Update On Murder-For-Hire Investigation Into Dan Markel's Death: In Defense Of Charlie Adelson

David Lat (Above the Law), The Murder Of Dan Markel: In Defense Of Charlie Adelson:

On Friday, a grand jury in Leon County indicted Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera on first-degree murder charges. The two men stand accused of killing Florida State University law professor Dan Markel as part of an alleged murder-for-hire plot. Both men maintain their innocence (and Rivera initially claimed he had never been to northern Florida, although he reportedly changed his story after being shown photographic evidence to the contrary).

Law enforcement authorities allege that the plot to murder Markel arose out of the “desperate desire” of his ex-wife Wendi Adelson’s family to relocate her and her two children to South Florida. More specifically, the police assert a connection between Wendi’s brother, Charles Adelson, and a woman named Katherine Magbanua, the mother of two children with Sigfredo Garcia — one of the two alleged hit men.

As a result of these allegations by law enforcement, Charlie Adelson has come under suspicion in some quarters. But he has his defenders, as reported by the Daily Mail late last week. ...

The police aren’t saying much about the Adelsons right now. When asked about the status of the Adelson family in the wake of Friday’s indictments, State Attorney Willie Meggs said, “They were not indicted. Today.”

• National Law Journal, Two Men Indicted in Florida Law Professor’s Slaying
• Tallahassee Democrat, Police: Markel Suspect Changed His Story
• WXTL, Court Documents: Dan Markel Murder Suspect Admits Traveling to Tallahassee

Prior TaxProf Blog coverage:

• Man Arrested In Murder Of Dan Markel (May 26, 2016)
• Dan Markel Killing Investigated As Murder for Hire, 5-6 More Arrests Expected (May 26, 2016)
• Update On Murder-For-Hire Investigation Into Dan Markel's Death (May 31, 2016)
• Police: Dan Markel Was Killed In Murder-For-Hire Plot Orchestrated By Ex-Wife's Brother (June 2, 2016)
• Anatomy Of The Hit On Dan Markel (June 4, 2016)
• Update On Murder-For-Hire Investigation Into Dan Markel's Death (June 6, 2016)
• Wendi Adelson Discusses Her Ex-Husband Dan Markel's Murder: Transcript And Commentary (June 8, 2016)
• Dan Markel's Law Prof Colleagues Finger Ex-Wife's Family In Murder-For-Hire Killing (June 10, 2016)
• Update On Murder-For-Hire Investigation Into Dan Markel's Death (June 13, 2016)
• Grand Jury Indicts Two Hit Men In Dan Markel's Murder, State Attorney Expects More Indictments; Girlfriend Of Ex-Brother-in-Law Denies Ex-Wife's Family's Involvement (June 18, 2016)