"My Mom Washed the Money” — Donna Adelson Directly Tied to Murder Plot
My Mom Washed the Money” — Donna Adelson Directly Tied to Murder Plot The Donna Adelson trial has taken a dramatic turn — and the testimony laid out in court may be the most damning evidence yet against the Adelson family matriarch. For years, prosecutors have painted Donna as the controlling force behind the plot to murder Dan Markel, her former son-in-law. But now, through sworn testimony and financial records, the paper trail and personal involvement are finally in full view for the jury. Former girlfriend of Charlie Adelson, Katherine Magbanua, testified that every time she and Charlie discussed “the job” — hiring someone to kill Markel — Charlie would suddenly step away to call his mother, Donna, before returning to push her harder. She said this happened repeatedly. Donna wasn’t a background character — she was being consulted in real time. Magbanua also revealed that Charlie told her the murder was meant to “relieve his family’s suffering,” specifically pointing to his parents, Donna and Harvey Adelson. That testimony directly tied Donna’s own emotions and pressure into the motive. Perhaps most shocking — Magbanua described receiving a damp, molding payout in cash. When she asked Charlie about it, he told her: “My mom washed the money.” This directly links Donna to handling the proceeds of the crime. And then came the forensic accounting. Expert witness Mary Hull testified that Katherine Magbanua was placed on the Adelson Institute payroll after the murder — and that every single one of the 44 paychecks she received was signed by Donna Adelson. The payments stopped abruptly after the infamous FBI “bump,” when undercover agents confronted Donna in 2016. This isn’t speculation. This is testimony, records, and signatures — all pointing toward Donna Adelson’s deep involvement in planning, paying for, and covering up the murder of Dan Markel. Was Donna Adelson the true mastermind behind the crime? Or was she just another player in a toxic, criminally enmeshed family? The jury will decide — but the evidence is stacking up against her. Hashtags #DonnaAdelson #DanMarkel #AdelsonTrial #TrueCrime #CourtTV #MurderTrial #JusticeForDan #HiddenKillers #TrueCrimeCommunity #TrialCoverage Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872
28 Aug 33min
Donna Adelson Trial: Undercover Agent “Sammy” Details Sting Operation to Provoke Donna’s Reaction
Donna Adelson Trial: Undercover Agent “Sammy” Details Sting Operation to Provoke Donna’s Reaction The Trial of Donna Adelson took a tense turn as undercover FBI agent “Sammy” testified about his role in the bold operation known as “the bump.” Disguised as a gang member with supposed ties to the Latin Kings, Sammy approached Donna Adelson in a parking lot, handing her a note and suggesting that some people involved had already been “taken care of” while others had not. The goal was clear: rattle Donna enough to trigger a telling response—and it worked. Sammy explained to jurors how the sting was carefully orchestrated. While he delivered the message face-to-face, agents were already monitoring wiretaps on the Adelson family’s phones. Almost instantly after the encounter, Donna picked up her phone and dialed her son Charlie Adelson. That call, intercepted and recorded, became a centerpiece of the prosecution’s case. Jurors heard Donna’s own words in conversations with Charlie, including coded remarks that prosecutors argue reveal the depth of her involvement. This testimony pulled back the curtain on how undercover tactics and surveillance combined to build a case that prosecutors say shows Donna as a key player—not just an anxious mother. Sammy emphasized that this wasn’t a chance meeting; it was a deliberate move to shake loose the truth and confirm suspicions investigators already had. Why does this matter? Because the jury didn’t just hear secondhand accusations—they heard Donna’s own immediate reaction under pressure. Rather than distancing herself or seeking help, she called Charlie, the very person prosecutors say worked hand-in-hand with her to arrange Dan Markel’s murder. For the state, Sammy’s account of the bump—and the recordings it triggered—may be some of the most compelling evidence yet that Donna was at the center of the conspiracy. #DonnaAdelsonTrial #UndercoverAgent #TheBump #FBI #DonnaAdelson #CharlieAdelson #DanMarkel #TrueCrime #CourtroomDrama #FloridaTrial Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872
28 Aug 18min
Donna Adelson Trial: Detective Maps July 18th Phone Calls Before Dan Markel’s Murder
Donna Adelson Trial: Detective Maps July 18th Phone Calls Before Dan Markel’s Murder The jury in the Trial of Donna Adelson was riveted today as Tallahassee Police Sergeant Christopher Corbitt traced the timeline of phone calls on July 18, 2014—the very morning Dan Markel was shot in his driveway. This wasn’t just a list of calls. It was a carefully woven narrative of how the alleged conspiracy operated in real time, connecting the hitmen, Katherine Magbanua, Charlie Adelson, and ultimately Donna Adelson herself. Corbitt walked the jury through the early-morning hours, showing how Magbanua and Charlie Adelson exchanged a flurry of calls while the hitmen’s phones pinged near their Tallahassee motel. At 1:02 a.m., Charlie called his mother, Donna, pulling her directly into the communications chain just hours before the murder. By mid-morning, calls bounced between Donna, Wendi, and Charlie, with Wendi speaking to both her brother and her mother minutes before Markel was due to arrive home. Then came the chilling detail: at 11:22 a.m., barely 30 minutes after Markel was shot, Charlie Adelson placed a 7-minute call to Donna. Prosecutors argue this wasn’t coincidence—it was coordination, a family scrambling in the aftermath of a hit they helped arrange. Why does this matter? Because phone records don’t forget, and they don’t get confused on the stand. These logs provide jurors with a roadmap of connection—showing not only who called whom, but when and how often. Combined with other testimony, this timeline suggests the Adelsons weren’t just worried relatives but active participants in orchestrating and managing the murder-for-hire plot. For the prosecution, Corbitt’s testimony is about more than phone numbers. It’s about establishing a pattern of conspiracy—a trail of calls that prosecutors say leads straight back to Donna Adelson. #DonnaAdelsonTrial #ChristopherCorbitt #DanMarkel #CharlieAdelson #DonnaAdelson #KatherineMagbanua #TrueCrime #FloridaTrial #CourtroomDrama #JusticeForDan Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872
27 Aug 25min
Donna Adelson Trial: Sgt. Christopher Corbitt Reveals Wiretap Calls & Coded Messages
Donna Adelson Trial: Sgt. Christopher Corbitt Reveals Wiretap Calls & Coded Messages The jury in the Trial of Donna Adelson heard pivotal testimony today from Tallahassee Police Sgt. Christopher Corbitt, who meticulously walked them through intercepted calls, text records, and cell tower data. His work formed the backbone of the state’s investigation into the murder-for-hire plot that claimed the life of Dan Markel. Corbitt explained how investigators tracked patterns of communication between Donna Adelson, her son Charlie Adelson, and Katherine Magbanua, using mirrored phones and wiretaps to capture conversations. Jurors saw firsthand how the family’s phone traffic spiked around critical moments—such as the hitmen’s trips to Tallahassee and the undercover “bump” staged against Donna in 2016. One of the most striking moments came when Corbitt highlighted Donna’s first call after the bump: she dialed Charlie immediately. The prosecution argued that this reflexive move showed Donna’s awareness of the conspiracy. Jurors also reviewed a coded exchange in which Donna sent Charlie a message about a “birthday present,” with prosecutors alleging it was code for payments tied to the murder. Why does this testimony matter? Because it strips away speculation and lays out a digital trail. Corbitt’s evidence connects Donna’s behavior to specific points in the conspiracy timeline, offering jurors objective proof that her actions weren’t coincidence. For prosecutors, this testimony is a chance to show that Donna wasn’t a bystander—she was an active communicator whose calls and texts tie her directly into the planning and cover-up. #DonnaAdelsonTrial #ChristopherCorbitt #WiretapEvidence #DanMarkel #CharlieAdelson #KatherineMagbanua #CourtroomDrama #TrueCrime #FloridaTrial #JusticeForDan Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872
27 Aug 55min
