Please join us on February 29, Noon-1p.m., at the Greensboro Federation for a compelling presentation by Steven B. Epstein, Raleigh lawyer and author of true crime thrillers.
Epstein's most recent book, the highly acclaimed Extreme Punishment, was published in late 2022 and recounts the 2014 murder of Florida State University law professor Dan Markel, victim of a contract killing engineered by the wealthy family of his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson.
Epstein examines Markel’s rise in the legal academy, his bitter divorce with Wendi, his shocking murder and the subsequent investigations, trials, and convictions of his assailants, all involved in a coordinated plot to kill Markel. Incorporating the cultural and social dynamics driving all the players, the author’s complex story details the tragic fate of a young, brilliant, and internationally respected criminal law scholar and devoted father.
One year after Extreme Punishment was published, a Tallahassee jury convicted Markel’s brother-in-law, and Wendi’s brother, Dr. Charles Adelson, of conspiracy, solicitation, and first-degree murder of Dan Markel. Within a few days of his conviction, Wendi’s mother, Donna Adelson, was arrested at the Miami airport as she prepared to board a one-way flight to Vietnam, a country which has no extradition treaty with the United States. Donna Adelson is charged with first degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation to commit murder in connection with her son-in-law’s death and is currently being held in a Tallahassee jail awaiting trial.
Sponsor: Cardozo Society and Committee of Professional Advisors