TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Donna Adelson's trial is scheduled for Tuesday, and friends of the late-FSU law professor Dan Markel are reflecting on his legacy and what justice means 11 years after his death.
- Prosecutors believe Donna Adelson is the mastermind behind the murder-for-hire case that killed Florida State University Law Professor Dan Markel in 2014.
- This marks the fifth trial in the case. So far, four people involved have been found guilty, including Adelson's son Charlie Adelson.
- Watch the video to see how Markel's friends feel about the upcoming trial.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
“Danny was a great guy, a brilliant attorney, a well-known and well-liked professor…never missed an opportunity to say hello to someone and just an all-around great guy,” Co-director of Justice for Dan Markel Jared Ross said.
For 11 years, Ross has watched the Dan Markel case unfold from arrests to trials
As a lawyer, it’s a process he understands.
But the grief from losing his friend doesn’t fade.
“It's very surreal, and I don't think that feeling will ever go away, no matter how much time passes,” he said.
Markel, a law professor at Florida State University, was shot and killed at his home in 2014.
Now, the next chapter in the murder-for-hire case is about to play out in court.
Donna Adelson, Markel’s ex mother-in-law, going to trial Tuesday – charged with first degree murder, solicitation of murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
“The first thought is it's a long time coming,” Ross said.
Jared says the trial is a chance for justice.
“What does justice look like for you?” ABC 27’s Brieanna Smith asked.
“That's a really good question. I think justice is making sure that everybody is held accountable for what happened in this case… and then making sure that his kids know who he was and what his legacy was,” Ross said.
Ross says the Justice for Dan Markel organization won’t have a role in the trial to allow the family of Dan Markel to be at peace.
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