If you’ve been following the Dan Markel murder case—and let’s be honest, it’s one of the most twisted true crime sagas in recent Florida history—you know the name Charlie Adelson. The "Maestro." The periodontist who seemingly had everything: the Ferrari, the beach house, and the high-flying lifestyle of a South Florida bachelor. But while the trials focused on the brutal 2014 hit on his former brother-in-law, a smaller, more personal question often pops up in the comments sections of Court TV and Reddit: Does Charlie Adelson have a child?
The short answer is yes. But like everything else with this family, the details are messy, private, and tucked away behind a life sentence in a maximum-security prison.
Charlie Adelson’s Secret Son: What We Know
While the media was laser-focused on his sister Wendi’s children—the two boys at the center of the relocation dispute that sparked a murder—Charlie was actually starting a family of his own.
Reports from the trial and various investigative outlets, including Florida Politics, confirmed that Charlie fathered a son. This wasn't something he shouted from the rooftops during his dental career. In fact, many of his casual acquaintances and even some "girlfriends" from that era were reportedly unaware he had a child.
Honestly, it feels like a bit of a contradiction. Here’s a man who helped orchestrate a murder-for-hire plot specifically so his mother, Donna, could be closer to her grandsons. Yet, by all accounts, Charlie wasn't exactly a "hands-on" dad himself.
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He wasn't married to the mother. He didn't live with the child. According to legal journalists covering the Tallahassee courtroom, Charlie "fathered a son" but wasn't particularly "burdened" by the day-to-day responsibilities of full-time parenting. He was too busy running a dental practice and, well, managing the aftermath of a conspiracy.
The Mystery of the Mother
There’s a lot of speculation about who the mother of Charlie's child is. Most people automatically think of Katherine Magbanua. She’s the woman who acted as the "bridge" between Charlie and the hitmen. She’s also currently serving a life sentence.
But here’s the thing: Katie Magbanua has two children, and their father is Sigfredo Garcia—the man who actually pulled the trigger. That’s the wild part. Charlie was dating the woman who was the mother of the hitman’s kids. Talk about a "too-strange-to-be-fiction" scenario.
So, who is the mother of Charlie's actual son? Her identity has been kept largely out of the spotlight. She hasn't been a major witness in the trials, and unlike Katie or Charlie’s later girlfriend June Umchinda, she seems to have chosen the path of total privacy. You've gotta respect that, especially considering the media circus that has followed the Adelsons for over a decade.
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Why Does It Matter?
You might wonder why people are so curious about whether a convicted murderer has kids. It’s not just gossip. It goes to the heart of the "Adelson dynamic."
The prosecution’s entire case against Charlie and his mother, Donna Adelson (who was convicted in late 2025), was built on the idea of family obsession. They argued that the Adelsons were so obsessed with "the legacy" and having the kids nearby that they were willing to kill for it.
- The Irony: Charlie helped kill a man so his nephews could be closer to the family.
- The Outcome: Charlie is now in prison for life. He won't see his own son grow up.
- The Family Tree: Robert Adelson, the oldest brother, is estranged. Wendi has the two boys but is under a cloud of suspicion. Charlie is behind bars.
Basically, the very family unit they tried to "save" or "control" through violence has been completely shattered.
The Future of the Adelson Kids
There are three "generations" of kids caught in this crossfire. First, there are Dan Markel’s sons. They were just toddlers when their father was killed in his garage. Now, they are teenagers living with Wendi. Their grandmother is in prison. Their uncle is in prison. Their grandfather, Harvey, is the only one left in the Miami condo.
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Then there’s Charlie’s son. He’s growing up with a father who is a permanent resident of the Florida Department of Corrections.
Breaking the Cycle
If there’s any "actionable" takeaway from this tragedy, it’s about the impact of parental choices on the next generation. Experts in criminal psychology often look at the Adelson case as a textbook example of "enmeshment." This is when family boundaries are so blurred that one person's problem becomes everyone's problem—even if that "solution" is a crime.
If you’re following this case, the best thing to do is look at the court transcripts and the actual evidence presented in the Leon County trials. It provides a much clearer picture than the rumors you see on TikTok.
- Check the Timeline: Charlie was convicted in November 2023.
- The Appeals: As of early 2026, he is still fighting for a new trial, but his chances are slim.
- Grandparents' Rights: Florida actually passed a law (partly due to the Markels' advocacy) that allows grandparents visitation rights when one parent is responsible for the death of the other.
Charlie Adelson has a son, but that son will likely only know his father through glass partitions or recorded jail calls. It's a sobering end to a story that started with a "fixer" trying to solve a family problem with a gun.
To stay truly informed on the legal status of the remaining family members, keep an eye on the Florida Department of Corrections inmate population search and the Leon County Clerk of Courts for the latest filings in the ongoing appeals. Understanding the legal reality of these convictions is the only way to cut through the sensationalism and see the real human cost of the Adelson family's choices.