Kumari Shreya
The details of Dan Markel’s murder are the focus of ABC’s ’20/20: First Divorced Then Dead’ and NBC’s ‘Dateline: Family Matters,’ exploring the roles of those involved in the case. One of the most significant figures in the entire story is Katherine “Katie” Magbanua, whose actions led to life-changing consequences for many. Given the recent events surrounding the case and the details shared on the show, many people have been curious about Magbanua’s current whereabouts.
Katherine Magbanua Played a Key Role in Dan Markel’s Murder
When Dan Markle was found dead in his own home on July 19, 2014, the investigators tried to establish just how the murder had come about. When the search for a suspect led to Sigfredo Garcia, things soon took a familial turn, with the motive behind the crime suddenly becoming perhaps a bit clearer. As it turns out, Markle had been involved in a bitter divorce with Wendi Adelson. Her brother, Charles “Charlie” Adelson, had been in a relationship with Katherine Magbanua at the time.
However, Magbanua had been in a relationship with Garcia at one point and is actually the mother of two of his children. She allegedly acted as a point of contact between Charlie and Garcia to arrange for Markle’s death. Garcia had then apparently partnered with Luis Rivera to kill Markle in his own home. Given Magbanua’s evident connection with Charlie and Garcia, the investigators suspected that Charlie was involved in the case due to Markle’s tense past with his sister.
Pertaining to the case, Magbanua was first arrested on October 1, 2016. She was put on trial two years later, in October 2019, alongside Garcia. While the latter was indeed convicted of murdering Markle, the jury could not reach a verdict for Magbanua, and her trial was declared a mistrial. During her first round of court appearances, she remained adamant that she was innocent and was in no way involved in Markle’s death. However, it was not long before things took a surprising turn when it came to Magbanua’s own confession.
Katherine Magbanua is a Convicted Killer Serving Her Sentence Today
Katherine Magbanua was once again put on trial starting on May 16, 2022. Prior to this, in April 2022, Charlie Adelson had also been arrested due to his alleged involvement in Dan Markle’s murder. The accusations against Magbanua were examined, and she was declared guilty of first-degree murder, murder conspiracy, and solicitation to commit murder. On July 29, 2022, she was sentenced to life in prison without parole for her actions. Additionally, she was handed down two consecutive 30-year prison terms for the lesser charges.
Following her sentencing, Magbanua became one of the key witnesses in Charlie Adelson’s trial, which began in October 2023. During her former partner’s trial, she divulged more about her suspected role in Markel’s death than ever before. Not only did she confess to having lied in court, essentially admitting to perjury, but she also pointed out exactly why she did so. “I believe that the truth needed to come out now so that the family can get some type of closure,” she explained. According to Magbanua, it was Adelson who had hatched the plan to kill Markle. She admitted that she had indeed facilitated contact between him and Sigfredo Garcia but had not known about the victim’s identity for a long time, even after Markle had already died.
Magbanua even explained that her initial refusal to implicate Adelson had been because it would mean pointing out Garcia’s crimes, and she did not want to do so to the father of her children. Since then, she has also testified against her former partner’s mother, Donna Adelson. When the latter stood trial in 2025, Magbanua reiterated everything before indicating that facilitating the crime relieved a lot of stress and pressure that she was facing from Charlie and his family. Therefore, today, at the age of 41, Magbanua is incarcerated at the mixed security Lowell Correctional Institution in unincorporated Marion County, Florida.
Read More: Phil and Ruth Markel: Where are Dan Markel’s Parents Now?
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