A Florida dentist accused of orchestrating the murder of his law professor brother-in-law nervously denied any involvement in the crime Thursday during his trial in Tallahassee.
Periodontist Charlie Adelson, 47, is accused of hiring a hitman to shoot Florida State academic standout Dan Markel in his driveway in 2014.
Markel, a Harvard-educated professor, was in the middle of an ugly custody war with Adelson’s sister, Wendi Adelson, at the time of the murder.
Defense attorney Daniel Rashbaum asked the agitated defendant if he had anything to do with Markel’s death.
“No,” he responded on the stand.
After telling the jury he was nervous, Rashbaum asked him why.
“My whole life depends on it,” Adelson said.
Adelson admitted in court that he had joked about hiring a hitman to take out Markel, but insisted the comment was in jest.
Charlie Adelson denied any involvement in Markel’s 2014 murder.
After Wendi moved from the marital home to an apartment, her brother bought her a television to help ease her transition.
“When I gave him the TV as a divorce gift (stupidest thing I ever said in my life) and said, ‘I was going to get you a hitman, but the TV was a lot cheaper, so I chose the TV. instead.’ I said it as a complete joke and it was stupid, but I do it a lot,” Adelson testified.
The dentist faces an uphill battle in trial after his ex-girlfriend testified against him earlier this week.
Markel was shot and killed as he pulled into the driveway. FSU College of Law
Katherine Magbanua was accused of helping Adelson, her ex-boyfriend, capture gunman Sigfredo García, the father of her children.
Magbanua denied any involvement in the murder at trial, but was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.
With her fate now sealed, she chose to turn on Adelson, telling the jury that he flat out asked her if she knew anyone who could erase Markel.
“Do you know anyone who could hurt someone?” She is said to have asked the dentist when they were leaving a Halloween party in 2013.
Garcia was convicted of shooting Markel to death as he stood in the driveway of his home and sentenced to life in prison.
Magbanua testified against Adelson this week. Broward Sheriff’s Office triggerman Sigfredo Garcia was convicted of shooting Markel. Adelson claims he was the victim of an extortion plot.AP
Prosecutors have argued that the Adelson family developed a furious hatred for Markel as his marriage to Wendi deteriorated and they fought over their children.
Wendi’s mother, Donna Adelson, was desperate for her daughter to gain custody of her children and move them from Tallahassee to the Adelsons’ base of operations in Miami.
The dentist said he had no prior knowledge of the hit on Markel and that he was the victim of an extortion plot.
After learning that Markel had been shot to death, Adelson said Magbanua told him that Garcia had shot him to death and demanded payment for doing so.
Magbanua told him that not forking over cash would also endanger his own life, Adelson said on the stand.
“She kept saying this was all her fault and she didn’t know any of this was going to happen,” the dentist said on the stand.
The trial is ongoing.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn