The matriarch of a wealthy South Florida family, Donna Adelson, has been sentenced to life in prison for the hired killing of her former son-in-law, Daniel Markel, in 2014.
The victim in the case was a prominent Florida State University law professor, who was locked in a bitter custody battle with his ex-wife, Adelson's daughter. It was around that time that he was gunned down at his home in Tallahassee.
South Florida Woman Sentenced to Life in Prison
Last month, the 75-year-old matriarch was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation after a week-long trial. Adelson was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the murder charge. She was given an additional 30 years for the other two counts, which will be served consecutively.
Ahead of the sentencing, Adelson made an emotional statement in a Tallahassee courtroom, saying that she was innocent and cast her trial as a miscarriage of justice. She said it was overseen by a jury that was unduly swayed by years of negative media coverage, according to ABC News.
The defendant said that what happened to her former son-in-law was unforgivable, but argued that she was an innocent woman convicted of a terrible crime without sufficient evidence. She added that she has always respected the law, noting she never even got a parking ticket.
However, Circuit Judge Stephen Everett interrupted Adelson several times, warning that the defendant's statements showed what he described as an "utter lack of remorse" for the killing of the victim.
Adelson was seen standing attentively while the judge handed down the sentence, with Everett saying, "You certainly can choose to deny your involvement and maintain innocence." However, he said that the court still found the evidence in the case clear, Yahoo News.
Found Guilty of a Hired Killing
The matriarch was the fifth individual sentenced in the case that involved a plot to kill Markel, with the others being Adelson's son, Charles. The latter is already serving a life sentence for the crime.
During the trial, prosecutors painted the defendant as the calculated and controlling matriarch of an affluent South Florida family. They said she had the means and motive to orchestrate the hit on her former son-in-law, whom they said she "hated."
On the other hand, Adelson's defense attorneys maintained that the state lacked direct evidence linking their client to the plan. They argued that the other individuals were more directly involved in the killing of Markel.
Prosecutors responded with wiretaps, phone records, and testimony that portrayed Adelson as deeply enmeshed in the conspiracy, as per CBS News.
