TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA: Charlie Adelson, a Florida dentist has been convicted of murder after he hired a hitman to fatally shoot his former brother-in-law in 2014.
The victim Dan Markel who is a popular Florida State University professor was in the middle of a custody battle with Adelson's sister when he was killed, reported People.
What are the charges against Charlie Adelson?
A Tallahassee jury convicted Adelson of multiple counts in the death of 41-year-old Markel.
The 47-year-old individual was convicted on multiple charges, including solicitation of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and first-degree murder.
Adelson was convicted three hours after the jury deliberated, reported the Tallahassee Democrat.
Charlie Adelson said 'no' when he heard he was found guilty
Adelson silently mouthed the word "no" upon hearing the verdict "guilty," and subsequently lowered his head onto the defense table, as per People.
According to prosecutors, Adelson's conspiracy to commit murder was carried out on behalf of his younger sister, Wendi Adelson.
Following the divorce of Markel and Wendi, she decided to be closer to her family by moving to Miami with their two children but she was ordered by a judge that she would not be able to move across the state without the consent of her ex-husband.
However, Markel did not want her to move to Miami with their children, according to Tallahassee Democrat.
On July 18, 2014, Markel who was going to the gym after he was returning home from bringing his children to preschool was shot twice in his head at point-blank range.
He was on the phone sitting in his car in the garage of his home in Tallahassee when he was shot.
Markel was promptly taken to a nearby hospital, and he passed away 14 hours later.
Wendi has never been charged in the murder case and has denied any involvement in the killing of her former husband.
Prosecutors stated that Adelson's then-girlfriend Katherine 'Katie' Magbanua helped him in hiring the gunman Sigfredo 'Tuto' Garcia, the father of her children to kill Markel, reported the Associated Press.
The prosecution further argued that Luis 'Tato' Rivera, a longtime friend of Garcia helped him in the shooting.
In 2019, Garcia, who was suspected of shooting Markel drove a rental vehicle to Tallahassee from Miami with Rivera and was convicted.
Garcia faces a life sentence along with 30 years in prison for conspiracy, reported People.
