Donna Adelson Had a Melt Down

What this episode is about

The trial of Donna Adelson reached a dramatic conclusion when she was found guilty on all counts related to first-degree murder, stemming from a conspiracy involving her family to hire a gang member to kill her daughter's ex-husband amid a contentious divorce battle. Following the verdict, Donna experienced a public emotional breakdown, leading the judge to temporarily pause proceedings as she struggled to process the reality of her conviction.

Key takeaways

• Donna's trial proves that even a 'sweet old lady' can orchestrate a murder – beware the carne sweater!
• In a drama as bleak as a soap opera, the real villain may not wear a mask, but a cozy cardigan.
• A 'contentious' divorce? More like a Shakespearean tragedy with hired hitmen – talk about family drama gone wrong.
• The meltdown after the verdict? A reminder: reality often shatters the delusions we knit for ourselves.
• Next time a 'friend' claims to be in your corner, remember – they might just be testifying against you!

Who speaks in this episode?

• Donna Adelson (Guest)

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 5:00: Donna Adlesen
2. 5:00 – 10:00: Dan Markel, Robert Adlesen, Donna Adlesen, Albany, New York
3. 15:00 – 20:00: Dan Markel

Notable quotes from "Donna Adelson Had a Melt Down"

• Knitting peacefully throughout the trial. I think that would have been a good look. I think it's clear by her reaction to the guilty verdicts. Donna thought she was going home.…

  about Donna Adlesen · at 1:20

• Good for the prosecution. He testified that the week when Dan was murdered, the whole next week his whole family was just acting really bizarre in a way that you wouldn't act unless you are the one that killed the person. There wasn't any.

  about Dan Markel · at 8:52

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Donna Adlesen — Person · Primary referenced defendant · 5 mentions · first at 0:00
  Central figure of the episode; the narrator discusses her trial, guilty verdicts, courtroom reaction, and evidence presented against her.
• Dan Markel — Person · Victim referenced in the case · 3 mentions · first at 7:48
  The murder victim whose death is the basis for the charges discussed; described as the daughter’s ex-husband in a contentious divorce/custody dispute.
• Robert Adlesen — Person · Referenced prosecution witness (estranged son) · 2 mentions · first at 8:46
  Presented as a key prosecution witness who testified about the family’s behavior after the murder and Donna allegedly telling him not to talk to the FBI.
  Don't talk to the FBI. and her son Robert goes, I already did. They came and we invited them in. Why wouldn't I talk to them? And Donna said something whatever. You don't know anything anyway. And Robert testified.

Places & events

• Albany, New York — Place · Setting · 1 mention · first at 9:29
  Mentioned as the residence of Robert Adlesen, Donna Adlesen's son, who testified against her.
  This. This is one of the big moments. I thought she called her aranged son Robert who lives in Albany, New York.

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 Hey folks, so wild scenes from the Donna Adlesen trial yesterday. Here we have Donna moments before learning her fate. Once the guilty verdicts are read, she does have a bit of a meltdown. Totally loses it. The judge actually has to send the jury back to the jury room and give Donna here two minutes and a tissue to compose herself. Donna was found guilty as charged on all three counts related to firstdegree murder for along with her family hiring a Latin king's gang member to murder her daughter's ex-husband because Donna and the family felt like they had lost total control of her daughter's contentious divorce and custody battle.

0:46 Donna, as you can see, is wearing a sweet old lady carne sweater. I think that was the defense's main strategy. Let's put her in a sweet old lady sweater. So when the jury looks at her, they think, "There's no way this sweet old lady could have done anything like this. Look at her. She's sitting there wearing a sweet old lady carne sweater." They had a cream colored one. They had this blue one. They always made sure she was wearing it. If I was on the defense team, I would have also had her wear the classic grandma glasses chain and maybe have her sitting at the defense table knitting peacefully throughout the trial. I think that would have been a good look. I think it's clear by her reaction to the guilty verdicts. Donna thought she was going home. I think she thought she was far enough removed from the crime that it's obviously she was involved, but I don't think she thought the jury could actually convict her for

1:41 it. I think she truthfully thought in her heart that she was going home to her big house with her comfortable bed and her soft sheets and the peaceful tranquility of her rich previous life. And that's not what happened. So, here we go. We're going to watch the reading of the verdict. I think the best way to watch it to enjoy every micro expression and instance is to watch it in slow motion. It also gives it a bizarre fever dream quality which I like. So, here we go. Without further ado, the reading of the Donna Adlesen verdict.

2:21 Jury find as follows as the count one of the indictment firstderee murder. The defendant is guilty of first degree murder. is control yourself. Count two, we the jury find as follows as the count two of the indictment conspiracy to commit first degree murder. The defendant is guilty of conspiracy to commit firstdegree murder. Count three. We the jury find as follows. is the count three of the end.

4:07 This is the face of somebody that completely blew it. You had it all, Donna. Are you having fun yet?

4:19 Solicitation to commit first degree murder. The defendant is guilty of solicitation to commit first degree murder. It is signed and dated by the four person. Oh.

5:00 All right. I'm going to put it on normal speed. So, this is where the judge tells the baift to bring the jury back into the jury room. And you can tell the baiff wasn't expecting that. So, you see him tear ass around the judge. Hold on a second. Okay.

5:21 Members of the jury, the baiff will escort you to the jury room. See him cruise around. Judge isn't happy with the outburst. Mrs. Edson, while this was not the outcome, I'm sure that you desired.

5:50 That's the understatement of the century. There will not be any further outbursts in front of the jury. If you cannot control yourself, I am going to have to determine if you'll be removed from the remainder of this process.

6:04 I think she's praying for a heart attack. I would be Do you understand what I'm saying to you?

6:17 Do you need a moment to collect yourself? Before the jurors are brought back in, we will take a brief two-minute break. Please give her tissues if she needs them.

6:29 2 minutes and a tissue. All right, so here's some quick final thoughts now that the Donna Adlesen trial is in the books. I thought the most interesting part of the whole thing, other than Donna's meltdown to hearing her verdict, was regarding whether Donna was going to testify or not. And I think her defense only called eight witnesses. And none of the defense witnesses seemed to have any real teeth as far as the defense goes. It felt like they just we got to call somebody. We can't put up a defense and not call any witnesses because think about it, pretty much everybody that Donna surrounded herself with at the time of the murder was in on the murder. So, you don't you don't want to call any of those people. Damn it. Who are we going to call? So, one of the witnesses they called was some divorce attorney, and she testified that it actually wasn't a contentious divorce.

7:37 It was clearly one of, if not the most contentious divorce of our time and maybe in history. It was lethally contentious. They hired someone to murder Dan Markel. Well, it doesn't get any more contentious than that. They also didn't have the grandkids. Donna didn't have her grandkids go to their father's funeral. They immediately change the kids' names. I mean, I don't need to beat a beat a dead horse, but anybody with half a brain could see this was an extremely contentious divorce. So having some sleazy divorce attorney that barely had anything to do with the whole thing get up on the stand and go, it actually wasn't a contentious divorce.

8:29 Didn't really feel like it was hitten to me. And so and then they had Donna's friend say, "You know what? Actually, she was totally broken up at the news of Dan's murder. She was beside herself." But Robert Adlesen, the Adlesen's aranged son, his testimony, I thought was really good for the prosecution. He testified that the week when Dan was murdered, the whole next week his whole family was just acting really bizarre in a way that you wouldn't act unless you are the one that killed the person. There wasn't any um curiosity about who killed your daughter's ex-husband. It was all none that's none. It's not our problem. And Donna told Robert Aden. He testified this. This is one of the big moments. I thought she called her aranged son Robert who lives in Albany, New York.

9:31 They live down in Florida. And she says, this is right after the murder happened. Don't talk to the FBI. and her son Robert goes, "I already did. They came and we invited them in. Why wouldn't I talk to them?" And Donna said something like, "Ah, whatever. You don't know anything anyway." And Robert testified at that. So having Robert, who's an ear, nose, and throat doctor, smart guy, wellspoken, didn't come off as like he was lying or anything like that. to have him clearly talk about how bizarre Donna was acting and how she said don't talk to the FBI and oh you did already you don't know anything anyway that holds a lot more weight than having some friend at Donna's get up there and go she actually was very sad all right and then the stupid defense or the the divorce attorney going and from my experience It actually wasn't a contentious divorce.

10:38 What are you basing that off of? You know, not much. And so after the eight witness, eight defense witnesses that I don't think helped much for Donna, it came the big question. What one of the ones I was most interested in is Donna going to testify? So the day before Donna had to make the decision, they split for lunch, I think it was, 20 minutes early to so she could talk with her lawyers and discuss whether she was going to testify or not testify. She's also had more than a year in jail working with lawyers to think about it, to talk to the lawyers about it. There's no shortage of time. She sits there in the jail twiddling her thumbs. At some point you could decide, am I going to testify or not? So the next day after the judge already gave her 20 minutes to to decide, talk to her officially talk to her lawyers, have the big conversation, it's the next day, their eight witnesses are all done and it's the time to make

11:49 the decision. All right. Are you going to call another witness or are is Donna going to get up on the stand and testify in her own defense? And they needed another five minutes. All right, take another five minutes. I was picturing the theme song for Jeopardy playing. Okay, five minutes is up. Donna, are you going to testify in your own defense or not? Huh? Still not ready. You need another five. Okay. I think they gave her another five. I can't remember exactly, but it was starting to get absurd. It It's like you had What else have you been thinking about? So, she got another five or another two or something and then that time elapsed. All right, Donna. What's it going to be?

12:44 Still not ready to decide. Okay. Well, now you just have to decide. You had plenty of time. Are you going to testify? She wanted more time. The judge pushed back and said, "You've had more time than I anyone has ever gotten, probably. Are you going to testify?" She was shaking. And she goes, even though they didn't have any more defense defense witnesses to call, so if she doesn't testify, the defense has no choice of resting, no choice but to rest. And so she's going, "At this time, I don't want to." And the judge says, "Okay, all right.

13:25 Well, defense, in that case, you can either rest or call your next witness." And they kind of sit there for a second and the defense just goes, "All right, well uh we're uh all right." The defense rests and that was it. And I would, it's easy to, I guess, say now because she was found guilty as charged, but I think you got to get up there and try, especially this is a hard case to defend with having the lackluster group of witnesses. If I I was pretending I was the defense attorney, I don't know who I would have called. It's not an easy It's not an easy case to defend. It's like I don't know who who who could possibly get up on the stand and say something that's going to help Donna's defense other than Donna's got to go up there and in her own words to Wendy put on the performance of her life.

14:32 Maybe if she got up there and really threw her kids under the bus and said, "They were tricking me. I didn't know it was going to happen." And then once it did happen, I'm just a mom that that was trying to salvage my kids from going to jail. It was Charlie's idea. He's already in prison. So, she could have said, "It was Charlie's idea. He tricked me. He told me we were going to do something else." And then this nightmare happened. And I didn't know what to do. I'm a sweet old lady in a cardigan sweater that just was trying to keep her family out of prison. I didn't know about it. And then afterwards, I had a little bit to do with the cover up, but I was just looking out for my family.

15:11 And um I think uh that would have been the but I think she has seen Wendy testify a number of times and saw Charlie testify and saw that you really do take a beating up there and it's not easy to lie because it ends up biting you and you could look stupid. But her defense attorney, especially for how rich Donna and Harvey are, I figured they could hire a real dream team of heavyhitter defense attorneys. And they were some of the some of the weakest attorneys I can remember watching in these trials. And some of the trials I watch, it's just public defender, someone that doesn't have half the money and resources that the Adles have. And the lawyers are pretty damn good. impressively like damn for, you know, it's for not some expensive lawyer, that was a good showing. And so to have the lackluster lawyers, a real weak group of defense witnesses, it comes to that decision like, all right, am I going to am I going to

16:21 testify? I think I have to. None of the witnesses said anything that's going to help me. the attorneys aren't making real great points that are, you know, mic drop, you know, hey, look at that. Did you ever think of that? And but she didn't want to and I was cracking up after she was wailing when they were reading the verdict. She was like, "Well, now I want if she started, "Well, now I want to." Yeah, it's a little late, Donna. Okay, so just real quick, I thought the best witnesses for the prosecution that ended up, you know, putting Donna away was, like I said, Robert Aden, the aranged son, talking about the bizarre behavior of his mom and the whole family the week it happened, not wanting them to not wanting Robert to talk to the FBI. I thought Katherine, which is Charlie Adlesen, Donna's son's exgirlfriend that put them in contact with the hired hitmen, that one of the hired hitmen is her baby daddy. So,

17:29 Katherine took the stand and the part of her testimony where she said that they Charlie put her on the payroll because she set it up and got the murder done. He put her on the payroll of the Aden Institute, their dentist practice. and she was getting paychecks obviously on the payroll but didn't actually work there. It was just part of her payment and Donna was signing those paychecks. So I thought that testimony was pretty strong. Also too, the money that they gave the hitmen uh it somehow came out Katherine heard that Donna washed it. The money was all wet. They're like why does the money all soggy? We got a bunch of soggy cash.

18:17 What is this? And you can picture Donna trying to scrub all of their fingerprints off the cash. I thought that testimony was really strong. And there was a number of jailhouse informants that Donna tried to pay and bribe to give testimony that Donna had nothing to do with it, but they all turned on Donna. And I thought those were pretty strong for the prosecution. Donna was offering that they would buy one of them a trailer and land if they would if she would say the right thing. She testified that Donna wrote a script out. Said, "Learn this, I'll pay you. You'll get a trailer and some land. If you learn this script and deliver it convincingly, we'll take care of you." And so I thought that made Donna look really bad.

19:09 And um and then just the reaction, they did what's called the bump where years after the murder, they were trying to get something cooked up. So they tapped Donna's phone and Charlie's phone and a few other phones and then had an undercover law enforcement officer run into Donna, bump into her, and pretend to be somebody that I think the brother the person's brother was in jail. and so run into Donna and say, "My brother was in jail with someone related to this murder and they told us all about it and so you need to take care." Basically like an extortion um plot and you need to, you know, help my brother out in jail. You you know, we know what you did. And he gave him an an envelope and it had an article of the Dan Markell. So they did the bump. Let's get Let's get him talking. Let's freak out Donna a little bit and see what happens. We got the phones tapped. And so then Donna goes and calls Charlie and they're talking

20:10 about, "Yeah, this guy just bumped into me, gave me an article of Dan Markell's murder, but there's there's no discussion like this is crazy or I can't believe you did this." She said something like, "This has to do with both of us and and they just didn't act in any way like they didn't have anything to do with the murder because you would be like, "We're calling the cops." They should have anyway. If they would have called the cops and said someone's trying to extort us, even though the cops were investigating them, she might have got off. But their reaction to that, what they call the bump is very incriminating.

20:46 And there might be other solid points of the prosecution, but the totality of the the evidence against Donna, even though there wasn't any slam dunk forensic evidence, the circumstantial evidence was strong and there was enough of it and she was found guilty as charged. And so now the question is, is Wendy next? Wendy her Wendy's ex-boyfriend Jeff uh test has testified and also in his police interrogations has talked about any slight stress. It really affects Wendy's digestion and she gets diarrhea and she has a really hard time. She pukes and so I would guess Wendy's stomach isn't feeling so great today.

21:45 the day after her mom was found guilty of murder and her older brother has already been found guilty of murder and her whole family was completely ruined by their stupid decision. So, we'll see if Wendy is next. Pretty interesting. I got to go help grandma with the baby. So, I'm gonna cut it off there. Why? Stan Y. Shamita, I love you, baby.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Donna Adelson Had a Melt Down"?

Donna Adelson (Guest).

What is "Donna Adelson Had a Melt Down" about?

The trial of Donna Adelson reached a dramatic conclusion when she was found guilty on all counts related to first-degree murder, stemming from a conspiracy involving her family to hire a gang member to kill her daughter's ex-husband amid a contentious divorce battle. Following the verdict, Donna experienced a public emotional breakdown, leading the judge to temporarily pause proceedings as she…

What is mentioned in this TRUE CRIME Loser episode?

4 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Donna Adlesen, Dan Markel, Robert Adlesen, Albany, New York. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Donna Adelson Had a Melt Down"?

The episode runs 22 min; the transcript is about 3,049 words in 28 timestamped sections.

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