Hold onto your gavels, folks – jury selection for the Donna Adelson trial kicked off Tuesday, August 19 in Tallahassee, Florida. That’s right, a 75-year-old matriarch is about to face the music for allegedly orchestrating a hit on her former son-in-law in a tawdry murder-for-hire plot. Let’s break it down…
Donna Adelson has been charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation in the 2014 execution-style slaying of FSU law professor Dan Markel. According to media reports, prosecutors allege a custody battle gone off the rails, positioning Donna as the alleged mastermind behind a scheme to kill her daughter’s ex, so the kids could be relocated to South Florida. Markel was shot in the head in July of 2014 after pulling into his garage.
Donna’s son, Charlie Adelson, plus two hitmen and a middleman are already behind bars – all suspects from previous trials were convicted or took plea deals. Donna, however, pleaded not guilty and is staring down the same charges, albeit over a decade later.
Three hundred potential jurors were summoned this week – brought in by batches of 50, alternating mornings and afternoons – for a rigorous vetting process of private screenings. The judge isn’t rushing, either: jury selection is expected to last through Thursday, with the actual trial likely beginning Friday and stretching into early September.
The trial will be livestreamed on the Tallahassee Democrat website [1] and other media platforms.