Dateline NBC: "Deadly Mischief"

Date: October 28, 2025
Host: Dennis Murphy (correspondent), Lester Holt (anchor)
Main Theme:
The episode deeply investigates the murder of Florida State University law professor Dan Markel and the decade-long saga to uncover, arrest, and convict those responsible—including, most shockingly, his ex-mother-in-law Donna Adelson, the matriarch of a well-to-do dentist family. With dramatic turns, court testimony, and never-before-heard admissions, Dateline unpacks the bitter family feud, tangled conspiracy, and the final chapter in holding those accountable for Markel’s death.

Key Episode Sections

1. Backdrop: Murder and Family Feud

• [07:50] In July 2014, Dan Markel, an accomplished, well-liked law professor, is shot dead in his garage in Tallahassee, Florida.
• [09:40] Markel’s ongoing bitter divorce and custody battle with ex-wife Wendy Adelson is soon revealed as a central motive.
• Friends and family describe Dan’s devotion to his children and his professional accomplishments.

Memorable Quote:
"Dan loved the boys more than anything else in the world... I don't know that I've ever seen anyone love being a father more than Danny Markell." – Jared Ross, Dan’s friend ([13:20])

2. Initial Investigation & Key Players

• [16:00] Immediately after the murder, suspicion turns to people close to Dan. Wendy has an alibi, and her boyfriend, Jeffrey Lacoste, is cleared.
• Detectives quickly focus on surveillance footage of a silver Prius, which tracks suspects’ movements on the day of the killing.
• [28:10] Law enforcement painstakingly matches vehicle records, toll tags, and bank withdrawals to two Miami-area men: Luis Rivera and Sigfredo Garcia.

Quote:
"These guys, Garcia and Rivera, didn't wake up one fine morning and say—let's drive to Tallahassee and go murder some guy we've never met." – Dennis Murphy ([33:35])

• [37:40] Rivera eventually confesses, implicating himself and Garcia as hitmen hired to “help” a woman regain custody of her children—implying Wendy or her family as the clients.

3. Linking the Adelsons: Conspiracy Unfolds

• [41:35] Investigators pursue the money trail, discovering that Katie Magbanowa (Garcia’s lover) received large sums and paychecks drawn from the Adelson dental practice, signed by Donna Adelson.
• Katie’s romantic involvement with Charlie Adelson, Wendy’s brother, further entwines the family in suspicion.
• [47:40] Surveillance and wiretap efforts, including an undercover FBI “bump” on Donna Adelson, yield cryptic phone calls between Donna and Charlie but no direct confessions.

Quote:
"I got some paperwork hand-delivered... does it involve me or other people? ...Well, probably both of them." – Donna Adelson ([49:20], paraphrasing intercepted call)

4. Trials and Flipped Testimonies

• [56:50] Katie Magbanowa and Sigfredo Garcia go on trial. Garcia is convicted; Katie’s first trial ends in a mistrial, but is later retried and found guilty.
• [01:10:45] Prosecutors enhance and leverage audio from “Dolce Vita” restaurant, showing Charlie and Katie discussing the murder conspiracy in cautious, coded language.
• [01:17:00] In 2022, Charlie Adelson is arrested and tried. Jeff Lacoste, Wendy’s ex-boyfriend, testifies that Wendy told him Charlie “investigated all possible options… including hiring a hitman.”
• Wendy testifies under limited immunity, denying knowledge or involvement.

Quote:
"Your family had your ex-husband killed to try to help you, didn't they?" [Prosecutor]
"No. That's completely untrue." – Wendy Adelson ([01:23:15])

• [01:25:50] Katie testifies in Charlie’s trial, now admitting her role and implicating Charlie as the one who “planted the seed” and gave her instructions for the murder.

Quote:
*"Who came up with the idea to kill Dan Markel?" – Prosecutor
"Charlie." – Katie Magbanowa ([01:29:00])

5. Defense Theories and Final Convictions

• [01:33:20] Charlie takes the stand, claiming he was extorted after—not before—the murder and was never involved in arranging it. His detailed but unlikely story fails to sway the jury.
• [01:41:10] Charlie is convicted of first-degree murder within three hours of jury deliberation.

Quote:
"You open a door into their toe? Excuse me, that was really stupid..." – Charlie Adelson, berating a jail deputy ([01:46:40])

6. Donna Adelson: The Mastermind on Trial

• [01:50:05] Following her son’s conviction, Donna is caught attempting to flee to Vietnam—a non-extradition country—and is arrested at the airport.
• Donna’s husband Harvey testifies in her support; her defense asserts she is only an over-involved mother, not a killer.
• [02:05:00] The prosecution presents a damning pattern: emails full of venom toward Dan, Donna’s calendar featuring Dan’s license plate, and evidence Donna “washed” money for the hitmen.
• Estranged son Rob Adelson testifies against his mother, sharing her efforts to stonewall police.

Quote:
"You don't know anything anyway—which assumes that somebody does know something, like Donna." – Rob Adelson ([02:13:00])

• Jailhouse witness Drina Bernhardt exposes Donna’s attempt to coach her to support the “double extortion” defense for court.

Quote:
"She actually called me her jail daughter... She wanted me to tell the jury that Katie admitted she lied." – Drina Bernhardt, jailhouse witness ([02:18:30])

7. Verdict, Sentencing, and Aftermath

• [02:26:30] Donna Adelson is convicted of first-degree murder after only three hours of jury deliberation.
• In victim impact statements, the Markell family asks, “Was it worth it?” Donna, while hysterical, proclaims innocence and lack of remorse.
• She is sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Quote:
“Never in a million years would I have wanted Danny to be harmed or killed... I swear to you on my life I was not involved in any way with Danny’s murder. I was not." – Donna Adelson ([02:36:00])

• The Markells’ connection to their grandchildren remains severed; Wendy has changed the boys’ last name from Markell to Adelson and denied requests for contact.

Quote:
"Let them see where their father grew up, let them see where he's buried... and she said, that'll never happen. Never happen." – Phil Markell ([02:41:15])

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• "[He was] a loving friend and father... now gone, not to mention a brilliant legal mind." – Dennis Murphy ([12:00])
• “My parents have more reason to dislike Danny than almost anyone else. He hurt their daughter.” – Wendy Adelson ([38:30])
• “I looked into hiring a hitman, and it was cheaper to get you this TV.” – Charlie Adelson, jokingly (recounted by Wendy, [43:14])
• “Good properties come up all the time—I mean, it's suspicious but it doesn't get us there.” – Jason Newlin, detective ([53:25])
• "They didn't give you a chance. You don't walk out for three hours." – Donna, post-conviction call to Charlie ([02:31:40])
• "She's just being a parent, not a killer. She's a meddler, not a murderer." – Defense closing on Donna ([02:22:50])

Episode Flow & Tone

• The style is narrative-driven, suspenseful, and balanced, moving seamlessly from personal reflection to legal analysis to courtroom drama.
• The episode maintains authenticity through first-hand statements, wiretapped calls, and emotional family reactions.
• Tone alternates between tension (during reveals and verdicts) and sadness (in family impact statements and reflections).

Key Takeaways

• Family as Motive: The multi-year, multi-defendant prosecution revealed deep family dysfunction, with the drive to control custody of grandchildren as the spark behind the plot.
• Brutality and Coldness: The conspirators went to extraordinary lengths—murder for hire, laundering money, manufacturing cover stories, and even plotting international flight.
• Justice and Its Limits: After more than a decade, justice is delivered in court for four key conspirators—hitmen Garcia and Rivera, go-between Katie Magbanowa, and family architect Charlie Adelson. The ultimate mastermind, Donna Adelson, is convicted in this episode’s conclusion. Wendy Adelson, named by prosecutors as an unindicted co-conspirator, has never been charged.
• Irreparable Harm: The Markell family—despite these legal victories—remains estranged from Dan’s children, underscoring the permanent human cost of a crime born from a simple desire: bringing children closer to a grandmother.

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Time | Segment | |-------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00–16:00 | Dan Markel’s murder, family feud, and background | | 16:00–43:00 | Investigation, focus on Wendy, Prius, and hitmen Garcia & Rivera | | 43:00–54:00 | Money trail, magbanowa and Charlie Adelson connection | | 54:00–01:12:00 | Trials of Garcia (convicted), Katie Magbanowa (mistrial, then conviction) | | 01:12:00–01:39:00 | Charlie Adelson’s arrest, defense, and conviction | | 01:40:00–01:55:00 | Donna Adelson’s flight, arrest, and pre-trial developments | | 01:55:00–02:25:00 | Donna Adelson’s trial and damning evidence presented | | 02:25:00–02:37:00 | Verdict, impact statements, and sentencing | | 02:37:00–End | Aftermath: Markell grandchildren, epilogue, enduring questions |

For Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In

This episode is a riveting case study in how familial bitterness can spiral into a deadly criminal conspiracy. Through gripping storytelling, first-person testimony, and expert legal analysis, Dateline guides the listener from the day of Dan Markel's murder to the final justice delivered—yet leaves haunting questions about the meaning of family, the pursuit of control, and the cost of vengeance.