Man charged for murder of Toronto law professor Dan Markel

Markel’s death is being investigated as a murder-for-hire

Florida police charged a man for the murder of Toronto native Dan Markel, a law professor shot outside his home in 2014.

Tallahassee police on Thursday arrested Sigfredo Garcia, 34, and charged him with first-degree murder, the Tallahassee Democrat reported. Garcia has been arrested at least 22 times in Florida.

Markel’s death is being investigated as a murder-for-hire.

Markel, who graduated from Harvard University, was a popular 41-year-old professor at Florida State University at the time of his death. He was a well-known criminal law scholar and had been published in the New York Times and the Atlantic. He was also the founder of a popular legal issues blog called PrawfsBlawg.

He was also a father to two young boys.

READ: MURDERED LAW PROFESSOR ‘BROUGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER’

At the time of the shooting, investigators stated that Markel was the “intended target” in the shooting, adding that there was no evidence that the crime was a “random act.” At his funeral in Toronto, Markel was remembered as a respected professor, a devoted Jew, and a great friend.

“Danny was a person of strong principles and strong opinions,” said his sister, Shelly Markel. “Intelligent and articulate, he was proud of all his accomplishments, but there was one thing that towered above his pride; his commitment and love for his boys, Benjamin and Lincoln… He always knew his priority was his boys.”

According to the Tallahassee Democrat, Garcia’s previous arrests were for assaulting a police officer, aggravated assault with a weapon and car burglary among other charges.

Author

Support Our Mission: Make a Difference!

The Canadian Jewish News is now a Registered Journalism Organization (RJO) as defined by the Canada Revenue Agency. To help support the valuable work we’re doing, we’re asking for individual monthly donations of at least $10. In exchange, you’ll receive tax receipts, a thank-you gift of our quarterly magazine delivered to your door, and our gratitude for helping continue our mission. If you have any questions about the donating process, please write to [email protected].

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Support the Media that Speaks to You

Jewish Canadians deserve more than social media rumours, adversarial action alerts, and reporting with biases that are often undisclosed. The Canadian Jewish News proudly offers independent national coverage on issues that impact our audience each day, as a conduit for conversations that bridge generations. 

It’s an outlet you can count on—but we’re also counting on you.

Please support Jewish journalism that’s creative, innovative, and dedicated to breaking new ground to serve your community, while building on media traditions of the past 65 years. As a Registered Journalism Organization, contributions of any size are eligible for a charitable tax receipt.