TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – More than four dozen tapes of recorded phone calls were played Monday in the trial of two people accused of murdering a Florida State University law professor for money.
The case had gone cold until an undercover agent slipped one of the suspects a note back in 2016.
In April of 2016, the murder of FSU law professor Dan Markel was almost 2 years old.
Sgt. Chris Corbett with the Tallahassee Police Department testified in court the theory behind the case is that Markel's ex-wife's family coordinated the hit.
The plan, called ‘the bump,' was to have an undercover FBI agent hand Markel's ex-mother-in-law a note asking for money to help suspect Luis Rivera who was already in jail on drug charges.
"Just want to make sure you take care of what he is going through the way you're taking care of Katie," said the FBI agent in a video of the exchange.
"I think a few minutes after arriving to her condo she calls Charlie Adelson," said FBI agent Paul Standford.
Charlie Adelson called Katherine Magbanua, the woman charged as being the point person between the hitmen and whoever called for Markel to be murdered.
"Ninety-nine percent sure when I was talking to her she said it's mentioned. Your name," Charlie Adelson told Magbanua in the wire tap recording.
The next day, Charlie Adelson met with his mother.
"They were very cautious, looking around a lot. They were leaning in close to each other, talking very low," Sandford said.
Eventually, Katherine Magbanua called Sigfredo Garcia, who is accused of pulling the trigger in the murder.
"You keep telling me you're going to make a phone call," Magbana is heard saying in the recording.
"I'm making that [expletive] phone call. I'm going to take care of this [expletive] problem," Garcia is heard responding.
Eventually, the undercover number attached to the note given to the Adelsons was called.
"The number was called. They didn't even pick up," Charlie Adelson is heard saying in a wire tap.
In a later call, Charlie Adelson is heard reassuring his mother.
"This fishing is all that's going on, and I wouldn't worry about it at all," Charlie Adelson is heard saying in the audio recording.
The two defendants are expected to present their witnesses all day Tuesday. The jury is expected to get the case on Wednesday.