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Magbanua Pleads Not Guilty To First Degree Murder Charges In Markel Slaying

WFSU | By Lynn Hatter
Published December 6, 2016 at 4:13 PM EST
Broward County Jail

A trial date for the woman accused of helping orchestrate the murder of a Florida State University Law Professor has been set for February.

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Katherine Magbanua is pleading not guilty to first degree murder charges related to the slaying of FSU Law Professor Dan Markel. He was shot to death in 2014 in the car at Betton Hills home. Magbanua is the third person arrested in the case. She is the alleged link between the two men charged with murder in the case, and Markel’s in-laws.  

Magbanua dated the brother of Markel’s ex-wife, and has children with suspect Sigfredo Garcia. She is expected to ask for bond in a Friday hearing. Luis Rivera, the other man charged in the case, pled guilty to second degree murder in October in exchange for testifying against Garcia and Magbanua. Her trial date has been set for February 27th.
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Lynn Hatter
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Lynn Hatter is a Florida A&M University and Florida State University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master's in Professional Communication. Lynn has been with WFSU since 2007 with education and health care issues as her key coverage areas.  She has worked with several organizations, including Kaiser Health News.  Lynn has also partnered with USC-Annenberg's Center for Child Wellbeing on the nationally acclaimed series "Committed," which explored the prevalence of involuntary commitment use on children.
She serves on the board of RTDNA and the United Way of the Big Bend, with previous service on the board of the First Amendment Foundation of Florida.

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