Two men are indicted in law prof's slaying
Grand jurors in Leon County, Florida, on Friday indicted two men who were allegedly “enlisted” to kill Florida State University law professor Dan Markel.
Grand jurors indicted Sigfredo Garcia, 34, and Luis Rivera, 33, both from South Florida, on charges of first-degree murder, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.
According to arrest documents cited by the newspaper, the men were enlisted to kill Markel in connection with his divorce from another law professor. Markel was killed in his car in his garage.
Grand jurors will consider more investigation in the case in mid-July. State Attorney Willie Meggs wouldn’t say whether his office was seeking to indict anyone in the family of Markel’s ex-wife, Wendi Adelson. “The case is still being investigated and it will continue to be investigated,” Meggs told the Tallahassee Democrat.
A criminal defense lawyer who has known the family his entire life has said they have no involvement in the crime. “There is no doubt in my mind about their innocence whatsoever,” attorney Michael Weinstein told the South Florida Sun Sentinel earlier this month.
Jim Lewis is Garcia’s Fort Lauderdale lawyer. He told the Tallahassee Democrat he is confident his client will prevail at trial.
Rivera is in prison in an unrelated federal racketeering case. Lawyer Sky Smith, who represents Rivera in the federal case, has previously said the homicide allegation “is totally out of left field.”
“He’s been involved with the Latin Kings for a long time, but the allegations against him involved drugs and some fights,” Smith said.
