LEON COUNTY, Fla. – Donna Adelson, a Miami Beach grandmother accused of being involved in a murder-for-hire plot, appeared in court on Friday in Leon County.
A hired killer fatally shot Dan Merkel, Adelson’s former son-in-law, on July 19, 2014, in the driveway of his Tallahassee home amid a custody dispute.
Adelson, who was arrested at Miami International Airport in 2023, is awaiting trial on Aug. 19 for first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation to commit murder.
Leon County Circuit Judge Stephen Everett ordered Adelson’s defense and prosecutors to file all pre-trial motions by July 21.
Everett also ordered prosecutors to turn over Adelson’s raw communications data to the defense. The last pre-trial hearing is set for Aug. 8.
Adelson’s son, Charlie Adelson, a Fort Lauderdale periodontist, was sentenced to life in prison for plotting the murder with the help of an ex-girlfriend who connected him to the killer.
Donna Adelson’s daughter, Wendi Adelson, a lawyer who isn’t facing any charges, was in a dispute with Merkel about whether or not their two sons should live in Leon or Miami-Dade County.