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Who is Katherine Magbanua & Where is She Now? 2025 Update & Background

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Katherine Magbanua was once an ordinary woman balancing life between two relationships and motherhood. Born and raised in South Florida, Magbanua had two children with Sigfredo Garcia, one of the men who would later carry out the murder of Florida State University law professor Dan Markel. At the time of the murder, she was also in a romantic relationship with Charles Adelson, a Fort Lauderdale dentist and the brother of Markel’s ex-wife, Wendi Adelson.

Magbanua had no prior criminal history and had worked various jobs, including roles in the Adelson family’s dental practice. She maintained close ties with Garcia, even after their breakup, and became a central figure in the murder-for-hire plot through her intimate connections to both Garcia and Charles Adelson. According to prosecutors, she played the critical role of intermediary — arranging the logistics between the hitmen and those who financed the crime.

Involvement in the Murder Plot

On July 18, 2014, Daniel Markel was ambushed and shot twice in the head in his driveway. Investigators determined that Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera, both based in Miami, had driven to Tallahassee to carry out the murder. The motive was tied to an ongoing custody dispute between Markel and his ex-wife Wendi Adelson, who had been barred by a judge from relocating with their children to South Florida.

The key link between the killers and the Adelson family was Katherine Magbanua. She had introduced Garcia and Rivera to Charles Adelson, who allegedly arranged for the $100,000 payment. After the murder, Magbanua collected the money and distributed shares to Garcia and Rivera. She also received regular handwritten checks from Donna Adelson, purportedly as salary from the family’s dental practice — despite never having worked there.

Arrest and First Trial

Magbanua was arrested in October 2016, more than two years after the killing. She was charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation to commit murder. Her first trial, held jointly with Garcia in 2019, ended in a split decision. Garcia was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison, but the jury could not reach a verdict on Magbanua, resulting in a mistrial.

During the proceedings, Magbanua denied any involvement in the plot, though she admitted she believed Charles Adelson was likely involved based on the evidence. The prosecution, however, argued she was not only aware of the murder plan but was essential to its execution.

Retrial, Conviction, and Sentencing

Magbanua was retried in May 2022. In the retrial, prosecutors presented financial documents, phone records, and testimony showing she remained on the Adelsons’ payroll until shortly before the FBI began targeting the family in a sting operation. They also used her jailhouse communications and earlier testimony to reinforce the case that she was the central conduit between the family and the hired killers.

This time, the jury unanimously found her guilty on all three counts. On July 29, 2022, Katherine Magbanua was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder, plus two consecutive 30-year terms for conspiracy and solicitation. Her appeal was later rejected, solidifying her status as the third person convicted in the plot to kill Markel.

Where She Is Now

Katherine Magbanua is serving her sentence in a Florida state prison. She has provided key testimony in later trials, including that of Charles Adelson in 2023 and Donna Adelson in 2025. Her insider knowledge of the relationships, financial transfers, and coded communications helped prosecutors convict both of them.

Her story is one of a woman caught between loyalty, manipulation, and criminal intent. Through her involvement with two men on opposite sides of a deadly plan — the father of her children and her wealthy boyfriend — she became the linchpin in a conspiracy that destroyed multiple lives.

Once a single mother living a relatively private life in South Florida, Katherine Magbanua now lives behind bars as a convicted murderer — her name forever tied to one of the most chilling domestic murder plots in recent U.S. history.

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Ryan Gill

Ryan is a passionate follower of true crime television programs, reporting on and providing in-depth investigations on mysteries in the criminal world.

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