RAGING MOTHER-IN-LAW ORDERS HIT ON LAW PROF SON-IN-LAW TO WALK FREE BC "JUROR MISCONDUCT?"

Summary

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Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: RAGING MOTHER-IN-LAW ORDERS HIT ON LAW PROF SON-IN-LAW TO WALK FREE BC "JUROR MISCONDUCT?"
Date: October 1, 2025
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

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Overview

In this gripping episode, Nancy Grace dissects the high-profile case of Donna Adelson, a wealthy Miami grandmother convicted of masterminding the murder of her law professor son-in-law, Dan Markel. The central focus: Adelson's audacious post-conviction attempt to walk free based on claims of juror misconduct and TikTok-driven bias. Nancy Grace, alongside legal and forensic experts and actual jurors from the trial, scrutinizes the allegations, exposes the family’s deep dysfunction, and centers the tragic loss of a father who fought to stay in his sons’ lives.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Case Recap and Family Dynamics

• Dan Markel: A renowned law professor, murdered in his garage—survived for a short time after being shot through his car window.

• Motivation: Markel’s refusal to allow his ex-wife, Wendy Adelson, to relocate their children hundreds of miles away catalyzed deep family resentment.

• Donna Adelson: The overbearing mother-in-law, accused and convicted of orchestrating Markel’s murder after failed attempts to bribe or manipulate him.

  “She has already tried to get out of jail claiming she had earwax and because the food sucks. Their words, not mine, really. Get used to it, woman.”
  —Nancy Grace (03:47)

  • Nancy lambastes Donna’s repeated, bizarre requests for release (“earwax,” “prison food making her fat,” and now “TikTok jury bias”).

2. The Crime Scene and Markel's Final Moments

• Crime Details: Markel was shot in his garage, initially found alive but non-responsive.

  “Professor Dan Markel was actually alive. Was he seeing his life flash before him in his own garage?”
  —Nancy Grace (03:47)

• Forensic Explanation: Dr. Kendall Crowns details the wounds: Markel was shot in the cheek and forehead—likely survived for a period after the attack, furthering the brutality of the crime.

  “He probably only had half of his brain compromised and it took him a little while to die. The other thing is, is there's a mention of a gunshot wound to the forearm. So he did probably try to shield himself at one point before he got shot.”
  —Dr. Kendall Crowns (35:49)

3. Donna Adelson’s Bids for Freedom and Entitlement

• Donna’s repeated motions for release, citing personal discomforts and health complaints, strike all experts as desperate and out of touch.

  “She did, because commissary food is not healthy. It is just junk food. And she complained that she had gained a lot of weight since her incarceration… That was another reason she thought she needed to be let out. Salt and high fat content.”
  —Gigi McKelvey, investigative journalist (08:35)

• Nancy and panelists agree: nothing Donna says addresses the heinous impact of her actions—no remorse or reference to her grandsons losing their father.

  “Can we please focus on the core of the problem? Why are you there in the first place? Why are you incarcerated? Because you have been charged with first degree murder, the loss of another human life, a family member…”
  —Dr. Judy Ho, forensic psychologist (12:12)

4. Allegations of Juror Misconduct and the TikTok Controversy

• Donna’s legal team claims a juror (JC Maxon Walker) posted trial-related TikToks during and after the trial, which could have tainted the process.

• Nancy plays audio of "Lacey with AJ on TikTok," who served as foreperson, proudly explaining the jury’s decision-making and their integrity.

  “But within the first hour, hour and a half I want to say everyone was agreeing that she is guilty. Everyone. It was unanimous…Honestly, I've said absolutely nothing that could hurt the verdict that we came up with.”
  —Lacey with AJ, jury foreperson (18:24, 20:35)

• Legal analysis suggests unless jurors specifically sought out outside information or discussed the case before deliberation, mere social media use may not amount to reversible misconduct.

  “The rules provided by Judge Everett in this case, okay, we cannot seek out information about this case. We cannot talk about the case with anyone…But now that I'm released as a juror, I have the freedom to say and do whatever.”
  —Lacey with AJ on TikTok (20:35)

  "If she's going online, commenting, looking at social media in direct violation of court orders...that is a contempt of court. And the remedy for that is the tin pot dictator gets a new trial."
  —Robert Crispin, PI/former federal task officer (20:11)

• Actual jurors stress the deliberations were unanimous, professional, and unaffected by outside influence.

  “There was no fighting whatsoever, which was surprising to me...We all worked very professionally, had pleasant discussion the entire time. There wasn't any bickering or fighting.”
  —Evan Higginbotham, juror (43:52)

5. Attempted Bribery, Manipulation and Family Insulation

• Million Dollar Offer: Donna offered Markel $1M to allow the move, and floated converting/baptizing the kids to manipulate Markel’s consent.

• Insulation: The conspiracy was structured so each party only communicated with their “link,” making prosecution of others (like Wendy) more difficult.

  "There was very little overlap in communication between Siegfredo Garcia to Catherine McManawa, from Catherine McManawa to Charlie, then from Charlie to Donna. There was very little overlap from that."
  —Evan Higginbotham, juror (41:19)

6. Humanizing the Loss & The Jury’s Emotional Response

• Jurors discuss the emotional toll—crime scene photos of Markel, the impact on his sons, and the wider tragedy of his erasure.

• Astonishment that Wendy Adelson, the ex-wife, has not been charged.

  "It's not just the loss of their father, but it's the loss of any normal life for them because they're getting...some of the stuff that's floating around on the Internet...It's truly terrible. They're just the victims in this as well."
  —Evan Higginbotham, juror (49:22)

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Donna’s Absurd Requests
  • "She wanted out from behind bars because of her ear wax. And I’m supposed to take her seriously because she claims juror misconduct and TikTok, really?"
    —Nancy Grace (06:23)
• Expert Dismissal of Donna’s Tactics
  • "Her whole diatribe about the earwax and how much it’s bothering her...that's one of her biggest problems. Can we please focus on the core of the problem?"
    —Dr. Judy Ho (12:12)
• On the Jury’s Process
  • “Overall, it took us about just over three hours hours to deliberate and reach our final verdict…Within the first hour...everyone was agreeing that she is guilty.”
    —Lacey with AJ on TikTok (18:24)
• On Gen Z and Social Media Jurors
  • "With the new Gen Z's and tick tock...all these people are going to their own social media and posting...I love it. And get ready. There's a lot more of that coming out on cases to come."
    —Robert Crispin, PI (19:26)
• On the Tragedy for Markel’s Sons
  • "The thought of the boys living their life without their dad. I believe their last names have been changed now. It’s almost as if Dan Markel has been totally erased."
    —Nancy Grace (49:04)
• On the Evidence and the Jury’s Responsibility
  • "Nobody convicted Donna but herself. Not you, not me, not the peanut gallery, not the cops. Donna Adelson convicted herself."
    —Robert Crispin (32:26)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Segment/Event | |------------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:27 | Recap of Markel’s murder, Donna’s motive, family background | | 03:47 | Scene description: Markel alive post-shooting | | 05:49 | PI Crispin describes Donna’s former Miami luxury | | 08:35 | Bizarre legal motions: earwax, food complaints, TikTok | | 12:12 | Dr. Judy Ho critiques Donna’s lack of remorse | | 15:30 | Juror TikTok allegations explained | | 18:24 | Juror foreperson describe unity and process | | 20:11 | Legal implications of social media by jurors | | 22:17 | Actual jurors react to misconduct accusation | | 24:53 | Jurors discuss judging defendant’s courtroom reactions | | 25:22 | Live reading of verdict and Donna’s emotional response | | 35:49 | Autopsy/final moments of Markel discussed | | 39:58 | Juror Evan Higginbotham interviewed | | 41:19 | Evan on family’s “insulated” conspiracy | | 43:08 | Deliberations described as professional, non-contentious | | 47:24 | Effect of crime scene photos on jurors | | 48:17 | “Bump” operation and Donna’s incriminating behavior | | 49:22 | Markel’s children and the long-term impact |

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Tone and Style

• Nancy Grace’s style is relentless, direct, and often emotional, skewering claims she sees as manipulative or irrelevant.
• The discussion is lively, occasionally humorous, and deeply empathetic toward the victims.
• Experts and jurors are candid, accessible, and aim to demystify courtroom and forensic nuances for the general audience.

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Conclusion

This episode exposes the audacity and entitlement of Donna Adelson as she maneuvers to escape justice using claims of TikTok and juror bias—claims dismissed both by legal experts and the jurors themselves. Nancy Grace and guests re-center the horror and irreparable loss suffered by Dan Markel’s children, reinforcing that the true outrage lies not in social media posts or food complaints, but in the cold, calculated murder engineered by a mother-in-law insistent on her own way. The evidence, the jury's process, and expert testimony all point to a family saga where privilege clashed with justice—and justice, this time, prevailed.

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Transcript

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Greenlight.Com iheart crime stories with Nancy Grace. A raging mother in law orders a hit on her law professor son in law and she's convicted now to walk free because she alleges juror misconduct. And oh yes, TikTok is involved. Good evening, I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. I want to thank you for being with us.

[Robert Crispin]

So you're saying his head is bloody now? Yeah, it's still bloody. I mean it's the window shattered. I don't know if he's tried to shoot himself. I don't know what the situation is. He's not responding to that, but his head's kind of rolling around. Okay. Is he conscious? Well, I can't tell.

[Nancy Grace]

I'm talking about the killer mother in law, Donna Adelson, who is so incensed that her son in law refuses to let his children move seven hours away from his home where he teaches law school to be closer to her. The grandma that she orders a hit and has him executed. Really? Okay, listen to this.

[Robert Crispin]

What's the address of your emergency? Caseton? Okay, tell me exactly what happened. We heard, looked in, the garage door was up and I thought the gentleman was backing out. And I went back to my house but he never backed out. And I came back over and his wind, his. His driver's side window is shattered. He's moving his head around, but he's not responding. I call his name, ask what's going on. I call his name, ask him what's happening. He's not responding to that, but his head's kind of rolling around. Okay, is he conscious? Well, I can't tell. Okay, is he breathing? I can't tell that. I'm assuming he's breathing. If he's moving his head around, did you ever hear him talk or anything? No. Okay, you said he's sitting in the car, right? Correct. In the driver's seat.

[Nancy Grace]

You know what that means? And shortly I'm going to go to a renowned medical examiner on this. Professor Dan Markell was actually alive. Was he seeing his life flash before him in his own garage? There he is with his ex wife Wendy Adelson, Practically the only one left in the family that hasn't been charged with murder. And now just so you know, when you don't know a horse, look at her track record. This killer mother in law has already tried to get out of jail claiming she had earwax and because the food sucks. Their words, not mine, really. Get used to it, woman. Get used to it. We're going straight to the scene. Joining us now in Miami, renowned private investigator Robert crispin of Crispin special investigations, former federal task force officer for us, doj. Joining us, Robert Crispin. Robert, can we just clarify the problem? The so called killer mother in law, Donna Adelson had her son in law, professor Dan Markell comes home and by the way, I had heard of him in legal circles as being brilliant. All right. When he was alive. So she the wife. Now let me start with him. Markell comes home from work to find the furniture gone, his wife gone, and most important his little boys and gone. Then Wendy Adelson's family aggressively hides his children from him. And Wendy Adelson is a lawyer. How she allowed this to happen, I don't know. But then wanted to move the children from where he was, I guess around Tallahassee all the way to Miami. How far of a drive would that be, Crispin?

[Robert Crispin]

Every bit of Eight hours. It's a long trek from Tallahassee all the way down here to Miami, at least.

[Nancy Grace]

Where are you? What is that? Behind you, Crispin.

[Robert Crispin]

So I'm coming to you live, Nancy, Right outside where Donna Adelson's multi million dollar condo sits perched on Key Biscayne, overlooking the city of Miami skyline, all the cruise ships and the entrance of the Rickenbacker causeway out to Key Biscayne. Her view is insane. In her multimillion dollar conduct, she has traded for a jail cell.

[Nancy Grace]

Well, that is quite a change in circumstances, is it not? Because now she's sitting in a jail cell, Crispin, with a cot and three hots that we're paying for and whining about TikTok, of all things, and demanding a new trial. And you know what? Sometimes when money talks, justice walks. And I don't want to see that happening. These people are loaded. Loaded. Did you hear about the wedding that Wendy Adelson had with Markell? I mean, over the top. I'm talking ice sculptures, five star venue, the works. They are loaded. And now, hold on. You got to hear this. You've got to hear this, Crispin. Again. When you don't know a horse. Look at her track record. Now she. She's whining, she needs a new trial because of TikTok. Okay, she probably never even heard of TikTok. She was sitting in her jail cell. But this is her track record. Listen to this complaint. So I have. I have a hearing issue. I have a problem. I evidently have very narrow ear canals and so doing get. The wax builds up in my ears to the point that, I mean, I have officers that say to me, are you deaf, Adelson? When I don't respond to them, it's because I don't hear them. I mean, really, she wanted out from behind bars because of her ear wax. And I'm supposed to take her seriously because she claims juror misconduct and TikTok, really, have you ever in your life, and you've probably dealt with as many felons as I have heard anyone complain they should be set free because of earwax.

[Robert Crispin]

Well, that's probably the first one I've heard about, is that one. But if you think about it, Nancy, according to law enforcement, perched up there on the 16th floor of her condo with this beautiful view is where she orchestrated this entire mastermind of having him killed. So it's pretty quiet up there, you.

[Nancy Grace]

Know, Isn't it true? Straight out to Gigi McKelvey joining us, investigative journalists and host of Pretty lies and alibis. Gigi, didn't she make another bid at freedom claiming the food behind bars was making her fat? She did, because commissary food is not healthy. It is just junk food. And she complained that she had gained a lot of weight since her incarceration, as a lot of inmates do, because they don't like the prison food. And they do have that option to.

[Robert Crispin]

Buy a lot of foods that are.

[Nancy Grace]

High in fats and salt. That was another reason she thought she needed to be let out. Salt and high fat content. Okay, you know what? That. That. That leaves me at a loss, but I'm trying to judge her complaint. She says TikTok has destroyed her life in one juror in specific. But you know what? Can I remind everybody it's not about her earwax or her starchy food or tick tock. It's about this.

[Robert Crispin]

So you're saying his head is bloody now? Yeah, it's been bloody. I mean, it's. The window shattered. I don't know if he's tried to shoot himself. I don't know what the situation is. It's the driver's side window, correct? That's correct. He's still moving around. So he's alive. Okay. Looks like I should have an officer coming up the roadway. Okay, well, we need emt. Well, the officer's gonna be there first. They're not gonna come until we figure out what's going on. But they're on the way as well. Okay. If this guy's got a shot.

[Nancy Grace]

Philip Dube joining us, veteran trial lawyer out of the California jurisdiction. Tried a ton of cases. Philip Dubay. How can I take anything this woman says seriously when she's been complaining about the starchy food behind bars? Hey, she gets donuts, she gets breads. She also gets high protein, like eggs. Eggs, meat, vegetables. But she's whining about Italian night. Really? And the earwax in her ears. And now she wants me to believe she should walk free. Walk free on a murder charge? Not just a murder charge. Not. I'm mad at you. Bang. A long thought out and planned execution style murder. Because Markell would not not go along with moving his children eight hours away from him. And now I'm supposed to pay attention to her TikTok complaint?

[Robert Crispin]

What can I tell you? She was a tin pot dictator within the family. And the days of her borscht, blintzes, and vodka are over. And she's going to be living on what we call the high fives, meaning the high fat, the high cholesterol, the high sodium, the high fructose corn syrup and the high cholesterol. And she needs to get used to it and make sure she has a doctor behind bars to keep her on statins and heart medication because that is going to be her life unfortunately. Now having said that, it doesn't mean she doesn't have a post trial motion regarding juror misconduct. And it remains to be seen what the evidence is to show jury misconduct. If it is a viable claim then the court can actually grant the relief and order a hearing. And that's the end game here, is to get the hearing. So before you even get to a new trial, the court has to find that there was in fact misconduct and much of it hinges on a credibility call. If the court actually believes the testimony of these tick tocker jurors then she doesn't get a new trial, she stands convicted and off she goes to prison to enjoy her five highs.

[Nancy Grace]

Straight out to Dr. Judy Ho joining us, clinical forensic neuropsychologist, author of the New Rules of Attachment and Stop Self Sabotage. You can find her at Dr.judy ho ho.com Dr. Judy, thank you for being with us. Could you just help me out because all I heard from Dubai was help me out. How can anybody take Donna Adelson anything she says seriously? Nancy we can't. I mean you even see her demeanor as she's trying to communicate her struggles and it's as if she has no self awareness that this would sound ridiculous to pretty much everyone listening. Her whole diatribe about the earwax and how much it's bothering her and how people are accusing her of being deaf, that that's one of her biggest problems. Can we please focus on the core of the problem? Why are you there in the first place? Why are you incarcerated? Because you have been charged with first degree murder, the loss of another human life, a family member, you stripped your grandchildren of their father and you're talking about your earwax. Nancy it was hard for me to have some compassion as she was talking about that. And you know, I am someone who was supposed to have built my career on compassion. It was still a struggle for me. Nancy so maybe you have to help me today. You know just you never hear anything from her about the death of her son in law and what this has meant to her grandchildren. There was a point point isn't this true? Cindy Sumner joining us Crime Stories investigative reporter that she offered or suggested offering to Professor Markell a million dollars to let go of the children and let them move to be closer to her, the grandmother. And when that didn't work, she said, let's tell themlet's tell him that we have converted them to Catholicism and baptized them because they're devout Jews. I mean, what is wrong with her? Could you fill me in on those two attempts by Donna Adelson? I cannot believe how much this woman hated Dan Markell just for wanting to be close to his children. This family had such a warped sense, a warped perception of what Markell was doing by just wanting to keep his children actively in his life every day. I do not understand how someone can be pushed to murder someone because they wanted to be an active father in their children's life. It's ridiculous. Here are the claims exactly that Donna Adelson, who is sitting behind bars, not in her luxe condo where you see Crispin standing in front of it, but in jail where she belongs. According to a juror who is joining us shortly these this is the crux of her claims. Adelson filed a motion for a new trial claiming jury misconduct, bias from the judge, and a lack of evidence just two weeks after conviction and includes a request to interview two of the jurors.

[Robert Crispin]

Adelson accuses juror number seven when J.C. maxon Walker posted a TikTok about her selection to the jury on the third day of the trial, then deleted the post, Adelson says that they can provide a copy of the video. Adelson writes that Max and Walker then went viral for posts discussing details of the case immediately after the verdict.

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[Nancy Grace]

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace Overall, it took us about just over three hours hours to deliberate and reach our final verdict.

[Robert Crispin]

Right?

[Nancy Grace]

But within the first hour, hour and a half I want to say everyone was agreeing that she is guilty. Everyone. It was unanimous. Within the first hour, hour and a half Donna Adelson was found guilty on all three charges for killing her ex son in law. I'm here to say that I was on the jury and I got to be the four person. If you have questions let me know because I can finally talk that from Lacey with AJ on TikTok. I mean come on Robert Crispin, you've tried handled so many felony cases. Crispin is joining us right now outside while across the water that beautiful view mother in law from hell had. I'd love to have a juror like that. She's proud she was on the jury. She's proud she was for a person. What's wrong with that?

[Robert Crispin]

Not a thing. And with the new Gen Z's and tick tock and social media and all these platforms that are out there now, all these people are going to their own social media and posting and Nancy, they have a microphone. They're not being censored, they're not being edited. They're not ending up on the on the floor of the editing room. They're telling what they want when they want when they can. I love it. And get ready. There's a lot more of that coming out on cases to come.

[Nancy Grace]

You're not kidding. Debate what's wrong with what she said. I don't see anything wrong with what Lacey with AJ on TikTok had to say. She was a foreperson. She's proud. Adelson asked for it. She did it. She deserved it. She was convicted. Why? What's the problem?

[Robert Crispin]

Yeah, of course it's a misconduct, particularly if it's going on during the trial. If she's going online, commenting, looking at social media in direct violation of court orders not to follow the case, not to discuss the case until all jurors are sent to the jury room to deliberate, that is a contempt of court. And the remedy for that is the tin pot dictator gets a new trial.

[Nancy Grace]

Wah, wah, wah. I think for a mistrial to be granted, you have to show that the error was so grievous that it would have warranted a new trial, that it impacted the jury so much that a new trial would be warranted because there would have been a different outcome. Hold on. Let's hear more From Lacey with A.J. a lot of people are saying that I'm the reason that appeal is going to happen, which is just crazy because if you actually watched and really listened to anything I said, it's just no words. No words. Yeah. I've said absolutely nothing that could hurt the verdict that we came up with. Okay. Like, I'm not as far as people's concerns as to me being on social media and posting my TikToks. In the last week or two, there was no rule stating that we cannot be on social media. The rules provided by Judge Everett in this case, okay, we cannot seek out information about this case. We cannot talk about the case with anyone. We cannot listen to others talk about the case. We cannot do anything in regards to the case during the trial. But now that I'm released as a juror, I have the freedom to say and do whatever. That again from Lacey with AJ on TikTok. You know, Dubai, I know you went to law school and you tried a lot of cases, but I think she's got you over the barrel, guys. Joining me right now, special guest Evan Higginbotham is with us. AKA Girard. Number. Can you believe it was just a few short days ago that you voted guilty? You did vote guilty, right? On Donna Adelson, correct?

[Robert Crispin]

Yes, ma', am. That's right.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, that was just a few days ago, and already she has hatched a motion for new trial and to have her case completely reversed. And part of her claim is juror misconduct. How does that make you feel? You're juror. Did you see any misconduct?

[Robert Crispin]

I did not. But this doesn't surprise me at all. It would only make sense for her to look for something like this after the verdict was served.

[Nancy Grace]

Sounds like Donna Adelson didn't make a very good impression on the jury. And more. Now Here is Mitchell McKenzie Aylson, juror number five.

[Robert Crispin]

There were certain witnesses that when they they brought in, I was focused kind of on her reaction and body language. I really just wanted to see how she reacted to certain things. I wanted to see how she reacted to the information that was coming out. Not that that I could use that against her during deliberations, but, you know, it kind of gave me a sense of where her head was at, I think during certain testimony.

[Nancy Grace]

Now that is a juror appearing on Surviving the survivor. So Gigi McKelvey joining us, investigative journalist. They other claim is that that juror judged her Adelson on her reactions in court. What's wrong with that? You know, they're asking these jurors not to be human. Of course they're going to look at the defendant. And I've been in so many courtrooms, Nancy, where it's like a tennis match. The jury watches the witness and they watch the defendant. And what I find funny, too, is that they had her dressed like a granny. So they wanted the jury to look at her at certain times, but not when testimony was going on. It's a human thing to do. And so I think this is just a really moot point. I think it's grasping at straws and throwing stuff against the wall to see what sticks. But he immediately says, I didn't take that in the jury room. There's no harm, no foul. So long story short, Dr. Judy Ho, how can you listen to the evidence, listen to the testimony, and look over at the defendant and pretend you don't see what you see? What is she talking about? Exactly, Nancy. And no matter what we do as human beings given juror instructions, our feelings are going to be entangled in our decision making. We would love to say that that's not going to be the case. That's just not true. We are emotional beings. It's how we're built. And so you're hearing the evidence and then you're trying to try to piece this all together and say, all right, this person clearly doesn't even seem to show any remorse, any empathy towards her other family members who have been affected. What do we do with somebody like this? Because they are going to be potentially a continued threat to the rest of society. And even now as all of this is unfolding, there isn't still a clear remorse. And that does factor into juror decisions. I'm sorry to say it, but it just will. Guys, speaking of her reactions, watch her reaction when the jury hands down the verdict.

[Robert Crispin]

We the jury find as follows. As the count one of the indictment, first degree murder, the defendant is guilty of first degree murder. Mrs. Adelson, control yourself. Count two, we the jury find as follows. As the count two of the indictment, conspiracy to commit first degree murder, the defendant is guilty of conspiracy to commit first degree murder.

[Nancy Grace]

From our friends at Tallahassee Democrat, back to Dr. Judy Ho. Joining us, clinical forensic neuropsychologist. Did you see the crying? Did you see that? But nothing about Dan Markell, her dad's son in law, nothing about him but just her. The first time that she shows such extreme emotion is of course about her own welfare and well being. And I would also argue that when someone has such an extreme reaction, even if it of course is a decision that's going to affect your life, this is why she was told to control herself. Most people are not going to actually look kindly on that because there is a sense that perhaps that's put on whether that's true or not, that is going to be someone's human intuition, someone's red flags going off saying oh my goodness, now she's really trying to demonstrate that she is so emotional and so impacted. Where was this the rest of trial? They're going to see the incongruency and it's going to be hard for them to have more empathy after that. What about this? I don't know if this is in your diagnostic manual, but what about Rich little old Miami socialite, can't believe somebody called her on her BS. Watch this. Dr. Judy.

[Robert Crispin]

Count three, we the jury find as follows. As the count three of the indictment, solicitation to commit first degree murder, the defendant is guilty of solicitation to commit first degree murder. If you cannot control yourself, I am.

[Nancy Grace]

Going to have to determine if you.

[Robert Crispin]

Will be removed from the remainder of this process. Do you understand what I'm saying to you? Do you need a moment to collect yourself?

[Nancy Grace]

Again? From our friends at Tallahassee Democrat, Dr. Judy Ho. Did you see her between all the she said something very angrily, talk about lack of self control, impulse control. But she had plenty of time to call off the murder of her son in law. But she couldn't control herself, just like she can't control herself in the courtroom. Exactly. And this is why people are going to look at this Nancy and say, why should I feel any sympathy for this woman? No one's going to feel that sympathy for her, even as she is crying, bawling her eyes out because of the context and when she's actually shedding those tears. Adelson also cites courtroom environment. When Everett ruled against the defense, the gallery laughed out loud despite multiple warnings from Everett. Adelson claims that continued behavior eroded the defense's credibility in the eyes of the jury. Adelson also claims footage of the proceedings shows gallery members making faces at the jurors throughout the trial, distracting them from testimony. Well, if the gallery, the peanut gallery, had disrupted the trial, I would have expected the judge to throw them out. If this is true, Adelson complaining about the infamous environment in the courtroom is what convicted her. Well, the evidence was overwhelming that she was involved in Markell's murder. Let's go straight back out to jurar. Evan Higginbotham. Evan, what was your first impression of Donna Adelson?

[Robert Crispin]

My first impression? It's hard to say because whenever I first came in for jury selection, she's an older lady. So I wasn't certain who the defense attorneys were. They're all sitting behind the same desk. And it took until me walking back there and speak to the defense team and the prosecutors on the second day of jury selection for me to realize that she was defendant and I had no opinion on her.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, wait, that's really funny. Funny. Odd and funny. I say predictable because I believe it is harder for Girards to convict a woman of a violent crime such as murder. Like you said, you came in and it took you a while to realize, oh, it's a little old lady that's being charged with murder. Because, for instance, I think of my own mother, and my mother raised me. She took care of me, she sacrificed for me. It's really hard for me to imagine someone like my mother committing a murder or planning a murder. Now, tell me that again. How long did it take you to realize, oh, the older lady is the one charged with murder.

[Robert Crispin]

I left the first day of jury selection not sure who the defendant was. It took me coming back, and then after I finally got in there and the defense attorney started speaking to me for me.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, so she's the defendant, Dube, that is the defense attorney's dream juror. They can't with the defendant sitting right in front of them, their mind cannot grasp. She, the little old lady, is the one charged with murder. He just can't comprehend that.

[Robert Crispin]

Well, that's why I always advise to be yourself at trial. You don't. I don't know why they clad her in an outfit looking like Grandma Walton, because she really wasn't being herself. And I gotta tell you, on a personal level, I don't agree with the judge. The way he chided and cast ized her in open court. The lady just literally found out in a couple of words that whatever left of her life is over. As opposed to finding out that there is no Santa Claus anymore. It is ridiculous. And it looks like she was not a Santa Claus.

[Nancy Grace]

Yeah, you know what? Dubai, that's falling flat with me. Because all that matters right now is, will there be a new trial? And this was already at the verdict phase. The trial was over. That did not affect the verdict. When he said, get a hold of yourself, woman. Look, and all that is total bs. She. You know what? To Robert Crispin joining us. He's been with the feds. He's been with doj. Now he's running Crispin special investigation. Former homicide detective. She did it. And now she's looking around going, oh, my stars. Little old me is in jail. This can't be real. How can I get out of here? Claw. Claw. Claw. That's what's happening. She did it.

[Robert Crispin]

Come on, Nancy. How many juries have we sat in? How many trials have we sat in? The rubber hit the road for Donna, it hit the road. The evidence was against her. The gallery wasn't against her. The jury wasn't against her. The evidence was against her. She never thought, perched up on the 16th floor that she would ever, ever, ever get caught or orchestrating and masterminding this entire murder. But guess what? That jury came back in such a short amount of time. And listening to some of the conversations from those jurors. When they got out, they did an initial. Are you guilty? Is she guilty or not? When they were in their final deliberations and they all came back guilty. So nobody convicted Donna but herself. Not you, not me, not the peanut gallery, not the cops. Donna Adelson convicted herself.

[Nancy Grace]

Hey, Crispin, which one of those buildings behind you was her high rise? I guess the husband's still there, but which one is it?

[Robert Crispin]

So, look, there's those two green glass buildings right there. One with the white dome on it is the one that she lived in. And it's up there on the 16th, 16 oh, 9, 16 floor, multi million dollars, Nancy. I'm telling you, it's got sprawling, insane views. Insane views. Guess what? She's now sitting in a jail cell for the rest of her life.

[Nancy Grace]

I guess some people are just so rich and so living in a bubble, their rich bubble. They think they can get away with everything. Markell was just like a paper cup. You used it, you squash it, and you throw it in the trash and don't think about it again. I mean, this guy was a brilliant lawyer, but more important, a loving dad that did not want to be away from his children. He wouldn't take a million dollars literally to be away from them. It wasn't about money. It was about them. Them. That's all he cared about, Crispin.

[Robert Crispin]

Yeah. Yeah. That was a brutal homicide. That was a great guy, a great father, a pillar in our community, in the legal profession. She masterminded this and took all that away from him, Nancy. All that away. And she traded all this in for her jail cell. So you know what it is? What it is?

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, yeah. That's not a legal theory, but it's true. Joining me right now, an Incredible medical examiner, Dr. Kendall Crown. To talk about, save the best for last. Chief medical examiner, Tarrant County. That's Fort Worth. He is a host of a brand new hit podcast, Mayhem in the Morgue. He is an esteemed lecturer at the Burnett School of Medicine at tcu. And it goes on and on, but for my purposes, has performed literally thousands of autopsies. Can we have a reality check from Donna Adelson and her earwax and her starchy food and her whining and crack crying about people that made fun of her? Markell is dead, and he died in a brutal fashion. And he had long enough to know he was dying. It wasn't instantaneous, was it? Dr. Kendall crowns.

[Robert Crispin]

No, it was not. From the witness accounts, he was moving after he was shot. And based on the information we have, there was a survival time period. What the wounds were is he had a gunshot wound of his face that entered into his cheek and another gunshot wound that entered into his forehead. Now, the one in his cheek potentially could not have hit vital structures that would have caused him to die instantly. And the one in his forehead potentially only encountered half of his brain. So if one half of your brain is hit, the other half is still able to function. And you aren't going to die right away, but as you're sitting there from the damage done by the gunshot wound, your brain is going to swell and it's eventually going to pinch off your brain stem and kill you. So that's why when witnesses were there, they they saw that he was still moving. He probably only had half of his brain compromised and it took him a little while to die. The other thing is, is there's a mention of a gunshot wound to the forearm. So he did probably try to shield himself at one point before he got shot. And that's probably why the cheek wound isn't as severe as the forehead wound.

[Nancy Grace]

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[Robert Crispin]

Welcome to the W where legends are made and history is written under the brightest light. The WNBA delivers non stop action and.

[Nancy Grace]

World class talent every single game. And now it all comes down to who will win it all this season.

[Robert Crispin]

This is where champions rise and legacies are defined.

[Nancy Grace]

Watch the WNBA finals currently underway on ABC and espn. What kind of programs does this school have? How are the test scores? How many kids to a classroom? Homes.com knows these are all things you ask when you're home shopping as a parent. That's why Each listing on Holmes.com includes extensive reports on local schools including photos, parent reviews, test scores, student teacher ratio, school rankings and more. The information is from multiple trusted sources and curated by Holmes.com's dedicated in house research Team, it's all so you can make the right decision for your family. Homes.com, we've done your homework. Crime stories with Nancy Grace. Joining us tonight, a very special guest, Evan Higginbotham is with us, AKA juror number six. Evan, thank you for being with us.

[Robert Crispin]

Hey, thank you so much for having me.

[Nancy Grace]

Did you ever wonder why Professor, Professor Markell's wife Wendy wasn't charged? Because it seems like this whole murder plot, the whole murder, was so Wendy then Markell could take her children, the boys, and move to Miami. Did you ever wonder, well, wait a minute, how is she coming out smelling like a rose?

[Robert Crispin]

I definitely was interested in trying to understand that at the beginning and at this point now, after going through the whole trial and seeing it, it makes a lot of sense as to why Wendy's at the back end of this and hasn't been charged with anything yet. I mean, they did such a good job of insulating each other throughout this whole conspiracy, from Siegfredo Garcia all the way to Ms. Adelson.

[Nancy Grace]

You know what, Evan Higginbotham, you're like a threat. You're like a double threat. You've got charisma and brains. The way you just said that, you ought to consider dumping out of electrical engineering and going to law school, referring to how every member of the murder plot insulated each other from getting caught. What do you mean by that? Well, you're absolutely right, number one. But what leads you to that observation?

[Robert Crispin]

Well, there was very little overlap in communication between Siegfredo Garcia to Catherine McManawa, from Catherine McVanowa to Charlie, and then from Charlie to Donna. There was very little overlap from that. So we didn't see very much contact at all, if any, from Ms. Adelson, Katherine McManua, vice versa, or even Charlie to Sigredo. And I think them setting it up that way and making sure that there was very little contact outside of just their go to person makes it. You have to tie a connection further along to be able to make charges.

[Nancy Grace]

Did any of the other jurors wonder why the wife Wendy, had not been charged?

[Robert Crispin]

I'm sure they have. I didn't speak to them very much about that, if any, during deliberation. We stayed very focused on just on trial with Donna. I'm sure that they're probably just as interested to see on the back end that I am about a Wendy's contribution to this. But I spoke very little to all the other jurors about anyone outside of this. Ms. Adelson and her part of this.

[Nancy Grace]

That was wise. Okay, so you get in there and what went through your mind when they called you to be a juror, one of the 12?

[Robert Crispin]

My first thought was, I'm going to miss a lot of class. And then, since then, it was a great experience. I'm very grateful for being selected. But, yeah, I was surprised to be picked, though. I thought that for sure, Me being a relatively young guy and being a student, I figured I would be probably sent away pretty early in the selection process.

[Nancy Grace]

What was the most difficult part of the deliberations?

[Robert Crispin]

I don't honestly, it was going through the evidence. Again. There was a lot of evidence to go through, so anything that we specifically wanted to look at we had to dig through and find specifically what part of what piece of evidence we wanted to go through. And that takes time to find. But as far as, like, any sort of friction between the jurors or anything like that, there was very little. We all worked very professionally, had pleasant discussion the entire time. There wasn't any bickering or fighting. So I was very impressed by everyone.

[Nancy Grace]

Did any fights break out? Did anybody ever fight over the evidence or, you know, did recollections vary as to the evidence?

[Robert Crispin]

There was no fighting whatsoever, which was surprising to me. I expected there to be at least, like, some sassy bickering here and there, but there was none of that. There was different recollections, for sure. Some of us were better notetakers than others. So there would be things where someone would mildly misremember something, and then we'd go back through the evidence, be like, okay, well, I was mistaken on that. But everything was very pleasant.

[Nancy Grace]

Evan, you're describing a pretty peaceful deliberations. That's what I want to hear, because dissension among the jurors and fighting leads to reversals. What do you believe was the strongest piece of evidence that convicted Adelson?

[Robert Crispin]

That's a difficult question to answer because there's not. It's not a case where there's a smoking gun, so to say. It's a lot of small bits of evidence that add up to create a picture where that shows her guilty. I'd say that some of the testimonies that really stood out were definitely Chris Corbett as well as Rob Adelson. I think were very important bits to us coming to our conclusion.

[Nancy Grace]

What specifically about those two?

[Robert Crispin]

I think that Rob's testimony gives a lot of insight into character that you don't get from any of the other testimonies. Him being such an Integral part of her life being her oldest son. And then Chris Corbett, the digital forensics from that. Placing the cell phones at certain areas, as well as being able to see the text messages, some of the phone calls at what period of time helps create. Helps set up that picture. It helps be able to see where the communication was at that time. When she was speaking to Charlie. In regards to when the murder was happening.

[Nancy Grace]

What did you think about the sun? I mean, the maestro. Did you guys hear evidence about his vanity tag? Maestro?

[Robert Crispin]

I did not hear that specifically within the case, but that doesn't surprise me after that day of us listening.

[Nancy Grace]

Why do you say that? I'm talking about Wendy's. Wendy, the wife. Wendy, who has not been charged. Brother who was right up in the middle of all this, doing his mother's bidding. He's already been convicted, of course. Had a vanity tag on his. What was it, Jack? A Lamborghini Maestro. You know, the one that orchestrates everything. Truer words were never spoken. What did you think about him?

[Robert Crispin]

I was hoping that we would get a testimony of him from him of some kind. That may not have been something that I wanted after got up on the stand. If that did end up happening. He's someone that did like the ramble for sure. I had my fill of hearing from Charlie after this had done that whole day of phone calls, like four hours worth of just listening to phone calls between Charlie and Donna. But that doesn't surprise me. He seemed like someone that was very verbose and had a pretty big, you know. So a tag like that on his car is not surprising to me.

[Nancy Grace]

It's hard to believe everybody in the family and all these people are involved and she knows nothing about it. But again, that said, she has not been named a suspect or a person of interest in this case. Question, Evan, how did the crime scene photos affect you? Which photos do you recall as being the most. Most vivid?

[Robert Crispin]

The one of Mr. Markell in the hospital was definitely a difficult one to look at. Outside of that. The other. The ones in the crime scene, luckily, were not too strong, I guess would be the word I would pick there. The one of him in the hospital bed with all of the tubes and life support hooked up to him was definitely one that got some sort of reaction from me.

[Nancy Grace]

What did you make of the bump, as it is being called, where an le law enforcement agent bumps in to Donna Adelson and asked for $5,000 to basically keep quiet about what he allegedly knows about the murder. What did you make of that? And the phone call that she had with her son following the bump.

[Robert Crispin]

I think the bump operation was a really important part of this case because nothing about the way she reacted to that was ordinary. Anyone else you would expect to immediately read the paper to begin with and so just sticking it to your purse and then would likely call the police if someone is threatening or blackmailing you and then definitely not go and pick up your grandkids and then walk them past the exact same spot where that just happened. So I think that definitely set the tone for her involvement.

[Nancy Grace]

I mean, all I needed to hear is for people to say, don't call me, don't talk about this on the phone. Let's go outside where there are not any bugs. I mean, why would you say that? I've never said that in my whole life.

[Robert Crispin]

Yeah, definitely strange behavior.

[Nancy Grace]

The thought of the boys living their life without their dad. I believe their last names have been changed now. It's almost as if Dan Markell has been totally erased.

[Robert Crispin]

Yeah, it's heartbreaking. I feel terrible for those two kids because it's not just the loss of their father, but it's the loss of any normal life for them because they're getting to the age now where they absolutely have to seeing some of the stuff that's floating around on the Internet in regards to their mother and all of their family. Everything about their grandmother's trial and that can't. And it's. It's truly terrible. They're just the victims in this as well.

[Nancy Grace]

We wait as justice unfolds and now we remember an American hero. Sergeant David Miller Clarksville PD Tennessee kill in the line of duty after 20 years service leaving behind grieving wife Amy and two children. American hero rest in peace. Sergeant David Miller. Nancy Grace signing off. Goodbye friend.

[Robert Crispin]

Welcome to the W where legends are.

[Nancy Grace]

Made and history is written.

[Robert Crispin]

Under the brightest light. The WNBA delivers non stop action and.

[Nancy Grace]

World class talent every single game. And now it all comes down to who will win it all this season.

[Robert Crispin]

This is where champions rise and legacies are defined.

[Nancy Grace]

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[Robert Crispin]

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[Nancy Grace]

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