By Dave Goldiner December 18, 2017

The mystery-shrouded murder of Florida law professor Dan Markel is back in the spotlight as a new television investigation touts new leads in the puzzling slaying.

Jeff Lacasse, an ex-boyfriend of Markel’s ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, denies being involved in the slaying, which police say was a murder for hire carried out in the driveway of Markel’s Tallahassee home amid a bitter divorce in July 2014.

“I’m the paranoid ex-boyfriend,” Lacasse bluntly tells police in an episode of People magazine. “I was surprised that you guys didn’t call me earlier, though, because I probably said a hundred times that I’d like to kick his ass because he kept, like, really making Wendi suffer.”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Earlier this year, two prison inmates may have provided a long-awaited break in the mysterious slaying.

According to the Tallahassee Democrat, the alleged hit man charged with killing Markel confessed to a fellow inmate that Markel’s ex-mother-in-law had ordered the murder to gain custody of their two children.

An alleged accomplice, who has pled guilty to second-degree murder, implicated Markel’s ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, in the murder plot.

Wendi Adelson, for her part, told police that she feared that someone had had her husband killed on her behalf.

“Danny didn’t treat me very well, and I’m so scared that maybe someone did this … because they thought this was good somehow,” Adelson said.

This story was updated on January 24, 2018 to clarify Lacasse’s statement.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount