Joanne Maltese
Retired Tallahassee Police Department forensic specialist who processed the Dan Markel crime scene and testified as a State witness in four trials.
About
Maltese supplies the recurring physical account of what investigators documented and collected at the scene, in Wendi Adelson's vehicle, and at the hospital. Her testimony covers the wallet and cash, broken eyeglasses, shattered window, DNA and fingerprint work, absence of casings or projectiles, the liquor receipt, and the forearm mark she identified as stippling. Her four appearances provide a stable point of comparison for how those observations were questioned.
Trial Record (11)
GM Garcia–Magbanua Sep 26, 2019 – Oct 11, 2019
Trial Summary
Testified on trial day one as the Tallahassee Police Department forensic specialist who processed the Trescott Drive crime scene, authenticated the scene photographs and physical exhibits, and confirmed on cross that several items near the driver's door were never tested.
Testimony (2)
Mentioned (1)
KM Magbanua Retrial May 18, 2022 – May 27, 2022
Trial Summary
Retired TPD forensic specialist who documented the crime scene and hospital evidence, testified that DNA results were inconclusive and a partial print unusable, found no casings or projectiles, and described a forearm mark she believed was stippling.
Testimony (2)
CA Charlie Adelson Oct 26, 2023 – Nov 6, 2023
Trial Summary
Retired TPD forensic specialist Joanne Maltese testified about documenting and collecting evidence at Dan Markel's home, the hospital, and Wendi Adelson's vehicle on July 18, 2014.
Testimony (2)
Mentioned (2)
DA Donna Adelson Aug 22, 2025 – Sep 4, 2025
Trial Summary
Testified on the trial's first day as a retired Tallahassee Police Department forensic specialist, describing her crime-scene documentation and evidence collection at 2116 Trescott Drive on July 18, 2014; the defense waived cross-examination.