What Does The Prosecutorial Silence Mean For Wendi Adelson In The Dan Markel Case?

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
This is The Big Breakdown, a long look back at some of the biggest stories we're covering for you at the Hidden Killers Podcast and True Crime Today. This is Hidden Killers Live with Tony Brueski and Robin Dre.

**Tony Brueski** (0:16)
Let's go to another family that we're fond of, the Adelson's.

**Robin Dre** (0:23)
How many broken people are there in the world, man? It's Broken People Thursdays, what this is.

**Tony Brueski** (0:28)
Man, the hits just keep coming. Five people are now behind bars for the murder of Dan Markel. Two hitmen, a go-between, the brother who allegedly bankrolled it and the mother who allegedly orchestrated it. I know, put Timmy in a cell with these guys.
That could be the competing comedy on CBS. And yet, when you look at who prosecutors have publicly labeled unindicted co-conspirators in this case, two names are still walking free. And I'm going to say at the beginning here, I'm not saying Wendi had anything to do with this. I'm not saying Harvey had anything to do with this. I'm just saying this is interesting. Most of the family got knocked down like dominoes. These two are still standing.
Wendi Adelson, Dan's ex-wife and the person who arguably stood to gain the most from the death. And Harvey Adelson, the family patriarch, who was literally on the jetway with Donna holding one way tickets to Vietnam when she got caught. Jack Campbell, the state attorney for Florida's second judicial circuit, the man whose office has successfully convicted every person charged in this case, told reporters after Donna's conviction that his office would quote, make decisions in the coming weeks. That was September of 25 It's been months. It's what are we at? It's like six, seven months now at least. More than half a year, no indictment, no grand jury announcement, nothing. So the question the Markel family and everyone following this case keeps asking, is Wendi or Harvey free or why are they free or could anything happen at some point or is this silence that this thing has been creating the new norm? Is there nothing that they need to worry about? Eric Faddis, defense attorney, former prosecutor is with us. Eric Campbell looked right at the camera and said, after Donna went down in the coming weeks that some decisions would be made. That was in September.
Have the decisions been made and are they simply, we don't, we're not going to be going after these two?

**Eric Faddis** (2:30)
You know, that clock is surely ticking and there's going to come a point at which it's for all pragmatic sense, it's going to be too late to bring successful prosecutions. We're not there yet, still have some time.
But I would have expected something to come down the pike a little bit more quickly. You know, that he really sort of knocked down the Adelson cards in successively swift fashion with these other prosecutions. And so why now the pause? Is it because they really don't think they've got enough to go against Wendi and Harvey? Or are they teeing up something really big? I'm not quite sure.

**Robin Dre** (3:08)
So Eric, in these types of situations where the public has a big expectation of something happening, do you think they're going to be compelled to make an announcement one way or the other? Or will silence just be their thing they do unless they do move forward with the prosecution?

**Eric Faddis** (3:24)
I think from an optics standpoint, if they're not going to bring charges, there's not a ton of benefit from them to make some sort of big PR move and get all the press there, only to have this unsatisfying non-update that, hey, we're not going to do anything.
I think instead, it would make sense for them in terms of the optics to just let that piddle out. They've got their pound of flesh from the Adelson family right now, and not make it a big deal out of non-action would be the way to go.

**Robin Dre** (3:55)
What do you think would keep them from taking a swing at this?
Because there's such proximity. I know if they don't have evidence, they don't think they have enough. But surely, you would think that with that kind of proximity, they could at least make an argument to give it a swing. Yes? No?

**Eric Faddis** (4:17)
You would think so. You would think so, Robin. But keep in mind, they've got a flawless record on these Adelson cases right now, and attorneys have egos, man.
And they might want to maintain those flawless victories. And if they take a gamble on what might be some of the weakest, shakiest potential cases, if there even is a case against these folks, they might not want to take that gamble. They might say, hey, justice has been served here, folks are incarcerated. We're all moving on at this point without risk in our perfect record.