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Show all 5 highlights

Day 2

KMMagbanua RetrialMay 18, 2022 – May 27, 2022Called by prosecution

On Day 1, former Tallahassee Police Department forensic specialist Joanne Maltese described documenting and collecting scene evidence, including swabs later found to have uninterpretable DNA results. On cross-examination, she agreed that the described stippling could be consistent with Professor Markel raising his arm while being shot.

Day 1

DirectJoanne Maltese - DirectJoanne MalteseGeorgia Cappleman4highlights76lines spoken

Summary

Forensic specialist Joanne Maltese documented the scene, collected physical and DNA evidence, and authenticated photographs; a DNA stipulation reported no interpretable identification result.

Highlights (4)

Quote“I collected samples from all of the interior and exterior door handles of the vehicle as well as the door handle that goes from the garage into the house.”— Joanne MalteseMaltese identified the areas from which she collected touch-DNA samples.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
evidence eventThe court admitted hospital photographs as State's Exhibits 22 through 24; Maltese described a dark mark on Dan Markel's forearm that she believed was stippling.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“Stippling is going to be a mark on your skin when you're in close contact to a gun going off. And what it will do is the gunshot residue or the gunpowder will stain or tattoo your skin.”— Joanne MalteseMaltese explained the term while describing a mark she observed in a hospital photograph.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
CACharlie AdelsonOct 26, 2023 – Nov 6, 2023Called by prosecution

On Day 1, Joanne Maltese testified about documenting and collecting physical evidence at the shooting scene and hospital, and identified related photographs and exhibits. Cross-examination addressed the vehicle photograph, the limits of her crime-scene role, and the receipt time.

Day 1

DirectJoanne Maltese - DirectJoanne MalteseGeorgia Cappleman5highlights63lines spoken

Summary

Forensic specialist Joanne Maltese authenticated crime-scene, hospital, and vehicle photographs and physical evidence, including eyeglass pieces, glass, a wallet, and a receipt.

Highlights (5)

evidence eventMaltese described the recovered eyeglass pieces, wallet, and driver's-door glass; the court admitted State's Exhibits 115 through 120 in successive groups without defense objection.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“Due to the glass being broken, I used clear tape and lined the entire inside and outside of the glass prior to taking it out so it would stay together.”— Joanne MalteseDescribes how the driver's-door glass was preserved for collection.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
testimony highlightMaltese described hospital documentation, including a photographed area she said was consistent with stippling, and State's Exhibits 22 through 24 were admitted.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“Stippling -- stippling is when you're in close contact or close area of a gunshot blast or a gun going off, and the gun powder that is exiting from the gun comes out at a high speed, and it will stain or tattoo your skin.”— Joanne MalteseExplains the forensic term used to describe a photographed area on Markel's forehead.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Show all 5 highlights
evidence eventMaltese identified photographs of Wendi Adelson's 2007 Honda Odyssey and testified that a receipt photographed inside showed a purchase at ABC Fine Wine & Spirits on July 18, 2014, at 12:49 p.m.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
CrossJoanne Maltese - CrossJoanne MalteseDan Rashbaum3highlights14lines spoken

Summary

Maltese explained the basis for a vehicle photograph and read an ABC receipt time of 12:49 and 13 seconds.

Highlights (3)

testimony highlightMaltese explained that she photographed the whiskey at investigators' request and as part of photographing the vehicle's contents, while distinguishing her crime-scene role from investigative work.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“I do crime scene. I'm not an investigator.”— Joanne MalteseMaltese defined the limited scope of her role when asked about further investigation into the whiskey.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

Day 2

DADonna AdelsonAug 22, 2025 – Sep 4, 2025Called by prosecution

On Day 1, retired Tallahassee Police forensic specialist Joanne Maltese authenticated crime-scene and hospital evidence and described her collection and documentation work.

Day 1