A&E”s new true crime series Killer Investigations airs Thursday at 10 p.m.
“Murder-In-Law,” the premiere episode of A&E’s new true crime series Killer Investigations, airs Thursday at 10 p.m. and examines the decade-long investigation into the murder-for-hire killing of Florida State University law professor Dan Markel.
Featuring new exclusive interviews, the episode reveals how top law enforcement officials uncovered the alleged custody-dispute motive behind the murder. The episode also reveals how authorities secured the arrest and conviction of Markel’s mother-in-law, Donna Adelson, while also highlighting the pivotal role Markel’s brother-in-law played in helping investigators break the case open.
Viewers are taken inside the investigation in “Murder-In-Law,” from the crime scene at Markel’s home, through the arrest and trial of Miami matriarch, Donna Adelson. Prosecutors say Adelson hired two members of the Latin Kings gang to kill Markel over a custody dispute.
In interviews airing for the first time since the verdict, chief prosecutor Georgia Cappleman, as well as lead investigators Craig Isom and Jason Newlin, describe how detectives built the case with the help of a confidential informant, Rob Adelson. The role of Donna Adelson’s oldest son has not previously been discussed outside the courtroom until now.
“Right after the murder his mother called him and said don’t talk to the FBI,” Cappleman says in the episode. “He replied, ‘I already have — why wouldn’t I talk to the FBI?'” Cappleman said Rob Adelson also voiced early suspicions about his own family, telling investigators he believed his brother and mother may have been involved.
Despite being urged by his mother not to cooperate, he chose transparency, Cappleman says. His early actions, she suggests, helped lay the groundwork for unraveling one of the most complex and shocking murder-for-hire cases in recent memory.
Cappleman also examines the dramatic arrest of Donna Adelson on body camera video as she was taken into custody at Miami International Airport while attempting to board a one-way international flight.
“She forced our hand timing-wise,” Cappleman explains, describing the event as a turning point. “We might not have arrested her that day had she not made plans to flee to a non-extradition country.”
Now-retired Tallahassee Police Detective Craig Isom also appears in his first sit-down interview, reflecting on the long road to justice and the suspicious circumstances surrounding Adelson’s attempted departure.
“I mean, you buy a one-way ticket to Vietnam, I’m thinking that’s kind of suspicious,” Isom says. “Justice did prevail.”
Donna Adelson pleaded not guilty to the charges but was convicted of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation at trial. She has since filed an appeal.
About the Series
This new A&E series was written and produced by Emmy and Peabody award-winning journalists Brian Ross and Rhonda Schwartz. Killer Investigations, by Law&Crime Productions, delivers front-row access to the highest profile homicide investigations across the country.
Featuring interviews with law enforcement officials and crime scene evidence, upcoming episodes will examine cases including the murder trial of Brendan Banfield and the family’s au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, who were convicted of conspiring to kill Banfield’s wife, Christine Banfield, and Joseph Ryan.
The premiere episode, Murder-In-Law, airs May 14th at 10 PM ET on A&E. Executive Producers for Law&Crime Productions are Brian Ross & Rhonda Schwartz.
Executive Producers for A&E are Brad Abramson, Michael Gelman and Elaine Frontain-Bryant.
