Florida police seek vehicle in shooting death of Toronto-born lawyer
Posted July 26, 2014 1:02 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Police in Florida have released a photo of a vehicle of interest in connection with the shooting death of a Toronto-born law professor.
Dan Markel, 41, was shot at his home at 2116 Trescott Dr. in the Betton Hills neighbourhood of Tallahassee, Fla., on July 19, and died the next day.
Police said they treating his death as a homicide.
According to a report by The Associated Press, detectives with the Tallahassee Police Department said Markel was shot in the head, but didn’t say whether he was shot from the front or back. Police Chief Michael DeLeo believes it was a premeditated murder.
Police also said he was shot in broad daylight, and are asking anyone in the area with security camera footage to contact them.
According to a four-page redacted police report, the specific location of the crime was in the garage, and Markel’s keys were found in his black 2008 Honda Accord.
Although investigators released a photo of a vehicle of interest in the case, they stress that it’s “only a vehicle of interest, as it may have been a resident, passerby or delivery driver.”
In the police report, a witness who was inside a nearby residence told police he or she heard a loud “bang” or “pop” and then upon looking outside saw a white or silver car, and further described it as as being “small, clean, and possibly a newer model” and a “Prius, or a Prius ‘type’ of vehicle.”
So far, police have received more than 50 tips and are offering a reward of $3,000 for any information leading to an arrest in the case.
“Our investigators are using all resources available to them and are continuing to explore all of the tips that we have received,” Chief DeLeo said in a statement.
Read the police report below.
A funeral for Markel was held in Toronto on Thursday. He leaves behind two young sons, Benjamin and Lincoln.
Markel had emigrated to Florida to teach law at Florida State University. He specialized in criminal law and the philosophy of punishment.
He and his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, divorced in 2013, and had shared custody of their children.
