One thing people should know there are cameras almost everywhere.
Surveillance video at his workout club. Video from 2 different buses, a bank, a government facility and a store along the route showing the prius trailing Markel.
For those that do not have any free looks left here are the pages:
PROBABLE CAUSE
CASE: 14-019848
FIRST APPEARANCE MAGISTRATE
DEFENDANT: Sigfredo Garcia (DOB: 4I27I1982)
CHARGES: Murder (F.S. 782.04)
SUMMARY OF OFFENSES AND PROBABLE CAUSE AFFIDAVIT:
This af?davit sets forth probable cause to believe that Sigfredo Garcia (Garcia)
and Luis Rivera (Rivera) murdered Florida State University (FSU) Law School Professor
Daniel Markel (Markel) in violation of Florida Statute 782.04.
On Friday, July 18, 2014, at 11:02 am, a report of a shooting was received at the
home of FSU Law School Professor Daniel Markel (Markel), 2116 Trescott Drive,
Tallahassee, Florida. Upon arrival, Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) of?cers found
Markel slumped over in the driver seat of his vehicle from an apparent gunshot to the
head. Markel was transported from the scene to a local hospital where he later died from-
the injuries sustained during the shooting. The investigation of the crime scene found no
indication that this incident was part of any other criminal intent, such as burglary or
robbery.
At the time of the shooting, Markel was talking to an individual on his cellular
telephone. That person stated Markel interrupted their conversation, saying someone he
did not recognize was in his driveway. The person on the telephone with Markel then
heard what sounded like a loud grunt. He heard a muffled conversation in the
background, but could not make out the words being spoken. He then heard labored
breathing but could not get Markel to respond.
Initial investigation at the scene revealed that a neighbor heard what he believed to
be a gunshot and looked out the window, where a small silver or light-colored vehicle,
resembling a Prius, was observed backing out of the victim's driveway.
Motive for Murder
Investigators obtained information from sources that Markel had gone through a
bitter divorce with Wendi Adelson (Wendi), who was also a professor at the FSU Law
School. Wendi ?led for divorce on Monday, September 10, 2012. Markel reportedly
returned home from a business trip to ?nd his family gone, a majority of the contents of
the house missing and the paperwork for dissolution of marriage displayed on his bed.
He eventually learned Wendi and their two children had moved to her parent?s home in
Coral Springs (Broward County), Florida. Reportedly, Markel protested and Wendi
returned to Leon County with the children until legal arguments could be heard.
On June 20, 2013 Leon County Circuit Judge Hobbs formally denied, with
prejudice, Wendi?s motion for relocation with the children. Court documents show the
divorce was resolved without trial by a Marital Settlement Agreement (MSA) and granted
by Judge Hobbs on July 31, 2013.
E?mail evidence indicates Wendi?s parents, especially her mother, wanted Wendi to
coerce Markel into allowing the relocation to South Florida. Additionally, Wendi?s
brother, Charles Adelson (Charlie), reportedly did not like Markel and did not get along
with him.
On February 14, 2014 Markel ?led a Counter-Motion to Enforce the
Financial Provision and Motion for Sanctions. Markel claimed Wendi and her attorney
had not been forthcoming in the MSA regarding her ?nancial assets.
On March 26, 2014 Markel ?led a Counter-Motion for Enforcement of MSA on
Parenting Issues and Motion for Contempt and Sanctions. One of the points of contention
in this motion was Wendi?s mother, Donna Adelson (Donna), and her reported negative
interaction with the children. Markel claimed Donna made disparaging remarks about
him to his sons.
Markel sought relief in this. motion by asking the court to prohibit Donna from
having unsupervised time with her grandchildren and to impose limitations to prevent the
children from being subjected to disparaging comments about their father.
These motions were scheduled for a court hearing on May 15, 2014; however, due to
substitutions of counsel, the hearing was continued. A new court hearing date had not yet
been scheduled prior to Markel?s death.
Investigators believe motive for this murder stemmed from the desperate desire of
the Adelson family to relocate Wendi and the children to South Florida, along with the
pending court hearing that might have impacted their acCess to the grandchildren.
The Suspect Vehicle
This investigation has revealed that Markel left his home the morning of July 18,
2014, and drove his two young children to their daycare facility on the west side of
Tallahassee, approximately ?ve miles away, dropping them off at 8:50 a.m. Markel then
drove to Premier Health and Fitness Center (Premier), 3521 Maclay Boulevard. At
approximately 9:12 Markel arrived at Premier, where surveillance video shows a
silver or light green Toyota Prius enter the parking lot after Markel parked his car. After
Markel went into the health club, the video captured the Prius in the parking lot where the
driver moved the vehicle to different parking positions while Markel was in the building.
Markel left Premier at approximately 10:38 am, and drove off in his vehicle toward
Thomasville Road. The video shows the Prius exiting the parking lot and following the
direction of Markel?s car.
Additional Video was discovered for the day of the homicide on the Star Metro city
bus camera system. Video was captured from two different buses, one southbound on
Thomasville Road and another northbound on Thomasville Road. The bus camera system
captured images of what appears to be the same Prius before and after the homicide was
committed. Unfortunately, images could not provide the license plate characters of the
Prius. After analyzing all of the surveillance Videos, investigators believed the suspect
vehicle to be a 2006-2009 Toyota Prius with ?Silver Pine Mica? paint, which appears to be
a light green/silver color. The Prius appears to have tinted windows, a Sunpass
transponder on the top-center of the windshield, a missing tow-hook cover on the front
bumper and a black passenger side mirror casing.
Investigators analyzed the time stamps from the bus camera videos when the
Toyota Prius was observed, which con?rmed that the Prius had the opportunity to be
present at the crime scene when the murder was committed. Additional surveillance
video was obtained from a bank, a county government facility, and a store along Markel?s
route the morning of July 18, 2014 which also shows a similar vehicle trailing Markel?s
car. Investigators believe the suspects in the Prius followed the victim throughout the
morning and back to his residence, where the victim was shot in the head as he sat in his
car.
INVESTIGATION
After the homicide was reported in the press a resident of the Ashford Club
Apartments, 2055 Thomasville Road reported seeing two men park a ?bluish?silver?
Prius-type car in the southeast corner of the complex parking lot around mid-morning on
one of the week days immediately before the July 18, 2014 homicide. The men got out of
the vehicle and walked down a park path behind the apartment complex that parallels a
large storm drainage ditch. This ditch is at the fenced rear property line of Markel?s home
on Trescott Drive. The resident described the driver as a white male, tall and slender with
a runner?s build, fair complexion, wearing a light-colored ball cap. The passenger was
described as a shorter man with a stocky build and dark hair with a darker complexion
resembling Italian or Spanish descent. When the two men returned to the car about 10
minutes later the passenger was carrying an unknown black object in one hand. He was
completely wet as if he fell into the drainage ditch. The driver?s pants appeared wet up to
the knees.
Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera are similar to the physical descriptions given by
the Ashford Club Apartments resident. Garcia is taller and slender, and Rivera is shorter
and stockier with a darker complexion. As set forth below, evidence establishes that they
were in Tallahassee on the day of the murder and that they had rented a Silver Pine Mica
Toyota Prius for the trip from South Florida. Both Garcia and Rivera are convicted felons
in the State of Florida.
Connection to Garcia
Investigators developed information that, around the time of the murder, Charlie
(Wendi?s brother), was involved in a personal relationship with Katherine Magbanua
(Magbanua), Whose cellular telephone number was 786?564-1312. Call records
Magbanua as one of Charlie?s top contacts. Online public database research revealed that
this number was utilized by Katherine Magbanua.
Further investigation also revealed that Sig?edo Garcia (Garcia) is the father of
Magbanua?s two minor children, both with the last name ?Garcia.? Magbanua is also
listed as the vice president of S. Garcia Solutions Inc., and Garcia is listed as the president
of the company on State of Florida records for corporations.
Cellular Telephone Information Linking Garcia and Rivera to the Murder
Cellular telephone analysis conducted during this investigation has revealed that
on July 18, 2014, at approximately 9:36 am. (the day of the homicide), cellular telephone
number 786-372?5986 was in the vicinity of Premier in Tallahassee where the victim was
last seen alive. Investigation of telephone number 786-372?5986 revealed that it was
being used by Garcia prior to the murder and had been in contact with Magbanua?s
telephone number approximately 2,700 times between May 1, 2014 and July 19, 2014,
when Garcia?s cellular phone ceased activity the day after the homicide.
Cellular telephone analysis revealed phone number 305-570?8153, which is one of
Garcia?s frequent contacts, was also in the vicinity of Premier on the morning of the
homicide. It was also in the vicinity of Markel's residence twice the day before the
homicide on July 17, 2014. Investigation shows this phone number was being used by
Luis Rivera (Rivera) during the time leading up to Markel?s murder.
. Information obtained from the cellular service provider for 305-570-8153 (Rivera)
is consistent with Rivera?s handset travelling from North Miami to Tallahassee at a time
consistent with having committed the murder and then immediately heading back to
North Miami after the homicide.
Information obtained from the cellular service provider for Rivera?s phone (3 05-
570-8153) and Garcia?s phone (786-372-5986) revealed that the two traveled from North
Miami, Florida on the afternoon of July 16, 2014 and arrived in Tallahassee, Florida just
after midnight on July 17, 2014. A receipt from a motel on W. Tennessee Street in
Tallahassee shows that Rivera checked in at approximately 1:00 a.m. on July 17, 2014,
which is consistent with the cellular location data. Both Garcia?s and Rivera?s phones
were in the area of the victim?s residence during the day of July 17, 2014.
Prius linked to Rivera and Garcia
Based on the video images of the suspect car with a Sunpass transponder mounted
on the windshield and cell site data for the locations of phones used by Garcia and Rivera,
a subpoena was sent to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for Sunpass toll
records on Alligator Alley (1-75 west of Ft. Lauderdale) on July 16 and 18, 2015. Only
one account listing a Prius as a customer vehicle had Sunpass transponder activity at the
Alligator Alley toll booths on those two dates at the relevant times. On July 16, 2014, at
2:18 pm, the transponder registered at the toll plaza in Broward County, westbound on I-
75. On July 18, 2014, at 5:23 pm, the transponder registered at the eastbound toll
facility of I-75 in Collier County near Naples, Florida.
FDOT shows the subscriber for this Sunpass transponder is a rental car company in
North Miami, Florida. This rental car company was contacted by law enforcement and
provided several rental contracts around the time of the homicide. These included one for
a green 2008 Toyota Prius rented from July 15-21, 2014 by ?Luis Rivera? with a contact
phone number of 305?570?8153. A second telephone number was also written on the
rental contract, 7 86-372-5986 (Garcia?s cellular phone), with the word ?Brother? written
beside the number.
Tallahassee Witness
A witness, whose identity is known to the law enforcement affiant, previously met
Garcia and Rivera in Tallahassee a month or more before the homicide. The Witness?
cellular phone was contacted by Rivera?s cellular phone on the afternoon of July 17,
2014. The witness was asked, and agreed, to rent a motel room on N. Monroe Street, in
the witness? name, for Garcia and Rivera on the night of July 17, 2014. This is consistent
with the cellular location data and a receipt obtained from the motel showing a room
registered in the witness? name. The witness was able to positively identify both Garcia
and Rivera, individually, in two separate phOtographic line-ups.
The witness recalled Rivera having in his possession a silver ?nish, short-barrel revolver
handgun the ?rst time he met Garcia and Rivera, possibly in June 2014, at the motel on
W. Tennessee Street. Recovered evidence from the crime scene indicates the caliber of
?rearm used in this murder is consistent with revolver ammunition and no spent casing
was found at the scene. This investigation did not reveal any other legitimate purpose for
either suspect to be in Tallahassee at the time of the murder.
Cellular Data for Julv 18. 2014
On the morning of July 18, 2014, both Garcia?s and Rivera?s cellular phones were
in the area of Premier during the time when the victim was inside and surveillance video
shows the Toyota Prius in the parking lot. Garcia?s telephone ceased activity just before
10:00 am. while in the area of Premier, with the last text message occurring at 9:58 am.
The next event on Garcia?s telephone was text messages and/or noti?cations being
received at 12:29 pm, consistent with the handset being powered up. Immediately
afterward at 12:30 pm, Garcia placed a call to Magbanua, which was the ?rst contact
initiated by Garcia after the homicide. This call occurred when Garcia?s phone was in the
area of Lake City, Florida, on or near L75 approximately one and a half hours after the
shooting was reported.
Investigators believe Garcia and Rivera turned their phones off before 10:00 am,
committed the murder of Markel at his home on Trescott Drive, and then ?ed back to
North Miami, Florida via and
Rivera ATM transaction
Analysis of Rivera?s checking account revealed an ATM transaction took place on
July 18, 2014 at 6:46 pm. as they were returning to, North Miami from Tallahassee,
Florida. Security video from the drive-through ATM lane Rivera driving a Toyota
Prius up to the ATM at 6:45 pm. The Prius appears to have tinted windows, a Sunpass
transponder on the top?center of the windshield, a missing tow?hook cover and a black
passenger side mirror casing; matching the characteristics of the Prius seen on video from
the northbound bus cameras in Tallahassee. Viewing the bank video, Rivera is seen
completing the ATM transaction. When he leans forward, Garcia can be seen sitting in
the front passenger seat of the Prius. As the Toyota Prius exits the ATM area at 6:47 pm,
a Florida license plate can be seenon the rear of the car. The tag characters appear to
match those of the car rental contract. Cellular site data is consistent with this stop at the
ATM location prior to Garcia and Rivera arriving back in North Miami.
There is no previous contact found between Markel and these two defendants.
Therefore, it is the af?ant?s belief Garcia and Rivera were enlisted to commit this
egregious act against someone they did not know and had never interacted with before the
murder.
On May 24th, 2016 Investigators conducted an interview with Garcia. During the
interview, Garcia denied ever being in Tallahassee. He stated that he had never made any
trips with Rivera. Garcia denied any knowledge of the homicide.
The preceding is true to the best of my present knowledge or belief.
is my
SIGNATUREK lnv. Sherrie Bennett 714
TALLAHASSEE PCTLICE DEPARTMENT
- .9
NOTARYIA.S.A. - Notarization: Sworn/ a
subscribed before me this of 2016. .
om! 6?
My commission expires: Law Enforcement Officer
Probable Cause approved by A.S.A.
THIS CAUSE coming before me as a First Appearance Magistrate, and
havi reviewed the preceding Affidavits, find:
Probable cause sufficient
