Podcast Summary:

Drop Dead Serious with Ashleigh Banfield

Episode: Donna Adelson... AKA “Grandma Gotti” & The Insane Murder Trial in Florida
Date: August 27, 2025
Host: Ashleigh Banfield

Overview of the Episode

Ashleigh Banfield unpacks the intricate and dramatic saga of the Adelson family, focusing on the murder-for-hire plot that claimed the life of law professor Dan Markel. As Donna Adelson—dubbed “Grandma Gotti”—stands trial for first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation, Banfield dissects a tangled web involving bitter divorce, custody disputes, jailhouse snitches, hitmen, and family money. The episode captures both the evolving state of the trial and the fraught family dynamics at its core.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background: The Murder of Dan Markel

• Victim: Dan Markel, a renowned law professor in Tallahassee, Florida.
• Key Fact: Markel was murdered in his driveway in July 2014 in a professional hit, orchestrated due to a bitter custody battle with ex-wife Wendy Adelson.
  • “This was not a random act of violence. This was a murder for hire plot...planned and executed with precision. There were even two takes, two go-rounds on this murder. And at the center of it all, a bitter custody battle...” — Ashleigh Banfield (01:10)
• Custody Dispute: Wendy wanted to move their children to South Florida, but the court forbade moving them out of Tallahassee.
• Connection: Wendy’s family—mother Donna, brother Charlie, and others—allegedly became fixated on removing Dan from the equation.

2. The Conspirators and the Murder Plot

• Hitmen: Luis Rivera and Sigfredo Garcia, both hired from Miami.
  • Rivera later confessed and cut a deal; Garcia is serving life.
  • How police found them: Through city bus cameras, Sun Pass tolls, and surveillance of a rented Prius.
• Catherine Magbanua: Charlie Adelson’s girlfriend and the alleged intermediary.
  • She also received life in prison.
• Charlie Adelson: Convicted in 2023, serving life.
• Donna Adelson: Alleged mastermind, “Grandma Gotti,” now on trial.

3. Donna Adelson: The Alleged Mastermind

• Role: Prosecutors allege that Donna plotted at the very top, providing both motive and money.
  • “Police were pretty sure that the investigation wasn't over after four arrests and four convictions… the motivation and the money came straight from the top of the family. Enter Donna Adelson.” — Ashleigh (07:20)
• The “TV joke” and Alibi: Donna allegedly used a “TV repair” appointment as a cover during the murder, referencing “the TV” as a coded term for the hit.
• Payment: Prosecutors say Donna laundered the payment through handwritten checks from the family dental practice.
  • Notable: Catherine Magbanua claimed the “blood money” was literally damp, possibly “washed.”

4. FBI Operation and Arrest

• FBI Blackmail Sting: Undercover agents pretended to demand more money for the hit, prompting Donna to call Charlie and reference “the TV.”
• Flight Attempt: Donna and husband Harvey were stopped at Miami airport with one-way tickets to Vietnam—a country with no U.S. extradition.
  • “Donna was caught on a jailhouse call with her son Charlie, saying…I gotta make a run for it to somewhere they can't catch me.” — Ashleigh (10:40)
• Donna was arrested at the airport; Harvey was not.

5. The Courtroom Drama & Testimony

Opening Statements (14:00)

• Prosecution: Donna driven by power, privilege, the urge to control her grandchildren.
  • Emails surfaced where Donna suggested dressing the grandkids as Nazis to antagonize Dan, a devout Jew.
• Defense: Donna painted as a loving mother scapegoated for others’ actions; prosecution case relies on circumstantial evidence and unreliable witnesses.

Key Testimonies

• Luis Rivera (15:30): Admitted involvement but insisted all instructions came via Catherine. The hit was only carried out after the first attempt failed, as the children were present that day.
  • “Luis and his pal Sigfredo were promised $100,000 to kill Dan Markel...on their first trip...they refused to do it...they didn't want to kill Dan Markel right there in front of his two kids.” — Ashleigh (16:11)
• Surveillance & Forensics: Detailed tracking of the crime car, corroborated by digital and video records.
• Emails: Highlighted the antagonism and plotting, e.g., Dan’s insistence that Donna should not have unsupervised time with the boys due to her disparaging remarks.

Wendy Adelson’s Testimony (21:56)

• Immunity: Testified without threat of self-incrimination but remains liable for future murder charges.
• Relationship with Donna: Not spoken since Donna’s arrest.
• Admitted Hostility: Confirmed using pejorative terms about Dan, such as “STD,” “emotional terrorist,” and “dark lord.”
  • Sample exchange:
    • Q: “Did you refer to him as an STD?”
      A: “I did.” — (22:22)
    • Q: “Did you ever refer to your ex-husband as the dark lord?”
      A: “I certainly might have.” — (22:51)
    • Q: “Did you ever say you hated Dan Markel?”
      A: “I certainly could have.” — (22:56)
    • Q: “Were you in any way involved in the plot to kill your ex-husband?”
      A: “No.” — (23:29)
• Mother’s Anger: Wendy admitted her mother was “very angry” at Dan before the murder.
• Loss for Children: Defense emphasized the devastating loss for the boys, and Wendy agreed.

Courtroom Observations (25:25–26:34)

• Intense tension among Donna and her children—Wendy and Rob—on the witness stand.
• Donna was admonished by the judge for visible emotional outbursts.
• Banfield and legal analyst discuss unlikelihood of any future family reunions.

6. Open Questions & Legal Strategy

• Will Wendy Adelson be charged next?

  • Legal analyst: “I wouldn’t count it out, Ashleigh... There is no smoking gun, it’s largely circumstantial, but prosecutors may go for Wendy next.” (27:29)

• The defense is expected to repeatedly try to shift responsibility onto Wendy while undermining prosecution witnesses.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You might need a road map for this one because this is one tricky little puzzle.”
  — Ashleigh Banfield (00:05)
• “I either gotta off myself or I gotta make a run for it to somewhere where they can't catch me.”
  — Donna Adelson (reported by Ashleigh, 10:40)
• “It was something that became infamously known as the ‘TV joke’… Charlie joked, ‘well, it's cheaper to buy you a TV than hire a hitman.’”
  — Ashleigh (07:50)
• “She was not given immunity from being charged. She was only given immunity so anything she said on the stand couldn't be used against her in case she was charged.”
  — Ashleigh (26:34)
• “Gigi. What a shit show. I mean, there’s really no other way to say it in this courtroom... I mean, this is a bad family affair. Worse than the worst Thanksgiving.”
  — Ashleigh Banfield, to Legal Analyst (25:25)
• “Anyone who's responsible.”
  — Wendy Adelson, when asked who should be held accountable (25:22)

Important Timestamps

• 00:05: Banfield introduces case and chaos of Adelson family plot
• 01:10: Details of Dan Markel’s murder and evolving conspiracy revealed
• 07:20: Arrest of Donna "Grandma Gotti" Adelson, the family matriarch
• 10:40: Donna’s arrest at Miami airport after attempted flight
• 14:00: Opening statements and battle lines drawn
• 15:30–18:00: Testimonies of hitman Luis Rivera and law enforcement
• 21:56: Wendy Adelson’s key testimony, pivotal exchanges
• 25:25: Banfield and legal analyst discuss courtroom family drama
• 27:29: Speculation on potential for further charges (Wendy Adelson)
• 28:44: Banfield wraps up with reminder—this trial is far from over

Conclusion & Outlook

This episode delivers a gripping, in-depth exploration into the Adelson murder-for-hire case, with Ashleigh Banfield’s signature blend of sharp analysis and irreverent flair. As Donna Adelson faces trial, the jury is left to decide: is she a grandmother scapegoated by circumstance, or the criminal mastermind that orchestrated her former son-in-law’s murder? Stay tuned—according to Banfield, even more explosive testimony is on the horizon.

“The truth isn’t just serious, it’s drop dead serious.” — Ashleigh Banfield (28:44)