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Charlie Adelson Fights For New Trial in Death of Dan Markel | Crime Alert 6AM 01.12.26
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Crime alert. I'm Nancy Grace. Convicted killer Charlie Adelson back in court Feb. 3, the first time in over a year. He's one of five convicted in the murder for hire of his brother in law, FSU law professor Dan Markell. Since Charlie Adelson's verdict, another member of the wealthy south Florida family convicted the matriarch grandma Donna Adelson. In Charlie Adelson's appeal, his attorney alleges four issues that prevented his client from receiving a fair trial.
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Nancy the First District Court of Appeal has decided to hold oral arguments in the case of Charlie Adelen. He's seeking a retrial after being convicted for his role in the 2014 murder for hire of law professor Dan Markel. Adelson's appellate attorneys, Michael Ufferman and Laurel Niles from Tallahassee, Florida, filed a request for oral arguments in November, emphasizing that the appeal raises, quote, significant constitutional issues related to his right to a fair trial and the adequate presentation of his defense. The court's notice indicated that both Adelson's legal team and representatives from the Florida attorney General's office will each have 20 minutes to present their arguments, which may include time reserved for rebuttals. However, Adelen will not be present in the courtroom. The attorney General's office clarified that incarcerated appellants are not permitted to attend oral arguments, which are generally open to the public. Markel was shot and killed in his Benton Hills in 2014, shortly after his divorce from Wendy Adelson and a year after a judge denied her request to relocate to South Florida with their two children, a situation prosecutors cited as a motive for the crime. Charlie Adelson was the first family member to be charged in connection with the murder following the convictions of two hired hitmen from Miami and a former girlfriend who served as an intermediary. His mother, Donna Adelen, was found guilty of conspiracy in relation to the murder plot last year. Wendy Adelen has consistently denied any involvement and has not faced charges, although prosecutors regard her as an unindicted co conspirator. In May, Charlie's appellate attorneys filed a brief asking the first DCA to overturn his convictions and grant him a new trial, arguing the Leon circuit judge Steven Everett made a mistake by rejecting a defense motion for a change of venue due to a perceived bias in the jury pool stemming from extensive media coverage. The state's attorney countered in their response brief, claiming that Charlie had effectively waived his venue motion by accepting the jury members without objection. Currently, Charlie is incarcerated in a South Dakota prison, having been moved there due to extortion threats he faced in Florida. Meanwhile, Donna Adelen, who is also appealing her conviction, is serving her sentence at home. Homestead Correctional Institution Nicole, thank you.
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More crime and justice news after this.
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And now to Mississippi. A 24 year old man has been charged with the murder of six people, including his father, brother, uncle, a seven year old cousin, a church pastor and a pastor's brother during a violent spree across three locations on Friday night, according to law enforcement. Derica Moore was arrested at a police checkpoint in Cedar Bluff just before midnight following a significant presence of local, state and federal officers in the northeast region of Mississippi. As of Saturday, Moore is being held without bond at the Clay County Jail in West Point on murder charges, with an initial court appearance expected today. Clay County District Attorney Scott Colum indicated that he plans to seek the death penalty and that Moore will likely be assigned a public defender should the charges be escalated to capital murder before the court date. More would not be eligible for bail under state law. During a press conference, Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott stated that evidence and testimonies suggest Moore acted alone and no other injuries have been reported in relation to the incident. Investigators are continuing to question Moore, but a motive for the killing remains unknown at this time. In a situation like this, it's heartbreaking to see a family member turn against their own people, he remarked, expressing hope that the investigation will uncover reasons behind behind the tragedy. The shootings occurred in a rural area characterized by fields, forest and modest homes about 125 miles northeast of Jackson. Authorities believe that Moore initially killed his 67 year old father, Glenn Moore, then his brother, 33 year old Quentin Moore, his uncle, 55 year old William Gaines, all at their mobile home located on a dirt road in western Clay County. According to the sheriff, Moore then took his brother's truck and traveled a short distance to his cousin's home where he entered by force and attempted to commit sexual assault. During this encounter, he tragically shot and killed a seven year old girl whose identity has not been released, the sheriff remarked. I cannot fathom a motive for killing a child. Witnesses also reported that Moore aimed a gun at a younger child's head, but she was not harmed. It remains uncertain whether the gun misfired or if he chose not to pull the trigger. That's how brutal the situation is, scott added. At the time, the mother and another child were also present in the home. Moore subsequently made his way to the Apostolic Church of the Lord Jesus, where he allegedly broke into a residence and murdered the pastor, the Reverend Barry Bradley and his brother Samuel, before stealing one of their cars. According to Scott, the Bradleys primarily resided in nearby Columbus, but spent weekends at the church, and some of Moore's relatives attended that same congregation. Moore was arrested at a roadblock around 11:24pm roughly four and a half hours after the first shots were fired. Colum confirmed that Moore was in possession of both a rifle and a handgun. The state medical examiner is conducting autopsies on the victims. Sheriff Scott noted that Moore's surviving family members are in deep shock and mourning.
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For the latest crime and justice news, go to crimeonline.com and please join us on for our daily podcast, Crime Stories, where we do our best to find missing people, especially children, and help solve unsolved homicides with this crime alert. I'm Nancy Grace. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.