Kriti Mehrotra
When Daniel “Dan” Eric Markel was heinously shot to death in the driveway of his Trescott Drive home in Tallahassee, Florida, on July 18, 2014, it left the entire nation shaken. It took over 11 years for all his assailants to finally be brought to justice in 2025, with it coming to light that the offense was a murder for hire motivated by his bitter child custody battle with his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson. All of this has since been explored in ABC’s ’20/20: First Divorced Then Dead,’ NBC’s ‘Dateline: Family Matters,’ and ABC’s ‘Welcome to the Family: The Murder of Dan Markel.’
Wendi Adelson Left Her Husband in 2012 After 8 Years Together
It was reportedly in the summer of 2004 that Wendi Adelson first came across Dan Markel while surfing the JDate dating app, only for them to soon fall head over heels in a way neither expected. According to records, she was pursuing her Juris Doctor at Miami Law School at the time, whereas he was already thriving as a practicing lawyer residing in Washington, yet they still managed to make things work. In fact, to be closer to her and possibly ensure a forever, he joined the Florida University College of Law as a professor in 2005 before getting down on one knee. The couple tied the knot in a cozy ceremony in 2006, the same year she got one step closer to her dreams by graduating.
Wendi and Daniel then blissfully welcomed two adorable children into their lives – Benjamin in 2009 and Lincoln in 2010 – but everything crumbled apart in 2012 as the former left her husband. She packed her bags, took their two little kids, grabbed half their belongings, and simply walked out of the home they once shared while he was on a work trip, so he claimed he was blindsided. “Most divorces aren’t very pleasant,” she testified in 2019 upon being asked if the ensuing legal proceedings were “nasty” before indicating their battle for child custody was equally trying. As per court records, they argued over custody percentages, and Wendi later forbade his parents from seeing their grandkids owing to her worry that they might take them away.
As if that’s not enough, even after Wendi and Dan finalized their divorce in 2013, they still had severe issues over not only their children’s custody but also personal property, long-term finances, plus allegations of defamation. It was thus no surprise that Wendi was among the first people to be interrogated by local Tallahassee officials after her ex-husband was brutally shot in the driveway of his own home on July 18, 2014, and she vehemently denied any involvement. The young mother conceded that things between them were contentious in the past year or so, but she insisted she had no hand in his demise. To prove the same, she even willingly gave them access to her phone, home, and prints. However, she did also tell officials that maybe someone who cared about her killed Dan so as to resolve most of her troubles in one go. Moreover, she relocated to Miami with the kids within a couple of days.
Wendi Adelson Has Never Been Implicated in Her Ex-Husband’s Murder
Wendi had a solid alibi, and none of her personal belongings implicated her in any capacity. The fact that she also told officials that she knew for a fact both she and her ex-husband had begun dating again was taken into consideration, too. As per her statements, Dan had plans to travel out of state to visit his girlfriend the day he sadly passed away, whereas she was getting ready for a party, and that’s why she didn’t rush to the scene. Though, upon learning what’d transpired, she feared for her and her kids’ lives — she said, “After Danny died, I was terrified that someone was going to come after me or my children and harm us.”
Wendi has always maintained she is not responsible for her ex-husband’s murder in any way, shape, or form. Yet, it has since come to light that her brother, Charlie Adelson, and mother, Donna Adelson, orchestrated it all. Charlie had utilized his personal relationship with someone he was seeing at one point, Katherine “Katie” Magbanua, to ensure she hired two people to kill his former brother-in-law. The father of Katie’s 2 children, Sigfredo Garcia, and a friend, Luis Rivera, committed the crime, for which they were later paid generously. All this has led many to wonder whether Wendi herself could have ever encouraged her brother to mastermind the offense in some manner, but there is no evidence to support the allegation.
As a result, Wendi has never been charged in connection with Dan’s 2014 homicide. She did testify during her brother’s and mother’s trials, though, asserting she still believes her brother was “joking” when he told her that the television he gave her as a divorce present was cheaper than hiring a hitman. According to records, she had once also told her then-boyfriend, Jeffrey “Jeff” Lacasse, that Charlie had told her he had looked into hiring a hitman but backed out because it would have cost $15,000. Charlie and Donna were both convicted of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder, for which they are currently serving life terms plus 2 concurrent 30-year sentences.
Wendi Adelson is Currently Focused on Balancing Motherhood and Her Career
From what we can tell, Wendi continues to reside in Miami, Florida, where she is happy to be surrounded by her father and her two sons. However, it’s imperative to note that she has legally changed all their last names to her maiden name – Adelson. It appears as if she prefers to keep her life well away from the limelight these days to shield herself and her family from prying eyes, doing her best to protect their privacy. Coming to her professional standing, according to the last reports, the former law clerk-turned Immigration Partnership and Coalition (IMPAC) Fund Executive Director currently operates her own practice. Furthermore, she proudly serves on the Board of The Office of New Americans of Miami-Dade County, all the while keeping her ex-husband alive in her heart. In a statement through her attorney back in 2019, she said, “Our boys and I continue to mourn Danny’s loss for each day of the five long years since he was taken from us.”
Read More: Where are Dan Markel’s Kids Now?
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