A woman whose mother took out a hit on her ex-husband has managed to find a new boyfriend, even after a popular true crime documentary detailed her terrifying family.
Wendi Adelson, 47, is in a relationship with George Estrada, 12 years after her former husband Dan Markel, 41, was murdered outside the couple's home in Tallahassee, Florida, during a custody dispute.
Wendi has moved to Austin to be with Estrada.
asserted
Wendi → take → Estrada
She has also taken his surname online – although it is unclear if the couple have married – while her mother Donna Adelson, 76, and her wealthy dentist brother Charlie Adelson, 50, languish in prison after being convicted of Markel's first-degree murder.
uncertain
mother → take → murder
The saga, which saw law professor Markel shot dead in his garage by contract killer Sigfredo Garcia, was recently the subject of the hit Hulu documentary Welcome to the Family: The Murder of Dan Markel.
asserted
Markel → see → Markel
Wendi herself was never charged in relation to Dan Markel's death, although prosecutors alleged that she was an 'unindicted co-conspirator' to the crime.
asserted
she → charge → crime
She was granted immunity from prosecution but testified during the trials of the five people ultimately convicted over Markel's killing.
asserted
She → grant → killing
Charlie's ex-girlfriend Katherine Magbanua was also convicted of Markel's murder after she helped connect Charlie with Garcia.
asserted
she → convict → Garcia
Donna, Charlie, Magbanua and Garcia are all serving life in prison plus 60 years.
asserted
Donna → serve → prison
Wendi Adelson has moved to Austin to be with Estrada and taken his name online, the couple are seen here together in 2024 - her last husband was killed by a hitman her mom hired
Wendi married Dan Markel in 2006 and dumped him in 2012.
asserted
Wendi → move → 2012
Two years later he was shot dead during a bitter custody dispute
Donna Adelson is seen here as she was sentenced to life behind bars for her role in the murder of Markel in October of last year
Luis Rivera, who provided the gun and acted as a getaway driver, admitted second-degree murder and is serving a 19-year prison sentence.
Wendi married Dan Markel in 2006 and dumped him in 2012.
asserted
Wendi → shoot → 2012
The University of Florida academic came home from a work trip to find the couple's two sons gone, much of the furniture that was in their home missing and paperwork for the dissolution of the marriage on his bed.
asserted
that → come → bed
Two years later, Markel was shot dead in his driveway.
asserted
Markel → shoot → driveway
Wendi's sons now live with her and Estrada and Austin at a comfortable $550,000 home in Austin, with the merry widow now making her devotion to her new man clear for all to see on social media.
asserted
all → live → media
In an image shared to Instagram last September, a woman shared a picture of Wendi and referred to her as Wendi Estrada.
asserted
woman → share → Estrada
The Daily Mail also uncovered images of Estrada and Wendi rubbing shoulders at a legal conference in 2024.
asserted
Estrada → uncover → 2024
Estrada previously worked for Amazon Web Services as an Executive Strategist and now works as the Chief Technology & Innovation Officer for a credit union.
asserted
Estrada → work → union
Estrada's ex-wife Maggie died suddenly in 2021, according to social media tributes paid to her by family members at the time.
uncertain
wife → die → time
No further details about Maggie's death were shared.
asserted
details → share → death
Wendi herself was never charged in relation to Dan Markel's death, although prosecutors alleged that she was a 'conspirator' to the crime
According to court records Wendi is now living with Estrada inside this Austin, Texas, home
In 2012, Markel returned from a work trip to find the couple's two sons gone, furniture missing and paperwork for the dissolution of the marriage on his bed
Posts Maggie made to her own Instagram profile indicate that at the time of her death she and Estrada had already split.
There are no new legal clouds on the horizon for Wendi as regards her ex-husband's murder.
uncertain
she → charge → murder
Under questioning in court in 2019, she partially revealed the immunity deal she struck with prosecutors.
asserted
she → reveal → prosecutors
It was agreed that any testimony was never to be used against her, but it does not stop the state from ever charging her.
asserted
it → agree → her
After Donna was found guilty last year, State Attorney Jack Campbell was questioned over what would happen next in the case.
asserted
what → find → case
He told reporters: 'I understand everyone's curiosity and interest, but for now, we're going to let our team rest.'
asserted
team → tell → curiosity
The murder case sparked intense public interest for more than a decade due to the sordid details of the divorce, tensions with wealthy in-laws and custody battles.
asserted
case → spark → laws
And Estrada will likely be thankful that his prospective mother-in-law Donna Adelson is locked behind bars, after bloodcurdling details of her schemes were outlined during her trial for murdering Markel.
asserted
details → lock → Markel
She was painted as a controlling matriarch who had all the money and the motive to orchestrate the murder of Markel, who she 'hated.'
Charles Adelson and his ex-girlfriend Katherina Magbanua are both serving life in prison
Magbanua served as the intermediary for the two men hired to carry out the killing,Garcia, left, and Rivera, right
They said Donna planned out the murder after Markel stood in the way of letting her daughter move her two grandsons to South Florida to be closer to her family.
They played calls in court which revealed Donna's plans to flee to Vietnam just one week after her son, Charlie, was convicted of Markel's murder in 2023.
asserted
son → paint → 2023
She was arrested attempting to board a one way flight to the country, which has no extradition treaty with the United States, alongside her husband Harvey.
asserted
which → arrest → husband
Prosecutors said she signed checks that were given to Magbanua, and that she also dropped off the cash used to pay the gunmen at Charlie's home the day of the killing.
asserted
she → say → killing
Prosecutor Georgia Cappleman said in her closing arguments: 'She was paying for a murder.
asserted
She → say → murder
She knew it was going to be murder; she's the one who wanted it done.'
asserted
it → know → ?
Cappleman said that all of the evidence against Donna proved she was 'all about psychological warfare' and was willing to do 'whatever it took to get a win.'
Donna's defense attorneys said that the state didn´t have sufficient evidence to link the grandmother to the murder plot.
The murder case sparked intense public interest for more than a decade due to the sordid details of the divorce, tensions with wealthy in-laws and custody battles
Harvey Adelson is seen here in court last year as his wife was sentenced
They instead sought to emphasize the roles played by others and cast suspicion on two of Donna´s adult children.
asserted
They → say → children
Attorney Jackie Fulford told the court: 'She meddles in her children's lives, gets involved in their divorce.
asserted
She → tell → divorce
When the judge announced that the jury had convicted Donna of first-degree murder, she shouted out: 'Oh! My God' and started shaking and crying.
asserted
she → announce → murder
'Mrs. Adelson, control yourself,' the judge told her, warning her that he would remove her from if she did not.
asserted
she → control → her
The Daily Mail contacted Estrada and Wendi for comment.
asserted
Mail → contact → comment
The Aporia
