What did Donna Adelson do? Charges explored as 75-year-old questions evidence before receiving life imprisonment sentence

Donna Adelson has been sentenced to life in prison for being allegedly associated with the murder-for-hire plot of her son-in-law, Dan Markel, around ten years ago. Notably, Markel was shot dead at his Tallahassee-based residence and was having a custody battle with Wendi, Donna’s daughter, during that period.

According to CBS News, Adelson was found guilty of multiple charges, including first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation, last month. Wendi was not charged as she dismissed her involvement in the case.

During the latest hearing on October 13, 2025, Donna Adelson was sentenced to 30 additional years on two more charges that would be served simultaneously. While announcing the sentence, Judge Stephen Everett said that Adelson can either deny her involvement or maintain innocence in the matter. He further stated:

“The court finds the evidence in this case is clear.”

As per NBC 6 South Florida, Donna is the fifth individual to be sentenced in the case of Markel’s death after her son, Charles. Adelson appeared in a blue prison jumpsuit in court, and Everett stated that he would approach the Florida Department of Corrections to take her to a location close to Miami, based on the defense team’s request to let her be near her husband, Harvey.

While speaking at the court, Donna referred to the prosecutors’ claims about Katherine Magbanua and Charlie Adelson being the masterminds, stating that the state is unable to decide the main culprit who was involved in the case. She further stated:

“They claim that I, this grandma, was the mastermind behind this murder. Where is the evidence prior to the murder.”

Donna Adelson expressed her grief over everything that Dan Markel’s family had to go through

After her sentence was read by the judge, Donna Adelson also claimed that she was not linked with Danny’s murder. She mentioned that she would have stopped it from happening in case she had known about the plan, as per the Tallahassee Democrat.

Donna also became emotional when the judge announced the sentence. Adelson later spoke in the court, claiming that she was an “innocent woman” who was convicted in the case without any evidence. She also said:

“I’ve always respected the law. I’ve never gotten a parking ticket. But I’m going to prison for a murder I did not commit.”

The judge then told Donna that she was showing a lack of remorse, and the court might consider the same. While Donna’s son Charlie is already serving a life sentence, a few more individuals have also been charged, including Katherine Magabanua, Charlie’s ex-girlfriend, alongside Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera, the two people who were reportedly hired to kill Markel.

Rivera is the only individual who did not get a life sentence after he testified against the other co-defendants. According to the Independent, Donna also addressed Markel’s kids by saying:

“This is a lifetime of loss for those children. They didn’t deserve this. His family didn’t deserve this. Danny didn’t deserve this.”

Donna Adelson’s husband, Harvey, also told the court that his wife was being punished for something that she did not do, adding that everything that was told about Donna during the trial was not true.

As per People magazine, Donna was taken into custody around two years ago. Apart from Wendi and Charlie, she is the mother of another child named Robert.