Markel, 41, was an extremely talented and popular teacher and writer. He taught at Florida State University College of Law and the founder of Prawfsblawg, a popular legal blog. All such deaths without witnesses (called “unattended incidents”) are investigated as possible homicides. Police believe Markel was “targeted’ and murdered. He was found dead after a neighbor called police about hearing a “loud bang.” Markel left behind two young sons, ages 3 and 5. He was going through a divorce from his wife. He was known to be someone devoted to his children and to his academic work.
The police in Florida now have released the description of a car in the murder.
Surveillance photos captured the Prius, a 2006 to 2009 model with tinted windows and painted “Silver Pine Mica.” The police noted a number of identifying elements like a missing a tow-bolt cover on the front bumper, a mismatching black housing on the passenger-side mirror, and what appeared to be a toll transponder in the center of the windshield.
There is still a $25,000 reward through Crime Stoppers for anonymous tips about the case, as well as a new, separate reward of up to $100,000 from “an independent source” for information provided to police that leads to an arrest and conviction of the perpetrator.
Source: ABA Journal