Donna Adelson: The Deadly Mother In Law

Retired FBI agent and criminal profiler Candice DeLong examines the disturbing case of Donna Adelson, a domineering and deeply enmeshed mother whose obsessive need for control allegedly culminated in the murder-for-hire of her former son-in-law, Florida State University law professor Dan Markel. What began as a bitter custody dispute following Markel’s divorce from Adelson’s daughter, Wendi, escalated into a years-long campaign of manipulation, psychological warfare, and resentment fueled by Donna’s refusal to accept court-imposed boundaries. Candice explores how enmeshment, entitlement, and an intolerance for loss of control can distort family dynamics; and how a grandmother’s fixation on access and dominance ultimately led prosecutors to accuse her of orchestrating a deadly conspiracy that shattered an entire family. Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at Need more Killer Psyche? With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive episodes, early access to new ones, and they’re always ad-free. Start your free trial in the Wondery App or visit wondery.app.link/TI5l5KzpDLb now. See Privacy Policy at and California Privacy Notice at .

You can listen to Donna Adelson: The Deadly Mother In Law online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Donna Adelson: The Deadly Mother In Law is an episode from Killer Psyche by Audible | Treefort Media.

This episode is 00:46:40 long.

This episode was published on Feb 3, 2026.

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