08: Courtroom Conundrums with Janine Driver: The Markell Case & the Challenge of Belonging
Challenging the Norms in High-Profile Crime Analysis & Not Trying to Just "Fit In"
Hey, hey! Janine Driver here, bringing you some real talk from last night's COURT TV debate on the Dan Markell murder case. Let's deep dive into this drama, and remember, this is all about staying true to who you are, even when the crowd's singing a different tune.
Let's drive into it!
The Dan Markel Murder
Alright, folks, let me break down this wild Dan Markel murder case for you. So, Dan Markel, a big-time law professor in Florida, and loving father of two young boys, gets tragically murdered in 2014. Why? All because of a messy custody battle post-divorce. It's like something straight out of a crime drama!
Here's where it gets crazier: Markel's ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, and her family get tangled up in this as suspected conspirators. We're talking about a full-on murder-for-hire plot. Four people get arrested and three of them are already convicted of murder, including the two killers and Wendi's brother, who hired them. Now mom is in jail awaiting her murder-for-hire trial for her possible role in this shocking crime. It's a story full of twists, turns, and courtroom drama that you just can't make up!
My Controversial Comments on COURT TV Last Night
Video above: Clip taken from COURT TV regarding Wendi Adelson’s possible involvement in the murder-for-hire case, where her ex-husband was shot and killed (Dec. 19, 2023)
Last night, on COURT TV, I shared my against-the-norm thoughts on Wendi, Dan's ex-wife. Watching her interview with the police, when she first found out her ex-husband was shot and killed, I felt she was being more honest then deceptive. Her body language, with those open palm gestures and how her actions led her words, screamed sincerity to me. She didn’t seemed like someone hiding a huge secret.
Now there are some deceptive “hot spots,” which I mentioned last night, such as her weak denial when questioned if she ever asked anyone to kill her ex-husband. She responded, “Not in a million years.” The strongest denial would have been a simple, “No.” Of course there’s also the fact that there is proof that she drove by her ex-husband‘s house where police were surrounding it, and instead of stopping, she drove off to buy alcohol then went to lunch with friends. Not to mention, she also didn’t freak out when the police brought her in for questioning and she didn’t say that her kids slept over there the night before.
However, with that all being said, in my expert opinion, I believe that her subtle deceptive clues are more connected to suspecting that her brother may have had something to do with this, but she didn’t want to believe it. People do stupid things when fear hits them. And just because people do stupid things doesn’t mean they’re murderers.
Here is where I’d love to tout the line about being innocent before being proven guilty, however, they’ve been many cases where I’ve weighed in and I thought immediately this person did it: Scott Peterson and Chris Watts - and many more!
What to Look for When Someone is Telling the Truth
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