GUILTY FL - Dan Markel, 41, FSU law professor, Tallahassee, 18 July 2014 - #4 *Arrests*

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I agree. There are many reasons why I found Rivera's testimony credible, this being one of them. There is really no benefit to him falsely implicating WA. His plea deal was established - 19 yrs, concurrent, for truthful testimony. Mainly, the state needed him to confirm that he and Garcia were indeed hired, that Garcia was the shooter, and that Magbanua was the conduit. He wasn't needed or expected to implicate the family. He knew so little about who hired them, and he has obviously been oblivious to the media coverage. I just don't see how or why he would have made the Wendi sighting up. If anything, I think there is a small chance he or Garcia could have been mistaken. But I doubt it.

rbbm.
The defense might say that SG was drunk, drugged up, ect. and paranoid that " the lady " was WA, or even DA, when it might have just been a stranger looking at him ...
But then, how to explain the phone call with KM about the "lady" sighting, would that part be made up too?!
imo, speculation.
 
I can't see how LR would benefit from saying that he saw Wendi, when lying about it could jeopardize his deal. This info could be corroborated by SG and KM or not, or cell phone pings. Part 2 of the 20/20 investigation mentions that CA, DA and HA were all far away from Tallahassee on the day of the murder, so 'the lady' could only be Wendi, if LR is being truthful. Does anyone recall if LR mentioned seeing her during the first attempt?
 
I can't see how LR would benefit from saying that he saw Wendi, when lying about it could jeopardize his deal. This info could be corroborated by SG and KM or not, or cell phone pings. Part 2 of the 20/20 investigation mentions that CA, DA and HA were all far away from Tallahassee on the day of the murder, so 'the lady' could only be Wendi, if LR is being truthful. Does anyone recall if LR mentioned seeing her during the first attempt?

Agree. But if Wendi did see them in the Prius the day before and didn't say anything the next day during her 5 hour interview; Then something is wrong.
 
I can't see how LR would benefit from saying that he saw Wendi, when lying about it could jeopardize his deal. This info could be corroborated by SG and KM or not, or cell phone pings. Part 2 of the 20/20 investigation mentions that CA, DA and HA were all far away from Tallahassee on the day of the murder, so 'the lady' could only be Wendi, if LR is being truthful. Does anyone recall if LR mentioned seeing her during the first attempt?
Or not someone they are connected to at all. Maybe just a passerby who was wondering who they were in their neighborhood. A lot of folks keep an eye out for strangers if it is not that common of an occurrence. That said, I would bet that SG knew what WA looked like and who he was identifying.
 
Of course, it could be a completely random lady, but LR probably wouldn't have mentioned her to LE if SG and KM hadn't confirmed her identity and she really was just some looky-loo.
 
IMO - i don't think any of the Adelsons ever met with SG (nor LR by his own admission). even if they are the alleged masterminds there was no reason for them to meet the hitmen and there was way to much risk and they recognized this and wanted to keep their hands as clean as possible hence using KM as a conduit for all communications and alleged money transfers. there's not one piece of electronic surveillance of a communication between an Adelson and SG (or LR). but there are many hundreds with KM as the conduit in the back and forth which demonstrates that that's what their method of operations was - "always communicate through KM" - and they naively believed that one silly degree of separation alone would keep them safe - this was one rule they always seemed to follow. so i doubt that any of the Adelsons would ever meet with SG/LR. i think LR is genuinely mis-remembering some of the tertiary events from 2+ years ago and/or SG and KM were both simply blowing smoke up his azz telling him "it's OK she's (Princess) supposed to be here" just to calm him down and keep him from panicking. in the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter because IF guilty - the LR domino knocks down the KM domino and the KM domino knocks down the CA and DA domino (and maybe WA and HA). KM holds the keys to the chains that will lock up all of the alleged masterminds. LR's third hand recollections are interesting but not legally powerful IMO.
 
IMO - i don't think any of the Adelsons ever met with SG (nor LR by his own admission). even if they are the alleged masterminds there was no reason for them to meet the hitmen and there was way to much risk and they recognized this and wanted to keep their hands as clean as possible hence using KM as a conduit for all communications and alleged money transfers. there's not one piece of electronic surveillance of a communication between an Adelson and SG (or LR). but there are many hundreds with KM as the conduit in the back and forth which demonstrates that that's what their method of operations was - "always communicate through KM" - and they naively believed that one silly degree of separation alone would keep them safe - this was one rule they always seemed to follow. so i doubt that any of the Adelsons would ever meet with SG/LR. i think LR is genuinely mis-remembering some of the tertiary events from 2+ years ago and/or SG and KM were both simply blowing smoke up his azz telling him "it's OK she's (Princess) supposed to be here" just to calm him down and keep him from panicking. in the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter because IF guilty - the LR domino knocks down the KM domino and the KM domino knocks down the CA and DA domino (and maybe WA and HA). KM holds the keys to the chains that will lock up all of the alleged masterminds. LR's third hand recollections are interesting but not legally powerful IMO.

But why did Garcia call Father Harveys phone if Brother Charlie was keeping things so incognito and distanced himself.

So that is one direct connection right there.

Plus Charlie gave Garcia a gopro for his birthday.

BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW EACH OTHER?

I don't think so.
 
But why did Garcia call Father Harveys phone if Brother Charlie was keeping things so incognito and distanced himself.

So that is one direct connection right there.

Plus Charlie gave Garcia a gopro for his birthday.

BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW EACH OTHER?

I don't think so.

1. those 1-2 calls were never complete. all went to voicemail. and i bet that phone was not HA's primary phone - it was just in his name and was a secondary phone that both CA and DA used - maybe a secondary cell phone for the business that they all shared. kind of like all of the cars - all of them used by the family yet they are all in HA's name. if you read the complaint it simply says the phone was in HA's name - it's not clear it was his primary phone. SO i think CA might've used this phone (maybe from the office) in the past to contact KM (maybe as a disguise) and KM called back. and the other time KM might've used SG's phone (remember they lived together - spouses often use each other's phone - battery dead, lost, availability, kids playing with it, etc.) to contact that phone before both of them realized that this is not really a burner phone and not really safe - hence there were only 1-2 calls - all went to voicemail and contact between those phones was discontinued after that.
2. as far as the Go Pro - that IMO was a token gift that was given to SG by CA via KM as the conduit just to keep SG happy. SG probably heard about the extras that KM was getting and he was grumbling to KM who communicated that to CA and hence CA got him the Go Pro to throw a few extra crumbs to keep him happy (in addition to the main $$$$$$$). but i don't believe they ever met during the plot or after the hit IF they are guilty.

*Disclaimer - All of this is just my opinion and speculation based on the arrest warrants, evidence, and testimony. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
 
This GMA video to announce Katie's arrest is hilarious. I am particular referring to the end assessment Dan Abrams (chief legal affairs anchor for ABC News) gave to Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos at 3:00. Dan Abraham's face at 4:45 is priceless. He looks utterly defeated by the failed attempt to explain clearly.

Goes to show how convoluted and complex this case is!
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/wom...orida-state-university-law-professor-42525785


Looking forward to news from SG's court appearance tomorrow.
 
Rivera's docket was stated as CLOSED after sentencing. Now it is open with 3 additional filings on Thursday. What does this mean? Reopen post-conviction doesn't sound good.

All 10/13:
MOTION MOTION FOR ADDITIONAL TO INCUR COSTS FOR MITIGATION SPECIALIST[/TD]
REOPEN POST CONVICTION - OTHER E-FILED MOTION[/TD]
JUDGE ASSIGNED DIV-A JUDGE HANKINSON JAMES C JUDGE ID-55[/TD]
 
Did LR actually ‘see’ WA walking with the kids near Dan’s home on the day before the murder?

WA’s cell phone pings during the timeframe of the ‘encounter’ should provide a clear answer.

LE has probably already figured this out during the past two weeks since LR’s confession interview.

It seems peculiar to me that WA would have been walking the kids on Trescott Drive in the Betton Hills neighborhood, her ‘old’ neighborhood. Her house at Aqua Ridge Way seems ‘safer’ for walking with the kids, cul-de-sac, less traffic.

With the contentious nature of their divorce, I would think the regular periodic transfer of custody from one parent to the other parent would be quick and neutral, without any warm and fuzzy walk in the neighborhood. Perhaps the boys asked their mom for a walk in that neighborhood that day. It seems strange that WA would offer a ‘walk’ with her sons for a chance glimpse of the two people hired to murder her children’s father.

LR’s description of he and SG driving around the morning before the murder seems so haphazard. *IF* LR and SG saw WA with the kids near Dan’s home while “doing a morning scan”, it seems LR might have also seen an unfamiliar car parked in Dan’s driveway (WA’s car). LR already knew Dan’s car was a black sedan they had been following. But LR didn’t mention a different car being in the driveway. If WA was walking with the kids, where was her car?

I think KM’s alleged phone response to SG (overheard by LR) about seeing WA - "to make sure that he was up here, to make sure he wasn't lying, that she was just paying him for nothing" - was just KM’s way to be agreeable with SG and to keep SG and LR calm. If KM actually said what LR alleges, I don’t think it provides any certainty that WA was in the area.

http://www.tallahassee.com/story/ne...sighting-could-implicate-markels-ex/91895676/
[…] Luis Rivera . . .said he and co-defendant Sigfredo Garcia drove past Adelson the day before the murder.
The men were doing a morning scan of the Florida State law professor's Trescott Drive home as Adelson was walking with the couple's two young sons. Rivera said Garcia easily identified Adelson as the wife of the man they were told to kill.
Rivera said Garcia told him she "came to make sure that everything's alright because he's leaving out of town tomorrow. So it's got to get done tomorrow morning before he leaves."
Rivera, uneasy with the way Adelson looked at the car, asked Garcia to ask Katherine Magbanua, the suspected conduit in Markel's killing, why Adelson was in the area.
Rivera told investigators Katherine Magbanua told Garcia over the phone that Adelson was there "to make sure that he was up here, to make sure he wasn't lying, that she was just paying him for nothing."[…]
 
Rivera's docket was stated as CLOSED after sentencing. Now it is open with 3 additional filings on Thursday. What does this mean? Reopen post-conviction doesn't sound good.

All 10/13:
MOTION MOTION FOR ADDITIONAL TO INCUR COSTS FOR MITIGATION SPECIALIST[/TD]
REOPEN POST CONVICTION - OTHER E-FILED MOTION[/TD]
JUDGE ASSIGNED DIV-A JUDGE HANKINSON JAMES C JUDGE ID-55[/TD]

I'm thinking they are re-opening the case to authorize payment to the mitigation specialist that was likely brought on to the defense team because it was a capital case.
 
After all the times we have seen WA react to the news about DM, wondering now why that portion of the much longer interview was released?
The parts where she refers to her brother making jokes is understandable,as it demonstrates the possibility that CA he may have something to do with the murder, but, why show WA, apparently crying uncontrollably?
Since LE stated then that WA was not a suspect, was the crying segment shown to help support that determination to the public , or because they ( perhaps accurately) assessed, that it might have quite the opposite effect?
imo, speculation.
 
I do think she was at the first memorial the one where her parents went to but left before meeting with LE.
yeah well that was the immediate day or so after the murder. I believe she didn't come to the actual funeral in Canada nor to any other memorial that happened at FSU, NYC, DC, Boston and Toronto.
 
i know that DM was a staunch opponent of the death penalty but ironically in cases like this it's a hell of a bargaining chip and an effective tool for the prosecution to use to make sure that ALL guilty parties are brought to justice and serve the longest sentences possible. if guilty, family may flip on family when the death penalty is on the table when compared to only the possible sentences of simply "very long" vs. "even longer" (both effectively life anyway) prison sentences.
 
Wendi's blabbing about Charlie's hitman joke seems less bizarre in light of Lacasse's comments, which she rightly anticipated. I'll join the chorus of those who think her performance during the police interview was insincere.

What didn't make sense to me was when she said that Charlie always make jokes about it's cheaper to buy a TV than hire a hitman. How could he 'always' being making that joke? That doesn't even make sense unless he buys Wendy a new TV every week.
 
What didn't make sense to me was when she said that Charlie always make jokes about it's cheaper to buy a TV than hire a hitman. How could he 'always' being making that joke? That doesn't even make sense unless he buys Wendy a new TV every week.

IMO it sounds like it was a constant "joke" he'd say all the time about different things in the different variations -

C - "Want to grab dinner?"
W - "Sure!"
C - "Well, it's cheaper than a hitman." (Ha Ha Ha)

C - "I bought you a new TV."
W - "Thank you!"
C - "Well, it's cheaper than a hitman." (Ha Ha Ha)

etc.

but if Lacasse is telling the truth that Princess confided in him and told her before that hit that "CA looked into it and it would cost about $15K." than THAT AIN'T NO JOKE and WA should not have been so incredulous to LE that CA could've been involved. what's weird is that she was so incredulous yet so incriminating at the same time.

DISCLAIMER - Pure Speculation, My Opinion Only, IF Guilty.
 
IMO it sounds like it was a constant "joke" he'd say all the time about different things in the different variations -

C - "Want to grab dinner?"
W - "Sure!"
C - "Well, it's cheaper than a hitman." (Ha Ha Ha)

C - "I bought you a new TV."
W - "Thank you!"
C - "Well, it's cheaper than a hitman." (Ha Ha Ha)

etc.

but if Lacasse is telling the truth that Princess confided in him and told her before that hit that "CA looked into it and it would cost about $15K." than THAT AIN'T NO JOKE and WA should not have been so incredulous to LE that CA could've been involved. what's weird is that she was so incredulous yet so incriminating at the same time.

DISCLAIMER - Pure Speculation, My Opinion Only, IF Guilty.

Didn't the arrest affidavit indicate that KM had received or made almost exactly $15,000 in unexplained cash deposits the year prior to the murder?
 
Didn't the arrest affidavit indicate that KM had received or made almost exactly $15,000 in unexplained cash deposits the year prior to the murder?

Thats weird.

LR stated that 100k was paid for the hit.

It was explained as 35k to him and 40k to Garcia.

But he never did say that the last 25k was for KM.

So I must wonder. Why would you tell the hitman all of the numbers.

Why not just say the hit is worth 70k. At 35 each.

So maybe LR was mad when he figured the numbers out and realized that KM got 25k for being a middle man. Idk.

Plus LR could be mad because he will be implicated. But out of 100k. The García family gets 65k.

Idk.

But I must admit. If LR did get 35k for just driving and keeping his mouth shut.

Then he definitely got a good deal since most gangbangers kill rivals for free. Jmo.
 
Didn't the arrest affidavit indicate that KM had received or made almost exactly $15,000 in unexplained cash deposits the year prior to the murder?

The probable cause affidavit describing the investigation suggests Magbanua was compensated for her alleged involvement. In the 12 months before Markel's death, Magbanua made cash deposits totaling $15,000. In the 12 months after his death, she made cash deposits totaling $44,000, in addition to paychecks from the Adelson family dental practice. The windfall led to some big-ticket purchases, the affidavit states, including a new car and breast augmentation surgery.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/02/us/fsu-law-professor-markel-arrest/


There was $100,000 in cash waiting once the murder was done. Garcia, who would take $40,000, promised him $35,000. The rest, and then some, went to Garcia’s on-and-off girlfriend Katherine Magbanua, Rivera said.

On the way back to Miami, they stopped along a bridge where Garcia threw the gun into the water underneath. Investigators are still trying to recover the firearm. The next day, Rivera said, Magbanua called to arrange getting the two men the money. He met her and Garcia at his North Miami home where they divvied up stacks of 10 $100 bills stapled together.

http://www.tallahassee.com/story/ne...e-were-coming-up-here-kill-somebody/91847004/
 
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