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last yr.

Florida Dentist Testifies in Murder Trial, Claims Extortion Not Murder-for-Hire Plot in FSU Professor's Killing

Accused Periodontist Charlie Adelson alleges ex-girlfriend's plot to extort $300,000 in trial over murder-for-hire allegations in the death of prominent FSU law professor, Dan Markel; prosecution continues to assert Adelson's guilt with additional testimonies to be heard.

Overview

  • Charlie Adelson, a Florida dentist, is testifying in a high-profile murder-for-hire trial regarding the death of Dan Markel, an FSU law professor, killed in 2014.
  • Adelson alleges that his ex-girlfriend Katherine Magbanua attempted to extort him for $300,000, threatening his life if he didn't pay within 48 hours.
  • The prosecution maintains that Adelson hired Sigfredo Garcia, father of his ex-girlfriend's children and her supposed accomplice, to kill Markel amid a contentious custody battle between Markel and Adelson's sister Wendi. Magbanua and Garcia have been convicted of first-degree murder.
  • Adelson told jurors that he gave Magbanua $138,000 in cash upfront and agreed to pay $3,000 monthly thereafter. He suspects she was seeking to protect him from Garcia, not participate in the extortion.
  • In a previous joke, Adelson admits to mentioning the hiring of a hitman to his sister during her custody battle with Markel but claims his remarks were in jest and misconstrued.