Grandma arrested at Florida airport in alleged murder-for-hire plot to kill former son-in-law: VIDEO

Sunday, January 21, 2024
MIAMI -- Startling new video involving a sensational alleged murder-for-hire plot shows a 73-year-old grandma being taken into custody.

Body camera video shows Florida police arresting Donna Adelson at Miami International Airport as she and her husband attempted to board a one-way flight to Vietnam. She is now scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
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In the video from November, Donna was escorted through the airport and into a police car.

"I didn't know there was a warrant," Donna could be heard saying in the video.

Donna is facing first-degree murder and solicitation of murder charges, accused of conspiring with her son and several others to have her former son-in-law, Florida State University law professor Daniel Markel, killed in the driveway of his home in 2014.

At the time, Markel was in a bitter court fight with his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, who wanted to move with their two sons to be closer to her mother, Donna, and other family in south Florida. But when Markel refused, prosecutors say, the Adelsons decided to take matters into their own hands.



"Who did it appear to have a motive to want Dan Markel dead? His own family," said Prosecutor Georgia Cappleman.

Prosecutors allege Donna was a driving force behind the deadly scheme. Her son, Charlie, was convicted of first-degree murder and is now serving a mandatory life sentence.
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ABC News obtained jail calls between Charlie and Donna one week before she allegedly tried to flee the country.

"If there is extradition from Vietnam, because we, we've looked at all the places, I mean, I could go to Korea and China, but there's no extradition," Donna said.

"Prosecutors listen to those all the time. That's when the FBI and state attorney jumped on it, went to the airport, probably had her on a no-fly list, and they picked her up right at the airport," said legal analyst R. Timothy Jansen.

Prosecutors believe Donna was trying to flee the country and said that could be used as a piece of evidence against her.



Donna's attorney told ABC News, "she's innocent, and we look forward to proving it at trial."

She is due back in court on Monday.
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