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Jury finds man guilty in murder of Florida law professor
Read full article: Jury finds man guilty in murder of Florida law professorTALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A jury has found a Florida man guilty of first-degree murder but has deadlocked on a second defendant in the slaying of a Florida State University law professor. Prosecutors are welcoming the murder conviction handed down Friday against Sigfredo Garcia. But it remains unclear if prosecutors will retry their case against Katherine Magbanua, who prosecutors say helped carry out the slaying of professor Dan Markel five years ago. Prosecutors asserted that Garcia was hired to kill Markel, but the jury declined to convict him on a solicitation charge. Magbanua broke down in tears as the jury handed down its verdict for Garcia, the father of her two children.

FSU professor's murder trial in jury's hands
Read full article: FSU professor's murder trial in jury's handsTALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The fates of two people accused of killing an FSU professor are now in the hands of twelve jurors. She goes straight to Charlie Adelson, who goes straight to Katherine Magbanua, who goes straight to Sigfredo Garcia. We are all trusting you to render a wise and legal verdict in this case, Cappleman said. To force her to cooperate, so they could get what they have been going after for years now, the Adelson family, said Attorney Chris DeCoste. The Adelsons have not been charged with any crime, and they deny any involvement in the Markel murder.

Deliberations expected to begin Thursday in FSU professor's murder trial
Read full article: Deliberations expected to begin Thursday in FSU professor's murder trialNo mam, Magbanua replied. "Did you get the father of your two children, Mr. Garcia, to commit a murder on behalf of Mr. Charlie Adelson? Kwass continued. No mam, Magbanua answered. Did Mr. Adelson ever do illicit drugs in front of you? asked Magbanuas second attorney, Chris DeCoste. Isnt it true youve been offered some kind of big payoff if you refuse to cooperate against Charlie Adelson? Cappleman asked.

Defense fires back in FSU professor's murder trial
Read full article: Defense fires back in FSU professor's murder trialHe faced tough questions about whether the law professor's ex-wife's family was involved. asked DeCoste. asked DeCoste. asked DeCoste. The questions, asked by the judge on behalf of the jurors, suggest the jury will also ask tough questions among themselves once they get behind closed doors.

Markel murder trial: Phone calls played in courtroom
Read full article: Markel murder trial: Phone calls played in courtroomThe case had gone cold until an undercover agent slipped one of the suspects a note back in 2016. "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. "You keep telling me you're going to make a phone call," Magbana is heard saying in the recording. They didn't even pick up," Charlie Adelson is heard saying in a wire tap.

Realtor testifies in trial of murdered FSU professor
Read full article: Realtor testifies in trial of murdered FSU professorTALLAHASSEE - Stacks of cash in a safe and paychecks for a job a woman accused of coordinating the murder of an FSU professor didnt have were topics of important testimony Thursday. Convicted murderer turned informant Luis Rivera testified he, Sigfredfo Garcia and Katie Magbanua were paid a $100,000 in cash for killing law professor Dan Markel. Realtor June Umchinda dated Charlie Adelson, the brother of Markels ex-wife, for over a year. Velazquez-Mascara also testified she was asked to keep Magbanuas kids the night before Dan Markel was murdered, but never told their father, Sigfredo Garcia. No member of the Adelson Family has been charged with a crime and the family denies any involvement in the murder of Dan Markel.

Markel murder case: Witness' credibility under fire
Read full article: Markel murder case: Witness' credibility under fireTALLAHASSEE - Defense attorneys for two people charged in the murder of FSU law professor Dan Markel spent Wednesday in court trying to destroy the credibility of the states star witness. They continue to point out the accomplice, Luis Rivera, will spend less than seven years in prison for the murder. Rivera and Sigfredo Garcia, the accused shooter, have been friends for 30 years. Youre wrong, man.This got nothing to do with no Latin Kings. No Latin Kings, Rivera said.

Ex-lover, hitman testify in trial of 2 accused of killing FSU professor
Read full article: Ex-lover, hitman testify in trial of 2 accused of killing FSU professorTALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Tuesday brought explosive testimony in the murder trial of Katherine Magbanua and Sigfredo Garcia, who are accused in the 2013 killing of Florida State University law professor Dan Markel. Taking the stand Tuesday, Lacasse said five days before the law professor was killed, Adelson told him something that made his stomach turn. "She said that Charlie had explored all options to take care of the problem, and that he had looked into having professor Markel killed. "These are her words -- she said, 'Charlie and I went to what he described as a celebration dinner,'" Lacasse said. Katherine Magbanua and Sigfredo Garcia are facing trial on a charge of first-degree murder.

Prosecutors make case as law professor murder-for-hire trial begins
Read full article: Prosecutors make case as law professor murder-for-hire trial beginsTALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Prosecutors built their case Thursday against a man and woman who they say helped carry out a murder-for-hire plot that killed a Florida law professor embroiled in a messy divorce and custody battle. He is expected to testify against Magbanua and Garcia, even as defense attorneys say Rivera's facts can't be trusted. Lawyers for Magbanua and Garcia say their clients are pawns in the government's inability to bring charges against the relatives of Markel's ex-wife, Wendi Adelson. Prosecutors say they pieced together their evidence using cellphone records, bank deposits and other surveillance tools. According to prosecutors, surveillance cameras, including footage collected from city buses, showed Markel being tailed by a light-colored Prius.