Shocking moment grandma Donna Adelson is arrested at airport over murder-for-hire killing of ex-son-in-law Dan Markel
Olivia House
Published Aug 27, 2026
A GRANDMOTHER suspected of murder sat in cold silence after she was arrested for the death of her son-in-law, newly released police bodycam footage reveals.
Donna Adelson, 73, is accused of helping her son Charlie plot to murder his sister Wendi Adelson's ex-husband Dan Markel.
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The alleged murder was after a nasty custody battle between Wendi and her ex Markel, the court heard.
In 2014, Markel was granted sole custody of the two preschool-aged children he shared with Wendi before he was gunned down in his Tallahassee, Florida driveway.
After nearly a decade of investigating, prosecutors laid bare a sick scheme that involved six co-conspirators, including Charlie, who acted as the mastermind.
But the Adelsons have maintained their innocence throughout proceedings, even after a court found Charlie guilty of all charges in November.
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Donna was arrested on November 13, moments after detectives listened in to a jailhouse call she had with her son.
In the conversation, she appeared to discuss suicide, saying, "Do I want to go to sleep and not see my son? I do," according to a recording released by ABC News.
She told Charlie, "We'd do it together. Leave a note, they'll know when to come and get us and we'll do it together."
She went on to discuss how she was boarding a one-way flight to Vietnam, which does not have an extradition treaty with the US.
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But seconds before she walked into the jet bridge, the Miami-Dade Police Department caught up with Donna at the Miami International Airport, video obtained by Law & Crime revealed.
When they started to arrest her, she immediately tried to yank away her phone before the arresting officer told her it was now evidence.
Then, Donna started moaning about her husband who was "almost 80 years old" and asked how he could be safely taken home.
"Someone's gotta help him get home. This is terrible," she said while being cuffed as her husband begged the officers to stop.
The 30-minute clip showed Adelson taking a long walk through the halls as travelers looked on with confusion.
It ended with her taking a silent ride in a police car where she sat emotionless before getting out at a station.
SICK CHARGES
Donna bought the plane ticket out of the US one week after her son was found guilty of planning Markel’s shooting death.
She has since been charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation.
On December 12, Charlie was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole or probation.
Donna is accused of plotting to take out Markel to have Wendi and her children relocate to Tallahassee.
She was desperate to have her grandsons and daughter closer to home, prosecutors said in court.
The grandmother was the fifth person arrested in the murder of Markel, who was a Florida State University law professor.
During Charlie's trial, prosecutors said he and his girlfriend at the time, Katherine Magbanua, contracted the killers to shoot his brother-in-law.
The gunmen were identified as Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera.
Garcia, who drove the getaway car, entered a plea deal in 2016 and was sentenced to 19 years in prison.
He went on to testify against Garcia, who fired the deadly shots, and Magbanua.
Garcia and Magbanua are currently serving life sentences.
MENTAL HEALTH FEARS
Donna's mental state has been a main topic of discussion in pre-trial hearings.
She's looked frail in court as prosecutors and the defense argued whether she should be taken off suicide watch.
Adelson's team argued that her solitary confinement hindered her ability to be counseled and that she needed improved treatment before she could prepare for trial.
Meanwhile, the prosecution brought up her apparent suicide plan that was captured in the phone call with her son.
The decision was left with the sheriff's office after the judge said the jail was outside of his control due to the separation of powers.
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Last week, Adelson hired new lawyers - her son's lead attorney Daniel Rashbaum and well-known criminal defense lawyer Alex Morris, court documents reveal.
A case management conference was scheduled for last Tuesday, but severe weather caused it to be pushed back to January 30.
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