Donna Adelson Trial | First Responder Sgt. David Sims Describes Dan Markel’s Final Moments
Donna Adelson Trial | First Responder Sgt. David Sims Describes Dan Markel’s Final Moments In this intense courtroom clip, Retired Sergeant David Sims—one of the first law enforcement officers on the scene—recalls discovering Dan Markel moments after he was shot in his garage. Sims’s testimony transports us directly to the chilling reality of July 18, 2014, when a neighbor’s 911 call brought him rushing to the crime scene. On the stand, Sims describes Markel’s physical state with unsettling clarity. He found the wounded professor still alive, making a barely audible “sucking sound,” clutching a cell phone in his left hand and a business card in his right. Sims noted the broken driver’s-side window; he carefully approached the vehicle, turned off the engine, and tried to stabilize Markel—but the victim never regained consciousness. These details, delivered in calm, measured tones, immediately underscore the abrupt, brutal nature of the attack. Why does this matter? Sgt. Sims’s testimony anchors the case in a human tragedy rather than an abstract conspiracy. His firsthand account provides the jury—and viewers—with a visceral, in‑the‑moment glimpse of the victim’s suffering. It confirms that this wasn’t just a planned hit in the parking lot—it was a violent intrusion into a family’s sacred space. This footage is essential viewing for anyone following this high‑profile case. It underlines the gravity of the crime and ensures that Dan Markel isn’t lost amidst legal maneuvers and motive theories. Every investigation needs that human anchor; here, it is Sgt. Sims. #DonnaAdelsonTrial #DavidSimsTestimony #DanMarkelMurder #FirstResponder #CrimeSceneTestimony #TrueCrimeCourtroom #RawCourtVideo #TallahasseePD #MurderInvestigation #CourtroomFootage 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
23 Aug 6min
Donna Adelson Trial-Neighbor James Geiger Describes Discovering Dan Markel Shot in Car
Donna Adelson Trial-Neighbor James Geiger Describes Discovering Dan Markel Shot in Car This emotional moment from Donna Adelson’s murder trial captures the heart of the case—the moment Dan Markel was found clinging to life. Witness James Geiger, Markel’s neighbor in the upscale Betton Hills neighborhood of Tallahassee, recalls the harrowing discovery in raw detail. Geiger testifies that he heard a loud popping noise on the morning of the murder and then noticed a light-colored car speeding away. Moments later, he found Markel still alive but gravely wounded in his car, blood pooling beneath his head and his body moving erratically. “He was rolling from side to side,” Geiger tells the courtroom, his voice subdued but steady. This testimony grounds the case in reality. It’s not about dental offices, money trails, or covert phone calls—this is the moment a father of two was gunned down in his driveway, and a neighbor came face to face with the aftermath. It’s personal. It’s horrifying. And it paints a human face on a conspiracy that prosecutors say reached from South Florida all the way to this quiet street. Geiger’s account also bolsters the state’s timeline, fitting neatly between surveillance footage and Rivera’s testimony. He may not be a forensic expert or insider, but he is the case’s first civilian witness—and the first person to try to help. This is one of the most emotionally raw pieces of testimony in the trial so far. Don’t miss it. #JamesGeigerTestimony #DonnaAdelsonTrial #DanMarkelNeighbor #MurderWitness #TrueCrimeTallahassee #MarkelShooting #TrialVideoFootage #CourtroomTestimony #CrimeSceneEyewitness #AdelsonTrialWitness 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
23 Aug 16min
Donna Adelson Trial-Defense Opening Statement: ‘Only Theory, No Evidence’ -Adelson’s Lawyer Fights Back
Donna Adelson Trial-Defense Opening Statement: ‘Only Theory, No Evidence’ -Adelson’s Lawyer Fights Back In a powerful counterpunch to the prosecution, Donna Adelson’s defense attorney, Jackie Fulford, tells the jury: “You heard a lot about what other people did… but not a single piece of evidence shows Donna planned or intended this. Donna is just a grandmother, not a crime boss. Fulford begins by honoring Dan Markel’s legacy—he was “very well respected” and loved by his peers. She asks jurors to remember the human at the center of all the headlines. Then she frames her client: a 64-year-old woman, “kind,” “normal,” and dedicated to keeping her grandchildren connected—even after the family relational rifts. The defense admits the murder was “outrageous in its cruelty,” but draws a red line between motive and proof: motive alone doesn’t equal guilt. Fulford pushes back on the “headline‑grabbing” narrative, cautioning that the prosecution’s storycast Donna atop a pyramid built on speculation. “Without evidence—only motive and theory—they put her at the top of this pyramid,” Fulford asserts. She brings a poignant, humanizing plea to jurors: “Why would this woman want to take away the father of her grandchildren?” The tone is calm, measured, and rooted in doubt—not emotion. This opening matters because it introduces the trial’s central tension: proof vs. portrayal, fact vs. fiction. Whereas the prosecution constructs a drama of conspiracy, Fulford wants to collapse it into questions: Where’s the evidence? What ties does Donna actually have to the crime? This segment provides a window into the skepticism the defense expects jurors to bring to the state's case. #DonnaAdelsonTrial #DefenseOpening #ReasonableDoubt #NoEvidence #FamilyMatters #TrueCrimeCourtroom #TrialByJury #LegalDefense #CustodyCase #DonnaIsNotAMastermind 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
23 Aug 21min
Donna Adelson Trial-State Opens With Shocking Murder-for-Hire Claims Against Matriarch "Mastermind"
Donna Adelson Trial-State Opens With Shocking Murder-for-Hire Claims Against Matriarch "Mastermind" Dive into the opening statement in the Donna Adelson trial where the State paints a chilling portrait: a controlling, relentless matriarch who allegedly conspired to kill her ex–son‑in‑law, Dan Markel. In front of the jury, Assistant State Attorney Sarah Kathryn Dugan didn’t mince words—Donna, she said, was “part of a conspiracy to hire a hitman” in a plot rooted in a bitter custody battle and a longing to relocate her daughter and grandkids to South Florida. Dugan walked jurors through the family's inner workings—from emails revealing Donna’s involvement, to allegations she “hated” Dan, to claims she managed details, payroll, and even payroll arrangements for Katherine Magbanua, the go‑between who connected the Adelsons to the hitmen. She emphasized Donna’s dominance in the family: “She was extremely controlling… she ran the office, the home and the lives of the Adelson family members.” Wiretaps, coded phone calls, and financial records were promised to underscore the prosecution’s theory of motive and execution. If you want the full strategy, emotion, and shadow of motive defined, this is your must-see moment. #DonnaAdelsonTrial #ProsecutionOpening #MurderForHire #MatriarchMastermind #DanMarkelMurder #TrueCrimeCourtroom #CustodyBattle #FloridaTrial #WiretapEvidence #DonnaDidIt 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
23 Aug 1h 6min
