Florida State law professor was killed in his car

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A neighbor found a Florida State University law professor bleeding from a gunshot to the head in the driver's seat of his car in his garage, and the window had been smashed, according to a 911 call released Monday.

The 911 call to the Tallahassee Fire Department was made by a neighbor who was the first to find professor Daniel Markel, who was shot July 18. Markel was pronounced dead at a hospital. His death has been shrouded in mystery, with police releasing few details about the killing other than saying Markel was the shooter's intended target.

The neighbor told authorities he went to Markel's home after hearing a loud bang. The 41-year-old father of two did not respond to the neighbor but was moving. The keys were in the car, and the door was unlocked.

The neighbor saw what appeared to be a white or silver Toyota Prius driving away.

Police have asked for help in finding the vehicle of interest, though they had declined to confirm whether it was a Prius.

Markel was born in Toronto and was a 2001 graduate of Harvard Law School. He practiced white-collar criminal defense and civil litigation before joining the Florida State law school as a faculty member in 2005. He was tenured in 2010.

Police are attempting to contact anyone with a connection to Markel or anyone that saw him in several areas of Tallahassee the day of the shooting or the previous day. CrimeStoppers has offered a $3,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Tallahassee Police Department's tip line at (850)-891-4462 or CrimeStoppers at (850)-574-TIPS.