A Tallahassee jury may soon decide the fate of two people accused of murdering Florida State University law professor Dan Markel in 2014.
Prosecutors on Tuesday wrapped up their case against Sigfredo Garcia and Katherine Magbanua after eight days of testimony. Deputy Assistant State Attorney Georgia Cappleman laid out the prosecution's case, alleging Garcia shot Markel in his driveway and Magbanua helped set up the murder-for-hire.
The jury heard testimony from Tallahassee police and FBI agents who investigated the murder, Markel's ex-wife Wendi Adelson, and Luis Rivera, a leader of the Latin Kings gang in Miami who in 2016 pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Markel's death and implicated Garcia and Magbanua.
They also saw evidence of extensive phone calls between Magbanua, Garcia and Wendi's brother Charlie Adelson, whom prosecutors believe conspired in the murder, around the time of Markel's slaying plus excerpts of phone calls investigators obtained through wiretaps. Cell phone records placed Garcia and Rivera in Tallahassee around the time of the murder.
Rivera's testimony that he and Garcia traveled from Miami to Tallahassee to kill Markel so that Wendi Adelson could relocate to South Florida with the couple's two children is central to the state's case, and he spent more than a day on the stand.
On cross-examination, defense attorneys focused on Rivera's longtime gang ties, apparent inconsistencies in statements to investigators and his seven-year sentence for cooperating with the prosecution. Rivera was already serving a 12-year federal racketeering sentence when he was charged in Markel's murder.
Garcia's defense attorney, Saam Zangeneh of Miami, cited Rivera's lack of credibility in asking Leon Circuit Judge James Hankinson to acquit his client after the state rested. Tara Kawass of Miami, who is representing Magbanua, also argued for a directed verdict, saying the evidence against her client was entirely circumstantial. Hankinson denied both requests.
The jury did not hear testimony from either Charlie Adelson or Donna Adelson, the mother of Wendi Adelson, who was divorced from Markel in 2013. Prosecutors believe that Charlie and Donna Adelson hired Garcia and Rivera to kill Markel to enable to Wendi Adelson to move to South Florida, where her family runs a dental clinic.
No members of the Adelson family have been charged in Markel's death, and Charlie and Donna Adelson have repeatedly denied any involvement.
Prosecutors do not believe Wendi Adelson was involved. She testified Sept. 27 that Charlie Adelson told her he had looked into hiring a hit man to kill Markel but said the comment was a joke. Magbanua is a former girlfriend of Charlie Adelson and the mother of Garcia's children. Prosecutors say she served as the go-between for the Adelsons and the accused hit men.
Garcia's defense called a Florida Highway Patrol trooper and a computer forensics expert, but Garcia declined to take the stand before his attorney rested its case.
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