Rivera, Magbanua return to Tallahassee ahead of Donna Adelson murder trial

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Two key witnesses in Donna Adelson’s murder and conspiracy trial are returning to Tallahassee ahead of her trial.

Co-defendants Luis Rivera and Katherine Magbanua were booked into the Leon County Jail on Monday, according to LCSO records.

Both men are expected to testify against Donna Adelson, the latest to stand trial for the 2014 murder of her former son-in-law, FSU professor Dan Markel.

The judge also signed a transportation order so that Charlie Adelson could return to Tallahassee in time for the Sept. 17 trial. At last report, he had not yet arrived and it is unclear whether he will be called to testify against his mother.

All three men – Rivera, Magbanua and Adelson – have already been convicted of murder for hire, as has the shooter, Sigfredo Garcia.

Rivera is serving a 19-year prison sentence in exchange for testifying against the four other co-defendants in the case.

Magbanua denied any involvement in the case until she was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. She later became a prosecution witness and testified against her ex-boyfriend Charlie Adelson at his 2023 trial and is expected to do the same at Donna Adelson’s trial.

A final preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday, September 12, and jury selection is expected to begin on Tuesday, September 17.

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