FLORIDA LAW PROFESSOR'S DEATH BLAMED ON HIS EX-WIFE (THE UGLY SIDE OF DIVORCING...)
by St. Petersburg/Florida Family Law Attorney on 06/17/16According to police, they believe that the murder of Florida Jewish law professor Dan Markel was sparked by a bitter divorce battle with his ex-wife. Authorities arrested a man with a long criminal history, Sigfredo Garcia, 34, in connection with Markel's 2014 killing. Garcia's attorney had said that his client is innocent. New details released in court on June 2nd, show that investigators believe Markel's death was connected to his acrimonious divorce with law professor Wendi Adelson, even though the police were careful to avoid calling her a suspect. Police believe that the motive for the murder stemmed from Adelson's family's "desperate desire" to move the estranged couple's children hundreds to miles away to South Florida. In addition, Markel had filed court documents complaining that Adelson's mother had disparaged him to their children, and asking that she not be alone with her grandchildren. A hearing on that motion was pending at the time of Markel's murder. There is also a police affidavit present, stating that Charles Anderson was "involved in a personal relationship" with Garcia's girlfriend. DeLeo said at the press conference that Rivera is a suspect in the case, and is currently in federal custody on unrelated charges.