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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 witnessTallahassee 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

Joanne Maltese was a Tallahassee Police forensic specialist who documented and processed the vehicle and garage scene connected to Daniel Markel’s shooting and collected additional evidence at the hospital. Across the proceedings, she authenticated photographs and physical exhibits that included broken eyeglass pieces, shattered driver-side window glass, Markel’s wallet and clothing, and swabs from the vehicle and garage-door handles. She explained that fingerprint processing did not produce prints useful for identification and, during the 2022 retrial, a joint stipulation reported that DNA results from the swabs were uninterpretable. Maltese also photographed a darkened area on Markel’s forearm that she believed appeared consistent with stippling. Cross-examination examined the limits of her crime-scene role, her recollection of garage measurements, items that were not forensically examined, and whether the apparent stippling could be consistent with Markel raising his arm while being shot.

Trial Record (13)

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

Documenting and processing the Trescott Drive vehicle scene, forensic specialist Joanne Maltese collected potential evidence, authenticated photographs and exhibits, and reported that no fingerprints were sufficient for identification. Cross-examination addressed her inability to recall garage measurements independently 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

Former Tallahassee Police Department forensic specialist Joanne Maltese described documenting and collecting evidence from the vehicle and garage scene, including swabs that produced uninterpretable DNA results. On cross-examination, she agreed that the stippling she believed she observed 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

Documented and collected physical evidence from the shooting scene and hospital, then identified related photographs and exhibits. Cross-examination addressed a vehicle photograph, the limits of her crime-scene role, and the time shown on a receipt.

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 forearm.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

Testifying for the State on Day 1, retired Tallahassee Police forensic specialist Joanne Maltese authenticated crime-scene and hospital evidence and described its documentation, collection, and preservation.

Day 1