The Florida dentist convicted of organizing the murder of his former brother-in-law, who was a well-known Florida State professor, will spend the rest of his life in prison, a judge ruled Tuesday.
Gaunt-looking Charlie Adelson, 47, was sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted last month of first-degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation in the 2014 shooting death of Dan Markel.
Before he was sentenced to life in prison, he once again insisted that he was innocent.
“I would just like to say that I maintain my innocence,” a stoic Adelson told the judge.
Adelson, who was clean-shaven during the trial, sported gray hair as he appeared impassive and waived the ensuing prison sentence, according to footage and images of his court appearance Tuesday.
The victim’s father, Phil Markel, harshly criticized Adelson, whose sister was married to the murdered professor.
Charlie Adelson is questioned by Assistant State’s Attorney Georgia Cappleman during his trial for the murder of Dan Markel. AP A Florida dentist accused of orchestrating the murder of his brother-in-law, a law professor, nervously denied any involvement in the crime Thursday during his trial in Tallahassee. FSU College of Law
He told the court that he and his family had “suffered tremendously,” and noted that he no longer has a relationship with his grandchildren, who were only 3 and 4 years old when their father was murdered.
The children’s mother, Wendi Adelson, shared custody of the two children with Dan Markel after their divorce. She wanted to move from Tallahassee to South Florida, but Markel refused to allow her to take the children that far before her death.
She has not been charged in the case and has denied any involvement.
Florida dentist Charlie Adelson is sentenced to life in prison for the death of his former brother-in-law, a prominent professor. WCTV Charlie Adelson looks at the jurors as his defense attorney presents his closing arguments. AP
Prosecutors argued that Adelson had his girlfriend hire the father of her two children, Sigfredo Garcia, to shoot Markel to death. García had the help of his friend Luis Rivera to help carry out the crime.
Adelson’s friend Katherine Magbanua and Garcia are serving life sentences for the murder, and Rivera received a 19-year sentence for testifying against the couple.
Prosecutors presented wiretaps and secretly recorded conversations implicating Adelson during the eight-day trial.
Adelson claimed when he testified that he was a victim of extortion and that he did not orchestrate the murder plot, even as he admitted that he joked about hiring a hitman to kill Markel.
In another twist, Donna Adelson, the 73-year-old matriarch of the Adelson family, was arrested last month at Miami International Airport on charges of arranging Markel’s murder.
She and her husband were about to take a flight to Dubai and Vietnam, neither of which had extradition treaties with the United States.
With postal cables
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Source: vtt.edu.vn