Audio storytelling

Chasity launched her newsroom's first long-form narrative podcast. 'Hit Close to Home' details the decade-long investigation into the 2014 murder of Dan Markel, a young father and professor at Florida State University in Tallahassee.

Introducing ‘Hit Close to Home,’ a podcast by WCTV on the Dan Markel murder case

In ‘Hit Close to Home,’ host Chasity Maynard takes listeners through a comprehensive retelling of the murder-for-hire that shattered two families and shocked the Tallahassee community

Ten years ago, WCTV responded to a tragic crime scene.

Dan Markel, a young professor and father, was fatally shot in his own home.

Since then, the state has put four people behind bars in the killing.

WCTV’s new podcast ‘Hit Close to Home’ is a comprehensive retelling of the murder-for-hire that shattered two families and shocked the Tallahassee community. It’s written and hosted by Chasity Maynard, the head of investigations at WCTV. She edited and produced it in collaboration with photojournalist Sam Thomas.

Markel’s homicide has been covered exhaustively. But as we passed the 10-year mark since the crime, WCTV wanted to revisit the story. ‘Hit Close to Home’ chronicles the saga from start to finish — with all the details — from a team based in Markel’s hometown that has done the legwork from the very beginning.

Maynard was there when multiple co-conspirators were convicted, and she will report from the courtroom during Donna Adelson’s trial, too.