Donna Adelson Trial: Friend Testifies Donna Was “Hysterical” After Dan Markel’s Murder

In the Trial of Donna Adelson, the defense called their very first witness to the stand: longtime family friend Anne Elizabeth Cunningham. With roots tracing back to her friendship with Donna and Harvey Adelson since 2009, Cunningham painted a picture of Donna not as a criminal mastermind, but as a distraught mother and grandmother in shock after Dan Markel’s murder.

Cunningham testified that Donna was “quite hysterical” in the aftermath of Markel’s killing. Her words aimed to humanize Donna, showing her in a state of emotional unraveling rather than cold calculation. For jurors, this testimony matters because it’s the first real glimpse into how the defense plans to counter the prosecution’s theory that Donna orchestrated the murder-for-hire plot. By emphasizing Donna’s grief and confusion, the defense is trying to suggest she was blindsided by the events just like everyone else.

But there’s more here than just emotion. Every word is carefully chosen to influence perception. Cunningham’s testimony isn’t just about character—it’s about planting seeds of doubt in jurors’ minds. Was Donna truly the matriarch pulling strings, or was she just another family member swept up in tragedy?

This clip captures Cunningham’s full testimony, a pivotal moment marking the official start of the defense case in one of Florida’s most closely watched trials.

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