Murder is a life sentence for the victim’s family and friends. Closure is a myth perpetuated by the news media. 



During three decades of investigative reporting, Robert Riggs has witnessed how the victim’s families often suffer in silence and are left out of the confusing criminal justice process.



In this episode of the True Crime Reporter® podcast, Ruth Markel shares a remarkable story of grief, resilience, and hope during an eight-year murder investigation that is not over.



Her son, Dan Markel, a Florida law professor, was ambushed in a murder-for-hire conspiracy allegedly masterminded by his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, and members of her family, according to state prosecutors. 



Wendi Adelson has denied those accusations during a police interrogation and under oath in court testimony.



The anatomy of the murder has been highly publicized on television crime shows and true crime podcasts.



But Robert Riggs is here with the “rest of the story” from behind the crime scene tape.



In this interview, Ruth Markel reveals how the victim’s family can become advocates for their lost loved ones. She inspired the Florida State Legislature to pass a grandparent visitation bill titled the “Markel Act.”



Before the murders, Markel had published eight books about the advancement of women in the corporate workplace. She never expected to write about such a horrific and powerless situation as the murder of her son.



Now Ruth Markel shares her story to help others survive their grief from murders and violent crime in her book titled The Unveiling: A Mothers’ Reflection on Murder, Grief, and Trial Life.



Riggs and Markel discuss her fight for justice on behalf of her son and the struggle to be legally reunited with her grandchildren.



Riggs starts the episode by recounting the key events of the contact murder, which occurred in 2014.



Links to resources mentioned during the podcast:

Full coverage by Paul Caron, Dean of the Pepperdine University

https://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2022/10/extreme-punishment-the-chilling-true-story-of-dan-markels-murder.html

Link to recent court testimony by Wendi Adelson:

https://youtu.be/KIDXVsibEJw

We want to become your favorite true crime podcast. Please leave a review wherever you listen.

Join our true crime community and follow us here. 

The True Crime Reporter®podcast features stories about serial killers, mass murderers, murder mysteries, homicides, cold cases, prisons, violent criminals, serial rapists, child abductors, child molesters, kidnappers, bank robbers, cyber criminals, and assorted violent criminals.

True Crime Reporter® is a @2022 copyrighted and trade-marked production by True Crime Reporter®, LLC, in Dallas, Texas.

Murder is a life sentence for the victim’s family and friends. Closure is a myth perpetuated by the news media. 
 
During three decades of investigative reporting, <a href="https://www.truecrimereporter.com/news-team/robert-riggs-3/">Robert Riggs</a> has witnessed how the victim’s families often suffer in silence and are left out of the confusing criminal justice process.
 
In this episode of the True Crime Reporter® podcast, Ruth Markel shares a remarkable story of grief, resilience, and hope during an eight-year murder investigation that is not over.
 
Her son, Dan Markel, a Florida law professor, was ambushed in a murder-for-hire conspiracy allegedly masterminded by his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, and members of her family, according to state prosecutors. 
 
Wendi Adelson has denied those accusations during a police interrogation and under oath in court testimony.
 
The anatomy of the murder has been highly publicized on television crime shows and true crime podcasts.
 
But <a href="https://www.truecrimereporter.com/news-team/robert-riggs-3/">Robert Riggs</a> is here with the “rest of the story” from behind the crime scene tape.
 
In this interview, <a href="https://ruthmarkel.com/">Ruth Markel</a> reveals how the victim’s family can become advocates for their lost loved ones. She inspired the Florida State Legislature to pass a grandparent visitation bill titled the <a href="https://floridapolitics.com/archives/535322-gov-desantis-signs-markel-act-giving-grandparents-visitation-rights/">“Markel Act.”</a>
 
Before the murders, Markel had published eight books about the advancement of women in the corporate workplace. She never expected to write about such a horrific and powerless situation as the murder of her son.
 
Now Ruth Markel shares her story to help others survive their grief from murders and violent crime in her book titled <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Unveiling-Mothers-Reflection-Murder-Grief-ebook/dp/B0B7T66MYD/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2YZVDOBQWS967&amp;keywords=The+Unveiling%3A+A+Mothers%E2%80%99+Reflection+on+Murder%2C+Grief%2C+and+Trial+Life&amp;qid=1670625951&amp;sprefix=the+unveiling+a+mothers+reflection+on+murder%2C+grief%2C+and+trial+life%2Caps%2C182&amp;sr=8-1">The Unveiling: A Mothers’ Reflection on Murder, Grief, and Trial Life</a>.
 
Riggs and Markel discuss her fight for justice on behalf of her son and the struggle to be legally reunited with her grandchildren.
 
Riggs starts the episode by recounting the key events of the contact murder, which occurred in 2014.

<hr>
Links to resources mentioned during the podcast:
<a href="https://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2022/10/extreme-punishment-the-chilling-true-story-of-dan-markels-murder.html">Full coverage</a> by <a href="https://law.pepperdine.edu/about/dean/">Paul Caron, Dean of the Pepperdine University</a> 
<a href="https://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2022/10/extreme-punishment-the-chilling-true-story-of-dan-markels-murder.html">https://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2022/10/extreme-punishment-the-chilling-true-story-of-dan-markels-murder.html</a>
Link to recent court testimony by Wendi Adelson:
<a href="https://youtu.be/KIDXVsibEJw">https://youtu.be/KIDXVsibEJw</a>
<hr>
We want to become your favorite true crime podcast. Please leave a review wherever you listen.
<a href="https://linktr.ee/True_Crime_Reporter">Join our true crime community and follow us here. </a>
The <a href="https://www.truecrimereporter.com/">True Crime Reporter®</a> podcast features stories about serial killers, mass murderers, murder mysteries, homicides, cold cases, prisons, violent criminals, serial rapists, child abductors, child molesters, kidnappers, bank robbers, cyber criminals, and assorted violent criminals.
<a href="https://www.truecrimereporter.com/">True Crime Reporter® </a>is a @2022 copyrighted and trade-marked production by True Crime Reporter®, LLC, in Dallas, Texas.

The True Crime Reporter™ podcast takes its audience behind the yellow crime scene where few podcasters dare to go. 

The Dallas-based podcast takes listeners on a journey into darkness guided by Peabody Award-Winning investigative reporter Robert Riggs.

Everything is bigger in Texas, and crime is no exception. 

The 2021 Webby Awards named the True Crime Reporter™ podcast among seven honorees, including Dateline NBC and BBC Sounds for “Best True Crime Podcast.” 

Hailed as the Internet’s highest honor by The New York Times, Claire Graves, Executive Director of the Webby Awards, praised Riggs’ podcast,  "Honorees like Robert Riggs and the True Crime Reporter™ podcast are setting the standard for innovation and creativity on the Internet. It is an incredible achievement to be selected among the best from the nearly 13,500 entries we received this year from 50 states and 70 countries."

A leading television streaming channel is currently producing a five-episode news documentary based on Riggs’ first season about serial killer Kenneth Allen McDuff.

Bill Johnston, a decorated former federal prosecutor, joined the True Crime Reporter™ podcast in 2021 as Riggs cohost.

This Texas duo has been up close and personal with the worst of the worst criminals, including serial killers, mass murderers, and sexual predators. You name it, and they’ve seen it from the crime scene to the courtroom, from maximum-security prisons to death row. 

Their real crime stories are stranger than fiction. 

True Crime Reporter™ produces three types of episodes. 

True Crime Reporter™ Extra - features highly produce narrative storytelling about criminal cases. It blends Robert Riggs’ writing/narration with his interviews of investigators, crime victims, forensic experts, convicted criminals, music, and natural sound.

True Crime Reporter™ Confidential - conducts a classic “police procedural.” Riggs and Johnston weave compelling stories during an interview-style/talk show. Think of them as the “Larry King’s” of True Crime. They interview investigators, crime victims, forensic experts, members of the judiciary, even convicted criminals about criminal cases. 

True Crime Reporter™ Texas Ranger Files - features unique access to the case files of one of the worlds’ most legendary law enforcement organizations. Riggs and Johnston interview Texas Rangers about their most unusual investigations. These officers work murders in the wild frontier of Texas.  True Crime Reporter™ tells epic and heroic stories about the Rangers that most people have never heard. 

Our mission is not only to entertain but also to educate. The episodes on True Crime Reporter™ discuss means and motives. We want listeners to come away with insights about crime prevention and self-protection.

The criminal justice system has recognized Riggs and Johnston for their sensitivity to crime victims. Bill Johnston received the “Victim Advocate of the Year Award” for bringing the nation’s first prosecution under the Violence Against Women’s Act. Three weeks after its enactment, Johnston utilized the new law to prosecute a man who sent a twenty-pound pipe bomb to his ex-wife in an attempted murder plot. 

The American Bar Association has honored Riggs with its Silver Gavel Award for investigative reports that exposed corruption in Texas’ parole and prison systems.  The Dallas Crime Commission, in conjunction with the FBI, awarded Riggs its first-ever Excellence In Reporting Award for his investigation of teenage heroin deaths in Plano, Texas, and a landmark series on identity theft.

The first season of True Crime Reporter™ broadcasted a 17-episode series about the corrupt release of serial killer Kenneth Allen McDuff from prison by the Texas Parole Board. Bill Johnston organized and led the successful manhunt for McDuff.  Following Robert Riggs’ news investigation about parole selling, Johnston prosecuted the Texas Parole Board Chairman who had released McDuff.  

The True Crime Reporter&trade; podcast takes its audience behind the yellow crime scene where few podcasters dare to go.&nbsp;
The Dallas-based podcast takes listeners on a journey into darkness guided by Peabody Award-Winning investigative reporter Robert Riggs.
Everything is bigger in Texas, and crime is no exception.&nbsp;
The 2021 Webby Awards named the True Crime Reporter&trade; podcast among seven honorees, including Dateline NBC and BBC Sounds for &ldquo;Best True Crime Podcast.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Hailed as the Internet&rsquo;s highest honor by The New York Times, Claire Graves, Executive Director of the Webby Awards, praised Riggs&rsquo; podcast,&nbsp; "Honorees like Robert Riggs and the True Crime Reporter&trade; podcast are setting the standard for innovation and creativity on the Internet. It is an incredible achievement to be selected among the best from the nearly 13,500 entries we received this year from 50 states and 70 countries."
A leading television streaming channel is currently producing a five-episode news documentary based on Riggs&rsquo; first season about serial killer Kenneth Allen McDuff.
Bill Johnston, a decorated former federal prosecutor, joined the True Crime Reporter&trade; podcast in 2021 as Riggs cohost.
This Texas duo has been up close and personal with the worst of the worst criminals, including serial killers, mass murderers, and sexual predators. You name it, and they&rsquo;ve seen it from the crime scene to the courtroom, from maximum-security prisons to death row.&nbsp;
Their real crime stories are stranger than fiction.&nbsp;
True Crime Reporter&trade; produces three types of episodes.&nbsp;
True Crime Reporter&trade; Extra - features highly produce narrative storytelling about criminal cases. It blends Robert Riggs&rsquo; writing/narration with his interviews of investigators, crime victims, forensic experts, convicted criminals, music, and natural sound.
True Crime Reporter&trade; Confidential - conducts a classic &ldquo;police procedural.&rdquo;&nbsp;Riggs and Johnston weave compelling stories during an interview-style/talk show. Think of them as the &ldquo;Larry King&rsquo;s&rdquo; of True Crime. They interview investigators, crime victims, forensic experts, members of the judiciary, even convicted criminals about criminal cases.&nbsp;
True Crime Reporter&trade; Texas Ranger Files - features unique access to the case files of one of the worlds&rsquo; most legendary law enforcement organizations. Riggs and Johnston interview Texas Rangers about their most unusual investigations. These officers work murders in the wild frontier of Texas.&nbsp; True Crime Reporter&trade; tells epic and heroic stories about the Rangers that most people have never heard.&nbsp;
Our mission is not only to entertain but also to educate. The episodes on True Crime Reporter&trade; discuss means and motives. We want listeners to come away with insights about crime prevention and self-protection.
The criminal justice system has recognized Riggs and Johnston for their sensitivity to crime victims. Bill Johnston received the &ldquo;Victim Advocate of the Year Award&rdquo; for bringing the nation&rsquo;s first prosecution under the Violence Against Women&rsquo;s Act. Three weeks after its enactment, Johnston utilized the new law to prosecute a man who sent a twenty-pound pipe bomb to his ex-wife in an attempted murder plot.&nbsp;
The American Bar Association has honored Riggs with its Silver Gavel Award for investigative reports that exposed corruption in Texas&rsquo; parole and prison systems.&nbsp; The Dallas Crime Commission, in conjunction with the FBI, awarded Riggs its first-ever Excellence In Reporting Award for his investigation of teenage heroin deaths in Plano, Texas, and a landmark series on identity theft.
The first season of True Crime Reporter&trade; broadcasted a 17-episode series about the corrupt release of serial killer Kenneth Allen McDuff from prison by the Texas Parole Board. Bill Johnston organized and led the successful manhunt for McDuff.&nbsp; Following Robert Riggs&rsquo; news investigation about parole selling, Johnston prosecuted the Texas Parole Board Chairman who had released McDuff.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Go Inside the crime scene tape as Investigative Reporter Robert Riggs and his Law Enforcement sources tell exclusive backstories from his 30 year career covering serial killers and sociopaths.

True Crime Reporter™

Investigative Reporter Robert Riggs created an original True Crime genre podcast based on three decades of real-life stories ripped from his reporter’s notebooks. 


When you hear the True Crime Reporter™, rest assured that Riggs was there inside the crime scene tape. 


In every episode, Peabody Award-winning investigative reporter pulls out his reporter’s notebooks. His law enforcement sources open up their case files. 


They sit down to talk. And you can listen to their Journey Into Darkness.

Investigative Reporter Robert Riggs created an original True Crime genre podcast based on three decades of real-life stories ripped from his reporter’s notebooks. 
 
When you hear the True Crime Reporter™, rest assured that Riggs was there inside the crime scene tape. 
 
In every episode, Peabody Award-winning investigative reporter pulls out his reporter’s notebooks. His law enforcement sources open up their case files. 
 
They sit down to talk. And you can listen to their Journey Into Darkness.

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