Extreme Punishment

The Chilling True Story of Acclaimed Law Professor Dan Markel’s Murder

By: Steven B. Epstein

Narrated by: Eddie Frierson

Length: 23 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

A devoted father. One of the most accomplished criminal law scholars in the country. Someone wanted him dead. But why?

On the morning of July 18, 2014, 41-year-old Florida State law professor Dan Markel dropped his boys off at preschool, hit the gym, and headed home to his quiet, tree-canopied neighborhood. Within seconds of pulling into his garage, two .38-caliber bullets fired from point-blank range were lodged in his brain.

His brutal slaying defied explanation. The case went stone cold for nearly two years before dogged pursuit by the Tallahassee Police and the FBI resulted in the arrest of two life-long criminals who had driven 10 hours from Miami with one singular purpose: to murder the esteemed professor. Were his ex-wife Wendi Adelson and her South Florida family the masterminds behind this horrific crime?

Extreme Punishment is the riveting story of a divorce between two law professors that spiraled out of control, wealthy in-laws hell-bent on revenge, an unlikely love triangle, and the relentless quest to bring Dan’s killers—all of them—to justice.

©2022 Steven B. Epstein (P)2024 Black Lyon Publishing

Critic reviews

“Empathetic, engrossing, and impeccably researched, Extreme Punishment is the single best piece of reporting I’ve read on the Dan Markel case. Like the best true crime books, it says as much about the law and society as it does about Dan’s murder and the subsequent trials. A genuine revelation.” (Matthew Shaer, creator and host of Wondery’s Over My Dead Body podcast)

“Extreme Punishment is a rich, detailed, well-researched telling of the murder of Dan Markel. But it’s not the crime that will keep you turning the pages in what will become a classic on the shelves of true crime enthusiasts. What makes this book special is the people involved in this twisted story, the wildly exciting characters you soon realize are just like you and your next-door neighbors. Maybe even your in-laws. Perhaps even your ex-spouse.” (Rod Kackley, award-winning journalist and author of 32 books including The Murder of Kelsey Berreth and The Murder of Thora Chamberlain)

”Steve Epstein’s sharp new true-crime rips the lid off the whole sensational story about a wrecked relationship gone horribly awry. Top notch.” (Ron Franscell, New York Times best-selling author of The Darkest Night and Shadowman)

Good book. Guys voice awful

The guys voice was irritating. The way he pronounced juror was getting on my nerves. Should have gotten Kevin pierce

Kinda long but overall..

It’s rather detailed, sometimes repetitive. But I almost stopped listening so many times because of hearing the narrator saying “juror” over and over and over.

Well researched, but..

The book was a detailed and comprehensive account, but the narration was so irritating it was difficult to get through. There were annoying mispronunciations of the most simple words consistently throughout. The voice was robotic. Attempts to speak in female voices were comical. And the sneering references to "baby mama" and "husband and wife" referring to Magbanua and Garcia were totally off putting. It was so distracting that I could only listen for short periods at a time. The author was not well served. I wonder if anyone listened to this before releasing it.

Great writing, problematic narration.

I’ve been following this case from day 1, as Dan’s friend and Tallahassee-an. Detailed biographies of all the “actors.”
Layperson-friendly analysis and assessments of attorneys’ strategies.
Excellent murder-crime writing.
Narrator- problems with diction, especially “jurors”.

Well researched and organized

loved hearing all the details of the case I hadnt beard before and the history o

Great Storytelling

Excellent writing, great storytelling and an important crime needing attention. The family of Dan Markell has suffered for years. His ex-wife and her family of murderers are despicable. Changing the sons’ last names? More despicable. Hopefully, the brother gets convicted and spends a lifetime behind bars.

Good Read

I really wanted to give this book 5 stars, but just couldn't. From the start until Chapter 7 I felt like I was listening to a newscaster give me a history lesson on the professor's life. That was way more background information than I needed to understand the story. I wish a different narrator had been used, this guy just kept a monotone newscaster voice for the entire book. I also didn't like how it ended. Now, once Chapter 7 began I felt like we were really able to get into the meat of the story. A very interesting one. What I came away learning/realizing is that it so true that family can be your worst enemy. I have loved the other books I've read by Mr. Epstein, but this one was a little bit of a struggle for me. I also noticed mispronunciations of a particular name, that's my pet peeve, I realize it won't affect most readers. I want to encourage people to read the book and make your own judgements.

Loved it!

For whatever reason, since I heard the podcast of this case, I can’t get enough of it. This book was great for me because, while I knew a lot of the facts, there was a lot in here I didn’t know. I actually loved the extraordinary background information on all of the “players”. Additionally, Professor Markel deserves to have his story told and not be forgotten in the trials of his killers. I think the book did that.

Fascinating!

Why are some people so awful? What makes a person hate so badly that they wish another dead? Or, is it just so self satisfying to not care about eliminating another's life just because you want to be closer to your family? This is a fascinating story, excellently and with great detail --- outstanding research by Steven Epstein. I really love the way he writes and this surely is the definitive account of the murder of law professor Dan Markel. It listens and reads almost like two books in one. The first 2/3 of the book lays out the story --- first with the gripping description of the Danny Markel murder and then with background on the entire cast of characters and the events leading up to and after this murder. Lots of turns before the final part of the book detailing the investigation and trial of those involved. As a fan of true crime this is a good one. The writing is superb and the narration is excellent. Highly recommended.

Robot reading

AI???? Can’t believe a human being is reading this book. A third grader would use more expression.