Skip to content
Dan Markel— Case Archive
personpersonJune UmchindaJune UmchindaCharlie Adelson's former girlfriend, who testified as a prosecution witness in four Dan Markel murder trials.← All People
Witness

June Umchinda

Courtroom still of June Umchinda.

Charlie Adelson's former girlfriend, who testified as a prosecution witness in four Dan Markel murder trials.

AppearedGarcia–MagbanuaMagbanua RetrialCharlie AdelsonDonna Adelson
871 lines·15 proceedings·2 mentions·4 trials

About

Her testimony supplies a recurring account from a former partner of Charlie Adelson, including the limits, timing, and later scrutiny of her observations across four trials.

June Umchinda was a witness in the Garcia–Magbanua 2019 Joint Trial, magbanua-retrial-2022, charlie-adelson-2023, and donna-adelson-2025. She testified as Charlie Adelson's former girlfriend about their relationship, time at his residences, observations of cash and a safe, and changes she perceived in his behavior. Her testimony also addressed limited contact with Katherine Magbanua and, in the Donna Adelson trial, limited contact with Donna Adelson. She consistently described limits on what she knew firsthand, including that she did not know the source of cash in the safe and denied that Charlie Adelson admitted involvement in Dan Markel's murder. Examination repeatedly focused on the timing of her observations, her 2018 law-enforcement interview, later media exposure, and the accuracy or speculative nature of earlier impressions.

Trial Record (15)

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

On Day 5, June Umchinda testified about her relationship with Charlie Adelson, cash at his residence, and limited contact with Katherine Magbanua, while denying that Adelson admitted involvement in Dan Markel's murder. Questioning focused on her 2018 law-enforcement interview and her recollection of what she said there.

Day 5

DirectJune Umchinda - DirectJune UmchindaGeorgia Cappleman2highlights77lines spoken

Summary

June Umchinda described Charlie Adelson's behavior and cash at his residence, then acknowledged a prior interview discussion of stapled money.

Highlights (2)

impeachmentUmchinda gave limited current testimony about cash in Adelson's residence, then acknowledged after reviewing an interview transcript that they had discussed stapled money.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
KMMagbanua RetrialMay 18, 2022 – May 27, 2022Called by prosecution

On Day 4, June Umchinda described her former relationship with Charles Adelson, her observations of cash, and his statement about an older Lexus given to Katherine Magbanua. Cross-examination examined the limits of her contemporaneous knowledge and later exposure to case information.

Day 4

DirectJune Umchinda - DirectJune UmchindaGeorgia Cappleman5highlights85lines spoken

Summary

June Umchinda described her relationship with Charlie Adelson, limited observations of cash at his home, and what he told her about an older Lexus provided to Katherine Magbanua.

Highlights (5)

testimony highlightUmchinda described her years-long, ultimately on-and-off relationship with Charlie Adelson and said she regularly stayed at his Fort Lauderdale residence.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“Yeah. So for the two years, it was definitely on. we were together, like, every day, basically lived there, but not legally.”— June UmchindaDescribes the closeness and regular access underlying her observations of Charlie Adelson's home life.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
testimony highlightUmchinda said she saw Charlie Adelson with thousands of dollars in $100 bills and recalled staples on money she saw outside his safe, while distinguishing that from money inside the safe.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“I never looked in the safe primarily, so I don't know how he kept the money or where it came from. I just know there was money in there.”— June UmchindaQualifies the scope of her firsthand knowledge about the cash.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Show all 5 highlights
CrossJune Umchinda - CrossJune UmchindaTara Kawass5highlights168lines spoken

Summary

June Umchinda said she had limited knowledge of Charles Adelson's connection to Katherine Magbanua or the homicide investigation, as the defense explored media exposure and her 2018 interview.

Highlights (5)

testimony highlightThe defense established that Umchinda did not know Katherine Magbanua during her relationship with Charles Adelson and said she later learned of their communications from a recording.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
testimony highlightUmchinda described her 2018 contact with law enforcement, saying she was upset and vulnerable when she spoke with investigators, while maintaining that she had no knowledge of the homicide.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“No. I was obviously, like, upset at that time, so I was willing to share what Charlie did to me and open up to them. I was vulnerable, so --”— June UmchindaUmchinda described the emotional context in which she spoke to investigators.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Show all 5 highlights

Day 8

CACharlie AdelsonOct 26, 2023 – Nov 6, 2023Called by prosecution

On Day 2, June Umchinda testified about her former relationship with Charlie Adelson, later contact with him, and observations at his Whale Harbor residence. Questioning tested the timing and interpretation of those observations against her earlier statements.

Day 2

DirectJune Umchinda - DirectJune UmchindaGeorgia Cappleman4highlights183lines spoken

Summary

June Umchinda described her relationship with Charlie Adelson, her observations after the investigation became known to her, and prior statements the prosecutor used to question her current account.

Highlights (4)

testimony highlightUmchinda testified that Charlie Adelson told her to say she did not know anything if people came to the door asking questions, and she described changes she perceived in their routine and relationship.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“He said if anyone came knocking on the door asking questions, I don't know anything. And at that time, I really didn't know anything still so...”— June UmchindaUmchinda described what she said Charlie Adelson told her about responding to questions at the house.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
confrontationThe prosecutor confronted Umchinda with portions of her 2018 interview concerning Charlie Adelson's reaction to the murder; Umchinda said her earlier view was speculation and said she did not know whether he had shown sympathy.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“I mean, that was my opinion but I have no idea if he did or not.”— June UmchindaUmchinda qualified her prior assessment of whether Charlie Adelson had shown sympathy about Dan Markel's death.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
CrossJune Umchinda - CrossJune UmchindaDan Rashbaum3highlights68lines spoken

Summary

Defense challenged the timing and scope of June Umchinda's observations, while the court excluded a proposed account of Charlie Adelson's response as self-serving hearsay.

Highlights (3)

testimony highlightAfter initially saying she had no safety concern, Umchinda clarified that she had felt unsafe when people recognized them because Charlie Adelson was receiving death threats; she said she did not think he would hurt her.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“So at one point in time, he was getting death threats and all this stuff, so at that time when we were together, I kind of felt unsafe with people recognizing us or something like that.”— June UmchindaUmchinda qualified her earlier answer about safety, distinguishing concern about others recognizing them from fear that Charlie Adelson would harm her.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“No. My memory just didn't remember the dates, but no.”— June UmchindaUmchinda acknowledged a limitation in her recollection while agreeing the topics covered matched her earlier interview.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

Day 8

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

On Day 3, June Umchinda testified about her relationship with Charlie Adelson, limited contact with Donna Adelson, and observations of Charlie's behavior and cash. Cross-examination addressed the breakup-era interview, speculative impressions, and the precision of earlier statements.

Day 3

DirectJune Umchinda - DirectJune UmchindaGeorgia Cappleman5highlights114lines spoken

Summary

June Umchinda described Charlie Adelson's changed behavior during the investigation and recounted a qualified recollection of Donna Adelson's statement about Dan Markel.

Highlights (5)

testimony highlightUmchinda described Charlie Adelson as increasingly sleepless, stressed, anxious, worried, and depressed around the time of the law-enforcement operation.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“Around that time, he just -- I noticed he wasn't sleeping. He was up in the middle of the night. He was very extra stressed and anxious, worried, depressed. Overall, he became depressed over time.”— June UmchindaUmchinda described a change in Charlie Adelson's behavior during the investigation period.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
testimony highlightUmchinda clarified that she observed stapled cash in Charlie Adelson's residence after learning from media reports that hitmen had been paid in stapled cash.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Show all 5 highlights
Quote“well, her life was crumbling down and her family's life. So she said, everything felt like Dan was haunting her from the grave -- or them. I don't know. whatever it says there.”— June UmchindaUmchinda recounted a statement she attributed to Donna Adelson while qualifying her recollection of its wording.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
CrossJune Umchinda - CrossJune UmchindaJackie L. Fulford4highlights36lines spoken

Summary

Defense tested June Umchinda's prior statements, including her speculation about the Adelsons and the exact wording she attributed to Donna.

Highlights (4)

impeachmentDefense confronted Umchinda with her prior qualification that the words she attributed to Donna might not have been exact; she said she did not remember that earlier testimony but accepted it if the transcript reflected it.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“If it says it there. I don't remember Katie's trial, because it's been a while. But if it says it there, then that's what I said.”— June UmchindaIt captured her response when confronted with prior testimony qualifying the wording she attributed to Donna.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶

Day 5