A Florida dentist convicted of orchestrating the murder of his former brother-in-law, a prominent Florida State professor, will spend the rest of his life in prison, a judge ruled Tuesday.
A haggard-looking Charlie Adelson, 47, was sentenced to life in prison after he was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation last month in the 2014 shooting death of Dan Markel.
Before he was hit with the rap for life in prison, he once again insisted on his innocence.
“I just want to say that I remain innocent,” a stoic Adelson told the judge.
Adelson, who was clean-shaven during the trial, wore salt and pepper as he appeared emotionless and resigned to the subsequent prison sentence, according to recordings and images of his appearance in court Tuesday.
The victim’s father, Phil Markel, slammed Adelson, whose sister was married to the slain professor.
Charlie Adelson is cross-examined by Assistant State Attorney Georgia Cappleman during his trial for Dan Markel’s murder. AP A Florida dentist accused of masterminding the slaying of his law professor brother-in-law nervously denied any role in the crime at his trial in Tallahassee on Thursday. FSU College of Law
He told the court he and his family had “suffered terribly,” noting he no longer had contact with his grandchildren, who were just 3 and 4 years old when their father was killed.
The children’s mother, Wendi Adelson, shared custody of the two boys with Dan Markel after their divorce. She wanted to move from Tallahassee to South Florida, but Markel refused to let her take the children long before her death.
He was not charged in the case and denied any involvement.
Florida dentist Charlie Adelson received a life sentence in the death of his former brother-in-law, a prominent professor. WCTV’s Charlie Adelson looks at the jury as his defense attorney presents closing arguments. AP
Prosecutors argued that Adelson had his girlfriend hire the father of her two children, Sigfredo Garcia, to shoot Markel. Garcia enlisted the help of friend Luis Rivera to help carry out the crime.
Adelson’s best friend, Katherine Magbanua, and Garcia are serving life sentences for the murder, and Rivera got 19 years for testifying against the pair.
Prosecutors presented wiretaps and secretly recorded conversations involving Adelson during the eight-day trial.
Adelson claimed when he testified that he was the victim of blackmail and did not orchestrate the murder, although he admitted he joked about hiring a hitman to kill Markel.
In another curveball, Donna Adelson, the 73-year-old matriarch of the Adelson family, was arrested last month at Miami International Airport on charges of orchestrating Markel’s murder.
She and her husband will hop on a flight to Dubai and Vietnam, neither of which has an extradition treaty with the US.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
