Sartaj Singh
Helmed by Ryan Francis, ‘My Professor’s Deadly Secret’ is a Lifetime mystery thriller that revolves around a family betrayal that leads to the death of a professor, leaving her loved ones to piece together the truth. The movie introduces us to Helen (Nicole Marie Johnson) and her intelligent daughter, Lauren Swanson (Kayden Brenna Tokarski), as the two remain at odds with one another while grieving the loss of Helen’s sister, a professor. They team up with her colleague, Kristy Warren (Maddison Bullock), to discover the reality behind the incident, leading to disturbing revelations within their own family. The film builds suspense with a complex web of relationships between the characters, with striking twists unfolding as their motivations are discovered.
My Professor’s Deadly Secret is a Fictional Tale of Betrayal and Family Conspiracy
Written by Maddison Bullock, ‘My Professor’s Deadly Secret’ is an original work of fiction that does not take any direct inspiration from real-life events. The movie seeks to immerse the audience with its character development and hidden motivations. When asked what drew her to the movie in an interview with Survived the Shows, Kayden Brenna Tokarski said, “I was instantly hooked when I read the script. I don’t know. The first time I read it, I just absolutely loved my character. And my character is a math enthusiast, and I’ve never played a character like that. And also, I just loved all the twists and turns.” While ‘My Professor’s Deadly Secret’ is fictional, the real-life murder of a professor has taken place with the involvement of their extended family and a conspiracy by its members.
Real-Life Case of a Professor’s Murder with Thematic Parallels to My Professor’s Deadly Secret
In 2014, Dan Markel, a Florida State University professor, was shot outside his home in n Tallahassee, Florida, while sitting in his car. Markel had gone through a tense divorce with ex-wife Wendi Adelson in 2013 amid continued disputes over their children and claims that Wendi’s mother, Donna Adelson, was interfering in his life. Initially, Wendi denied any involvement, though suspicions lingered around the Adelson family. Over the years, more evidence emerged, implicating Charlie Adelson, Wendi’s brother, in the plot. Wendi Adelson’s former boyfriend, Jeffrey Lacasse, pointed the authorities toward Charlie Adelson by revealing that he had talked about having Markel murdered by gunmen.
Testimonies revealed that the motive centered on family disputes and a desire for Wendi to gain full custody of their children. Charlie Adelson took action seemingly of his own accord to remove Dan Markel from the picture and get his sister full custody. With the help of his then-girlfriend, Katherine Magbanua, Adelson hired two hitmen associated with the Latin Kings gang, Luis Rivera and Sigfredo Garcia. He paid them a large sum of money to shoot Markel. In 2019, Luis Rivera was sentenced to 19 years, while Sigfredo Garcia received life in prison. In 2022, Katherine Magbanua was sentenced to life in prison plus two consecutive 30-year sentences.
In 2023, Charlie Adelson was arrested trying to flee to Vietnam with his mother, Donna Adelson. The following year, nearly a decade after the shocking murder, he was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder with an additional 30 years each for solicitation and conspiracy convictions. Donna Adelson is charged with the same crimes, and her trial is slated to take place in 2024 or 2025. Wendi Adelson changed her children’s last names from Markel to Adelson and cut contact with her former in-laws. As the children’s grandparents, they had restrictive legal rights in Florida when it came to visitation. In response, the Markel Act was passed in 2022, giving grandparents standing access to courts under special circumstances. While ‘My Professor’s Deadly Secret’ is a fictional story, cases of complex family disputes resulting in conspiracy and murder are an unfortunate reality.
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