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[Dateline True Crime Weekly: The Adelson Murder Case, Fugitive Trials, and Emergency Preparedness]-[A grandmother's trial is set to start. An international fugitive faces a jury. And digital go bags.]

Dateline NBC · B2 · 2025-08-14

True crime
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📋 Summary

Dateline True Crime Weekly: Legal Sagas and Survival Strategies

This week’s episode of Dateline True Crime Weekly covers a dense docket of high-profile legal battles, ranging from long-standing murder-for-hire plots to international fugitive cases, while offering practical advice for emergency preparedness.

The Adelson Family Murder Case: A Decade in the Making

Central to this week's discussion is the upcoming murder trial of Donna Adelson, the matriarch of a prominent South Florida dental family. The case stems from the July 2014 shooting of FSU law professor Dan Markell, who was killed in his garage. Prosecutors allege a "sprawling murder-for-hire plot" orchestrated by the Adelson family, specifically motivated by a "gruesome custody battle" between Markell and his ex-wife, Wendy Adelson, Donna’s daughter.

Key evidence against Donna includes a recorded "bump"—an FBI sting operation where an undercover agent posed as a blackmailer. Immediately following this confrontation, Donna was recorded on a tapped phone line telling her son, Charlie Adelson, that she needed to speak with him about paperwork that likely involved "the two of us." Furthermore, prosecutors highlight that Donna and her husband were arrested at the airport with one-way tickets, seemingly attempting to flee to a country without an "extradition treaty." Donna’s defense maintains her innocence, with reports suggesting she may take the stand to testify about her alleged fear of the "Latin Kings" gang.

The Trial of Nicholas Rossi

The episode also examines the case of Nicholas Rossi (also known as Nicholas Aliverdian and Arthur Knight), an American fugitive recently extradited from Scotland to Utah. Rossi faced rape and fraud charges in the U.S. after allegedly faking his own death in 2020 to "throw investigators off his trail." Despite his attempts to assume a new identity as a "law-abiding businessman," a jury found him guilty of rape. The prosecution emphasized that while the case was based on older events, the victim’s testimony remained clear and consistent, despite defense arguments that the case was like an "old puzzle" with "pieces missing."

Legal Updates and Verdicts

  • The Tony Hayes Case: In Wisconsin, a jury delivered a "not guilty" verdict for Tony Hayes, who had been accused of a 30-year-old double murder. The defense successfully questioned the reliability of DNA evidence and the validity of Hayes’ alleged confession.
  • Iowa Murder Plot: In Cedar Rapids, Houston Danker pleaded guilty to the murder of farmer Ryan Cooper, sparing the community the "ordeal of a trial" for a case involving a conspiracy between Danker and Cooper’s wife, Karina.
  • Alec Murdoch Appeal: The ongoing legal saga of Alec Murdoch continues as the South Carolina Attorney General responds to Murdoch’s appeal. The state argues that the trial was fair, dismissing claims of "jury tampering" regarding the clerk of court, Becky Hill, as "foolish and fleeting" comments that did not undermine the conviction.

Expert Advice: The Digital Go Bag

Former Secret Service agent Evie Pompuras provided listeners with essential safety advice regarding natural disasters. She suggests creating a "digital go bag" to ensure access to vital documents like birth certificates, passports, and deeds. Pompuras recommends storing these on a physical flash drive or USB-C drive rather than relying solely on cloud storage, which may be inaccessible during internet outages and poses security risks. She also emphasized the importance of taking videos of household items to assist with future insurance claims, noting that the "metadata" with date and timestamps serves as crucial proof of ownership.

🎯Key Sentences

1
The reading of any verdict, everyone is on pins and needles
2
after more than a decade, the matriarch of a family of Florida dentists is about to go on trial
3
Who are they and how did Dan Markell fit into the family?
4
And she just kept on hammering Wendy that she's got to fight him
5
Wow, this is so convoluted and unbelievable
Expand All

📝Key Phrases

1
on pins and needles
2
murder-for-hire plot
3
pleaded not guilty
4
take the stand
5
extradition treaty
Expand All

📖 Transcript

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