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  1. #1
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    Howell Emanuel Donaldson III Sentenced to LWOP in 2017 FL Multiple Murders








    Police investigate 3rd suspicious death in Florida community

    By Associated Press

    TAMPA, Fla. – Police believe the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old autistic man who took the wrong bus home from work on Thursday night is linked to two other suspicious deaths in a Florida neighborhood.

    The deaths, which took place in the same neighborhood over the past 10 days, prompted Tampa police to warn residents in the Seminole Heights neighborhood not to walk alone at night. And they've asked residents to leave porch light and other external lights on at night.

    "Now we have someone terrorizing the neighborhood," Interim Tampa police Chief Brian Dugan said during a Friday news conference.

    He said the three victims have no ties to one another. Dugan asked the public to look at surveillance video of a man who was walking in the area on Oct. 9 when Benjamin Mitchell, 22, was killed. On Oct. 13, Monica Caridad
    Hoffa, 32, was found dead in a vacant lot.

    On Thursday night, officers were patrolling in the area when they heard gunshots. Dugan said they rushed to the area, where they found Anthony Taino Naiboa dead on the sidewalk, about 100 yards (91 meters) from where one of the other victims was killed.

    "You can imagine the frustration of these officers to hear gunshots and not be able to find this person," Dugan said. "He was in the prime of his life and was taken instantly."

    He said Naiboa's parents became worried Thursday and called police when he didn't come home.

    Investigators have few leads. Officers have blanketed the neighborhood, are talking to residents and showing them the video of the man walking.

    "It's clear to me that they're all linked," Dugan said. "I'm convinced we are going to catch this person. It's frustrating and it makes me angry they are able to vanish so quickly."

    He said the FBI and the Hillsborough and Pinellas county sheriff's officials have pledged support.

    http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/10/20...community.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  2. #2
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    Man arrested, to be charged in string of Tampa murders

    CBS News

    Tampa police said Tuesday night they had arrested a 24-year-old man and that he would be charged with murder in four shooting deaths in the Seminole Heights neighborhood that had stoked fears of a serial killer in the area.

    Howell Emanuel Donaldson III, 24, will be charged with four counts of first degree, premeditated murder in the killings of Benjamin Edward Mitchell, Monica Caridad Hoffa, Anthony Naiboa and Ronald Felton, Tampa police chief Brian Dugan said in a press conference Tuesday.

    Donaldson was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon at a McDonald's after another employee said he handed a gun to a manager, who then reached out to an officer in the building, CBS affiliate WTSP reports.

    "When I think I found out there was a gun, and when we looked at his description, it was a little more than what we really had," Dugan said. "It just felt right. I kinda had a feeling that we were going to get a break."

    Investigators are still determining Donaldson's connection to the neighborhood, Dugan said.

    "We're not sure why he was in this neighborhood," he said. "We're not aware what he ties are and we don't know what his motive is. But there is a lot more to go."

    CBS News correspondent Manuel Bojorquez reports that Donaldson is from the Tampa area, but also has connections to New York. The New York Police Department confirmed overnight that he was arrested in Manhattan in 2014, but they wouldn't say for what.

    He also attended Saint John's University in Queens.

    Police have been searching for the person - or people - responsible for shooting and killing four in the Seminole Heights neighborhood since Oct. 9. Police have said the shootings happened within close proximity to one another, aren't robberies and could be the work of a serial killer.

    Police had increased patrols in the neighborhood and released surveillance videos of a hooded suspect. In a security video taken moments after 22-year-old Benjamin Mitchell became the first victim on Oct. 9, the suspect is running from the scene.

    "I've come up with four reasons why this person is running," Dugan said last month. "One, they may be late for dinner. Two, they're out exercising. Three, they heard gunshots. And number four, they just murdered Benjamin Mitchell."

    Two days after Mitchell was shot, Monica Hoffa, 32, was gunned down. And on Oct. 19, Anthony Naiboa, 20, was shot after taking the wrong bus home from his new job. Police patrolling nearby heard the gunshots and rushed to the scene to find Naiboa dead.

    Police found the body of Ronald Felton, 60, in the street on Nov. 14. Police said Felton had been walking across the street to meet someone when the gunman came up behind him and fired.

    Seminole Heights is a working-class neighborhood northeast of downtown Tampa that's slowly becoming gentrified. Run-down homes sit next to renovated, historic bungalows, and trendy restaurants have sprung up near auto body shops.

    Residents and business owners have said there are car burglaries and fights between kids, but nothing like this.

    The department has received more than 5,000 tips. Dugan says he's optimistic but acknowledged previous leads have led to nothing.

    Donaldson's arrest happened during the kick off for the first annual "Light the Heights" event, WTSP reports.

    The holiday-themed effort to light every home with Christmas lights is the latest to brighten up the area with light – as well as some holiday cheer.

    "We have a goal of having every house in our neighborhood lit up to bring a positive light to our neighborhood," organizer Courtney Bumgarnar told WTSP.

    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/howell-...serial-killer/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Seminole Heights Killings: Timeline of events that led to arrest of Howell Emanuel Donaldson III

    By Mary Stringini
    ABC News

    TAMPA, Fla. -- Newly released arrest documents show the timeline and incriminating evidence that led to the arrest of the man they say shot and killed four people since October in Seminole Heights.

    According to the arrest affidavit obtained from the Tampa Police department, the events were as followed:

    October 9

    Benjamin Mitchell was shot four times at approximately 9 p.m., he died as a result of his wounds. Mitchell was waiting at a Hartline bus stop, on North 15th Street, at the time. Police say that two fired SIG brand Smith and Wesson .40 caliber cartridge casings were recovered from the scene. Video surveillance recovered from a nearby residence captured a person walking eastbound along the 1300 block of East Frierson Avenue towards North 15th Street, approximately 8 to 10 minutes before the murder.

    Police say that the video surveillance shows the person on a cell phone device while he was walking. Footage from the same video surveillance system captured the same individual running westbound in the 1300 block of East Frierson Avenue, within twenty-five seconds of the murder.

    A witness called 911 immediately after the murder and provided a sworn statement to law enforcement that she had seen an African-American man running westbound in the 1300 block of East Frierson Avenue away from the scene of the murder.

    October 11

    At approximately 8:47 p.m., Tampa Police responded to 911 calls referencing gunshots in the area of North 11th Street at the intersection of East New Orleans Avenue.

    October 13

    Monica Hoffa was found shot to death in an overgrown lot on the southwest corner of East New Orleans Avenue at the North 11th Street intersection. Police say that Hoffa was shot three times.

    Five fired SIG brand Smith and Wesson .40 caliber cartridge casings were found in the area.

    A friend of Hoffa's provided a sworn statement to law enforcement that he was on his way to meet Hoffa, on October 11, at around the same time of the reported gunfire. The same friend stated that he never met up with Hoffa and that he never heard from her, according to the arrest affidavit.

    October 19

    At approximately 7:57 p.m., Anthony Naiboa was shot and killed by a single fired round to his head. Naiboa was northbound, walking along the east side of the 5100 block of North 15th Street, when he was killed in the driveway of a local residence.

    Police say that a single SIG brand Smith and Wesson .40 caliber cartridge casing was found at the scene.

    November 14

    At 4:50 a.m., Ronald Felton was shot and killed while crossing North Nebraska Avenue, in the 5100 block.

    Four SIG brand Smith and Wesson .40 caliber fired cartridge casing were recovered from the scene.

    A witnessed provided a sworn statement to law enforcement that she saw an African-American male shoot Felton. The same witness told police that the suspect ran eastbound in the 900 block of East McBerry Street. The witness described the male as approximately 6-feet tall with a thin, strong build.

    Video surveillance footage from a nearby business shows a single suspect shoot Felton as he crossed Nebraska Avenue.

    All four murders took place in the Southeast Seminole Heights neighborhood of Tampa.

    The F.D.L.E. and A.T.F. analysis of the fired cartridge casings recovered from all four scenes proved that the same firearm was used to shoot all four victims. The casings were further identified as being fired in a Glock .40 caliber handgun.

    November 28

    Around 2:38 p.m., a third witness approached a Tampa Police officer while the officer was at the McDonald's in Ybor City. The witness told the officer that an employee, 24-year-old Howell Emanuel Donaldson III, handed the witness a McDonald's food bag with a gun in it. Tampa Police officers checked the bag's contents and found a .40 caliber Glock firearm loaded with SIG brand Smith and Wesson ammunition.

    The witness told police that Donaldson expressed his intention to leave the state.

    Donaldson was an employee at the same McDonald's. He had since departed the restaurant, prior to the firearm's discovery, and returned shortly thereafter. When he returned, Tampa police detained him for questioning.

    ABC Action News got exclusive video when Donaldson was taken into custody on Tuesday:

    Donaldson agreed to meet at Police Headquarters to provide a statement regarding the firearm. When he spoke with police, they repeatedly told him that he had the right to leave and/or end the conversation. The arrest affidavit says that Donaldson gave consent to conduct a search of his car and cell phone as well as permission to examine his firearm at the F.D.L.E. laboratory.

    Police say that Donaldson admitted to buying the Glock firearm and ammunition from Shooter's World on Fletcher Avenue in September. Donaldson further attested to the fact that no one, except for himself, had control of the Glock firearm since he purchased it.

    Donaldson told police that he was unfamiliar with the Seminole Heights neighborhood, and did not have any association with anyone in the area, according to the arrest affidavit.

    Incriminating Evidence

    Cell Phone Locations

    When police searched Donaldson's cell phone, it revealed storage of location data, known as "significant locations," which police say revealed an address in the 1300 block of East Frierson Avenue. The location data indicated only three days of recorded times and activities.

    Those dates were:

    October 9, 2017: Between 8:47 and 9:02 p.m.

    October 11, 2017: Between 8:18 and 8:42 p.m.

    October 19, 2017: Between 7:51 and 7:58 p.m.

    During the ongoing investigation related to the pattern of the homicides, call detail records were obtained from AT&T. The records showed that within minutes of the murders on October 9, October 11, and October 19, Davidson's cell phone was geographically associated with the AT&T cell tower providing coverage for the areas that include all the homicide locations.

    Clothing Found in Car

    When police searched Donaldson's car, they found clothing that looked similar to the clothes worn by the subject captured in surveillance video the night Benjamin Mitchell was murdered. The arrest affidavit states that police saw what appeared to be a blood stain on an article of clothing.

    The Firearm

    The F.D.L.E. comparison of the Glock firearm to the cartridge casings revealed that the cartridge casings, which were recovered in the first three murders, were fired in the Glock firearm. The casings in the fourth murder were unavailable for comparison but had been previously identified as being fired in the same firearm as the three. The Glock firearm, as recovered, was loaded with a magazine, which contained five unfired rounds of SIG brand Smith and Wesson .40 caliber ammunition.

    Investigation into the firearm's purchase revealed that Donaldson purchased the firearm on October 3, 2017, and he picked it up on October 7. His purchase was in accordance with the mandatory wait period, which requires three days between purchase and delivery of a firearm, according to the Florida Constitution.

    Receipts of purchased further revealed that Donaldson purchased a 20-round box of SIG brand Smith and Wesson ammunition on October 7.

    Arrest

    Police arrested Howard and charged him with four counts of First-Degree murder in connection to the murders of Benjamin Mitchell, Monica Hoffa, Anthony Naiboa and Ronald Felton.

    Post Miranda

    After police read Donaldson his Miranda rights, the confronted him with the evidence asking for an explanation. Donaldson did not give an explanation and asked for the presence of an attorney.

    http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/re...-donaldson-iii
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  4. #4
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    Whats to consider here. The guys a serial killer...sigh..

    Hillsborough State Attorney considering death penalty for accused Seminole Heights killer


    By Jeff Patterson
    WFLA News

    TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Howell Donaldson III stood in court today, flanked by sheriff’s deputies. He wore a green suicide vest, with his hands and feet bound by shackles.

    Donaldson listened as a Hillsborough County judge advised him of his rights and the charges he now faces.

    Donaldson is accused of four counts of first degree murder in the deaths of Benjamin Mitchell, 22, Monica Hoffa, 32, Anthony Naiboa, 20, and Ronald Felton, 60.

    Hoffa’s family and the family of Anthony Naiboa say they want Donaldson to be put to death under Florida law if he is convicted.

    The decision will be up to Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren.

    “I’m as shocked and angry as the entire community and my heart goes out to the victims and their families. The death penalty should be reserved for the worst of the worst offenders in our society and generally speaking, a serial killer would qualify, but it is my duty to follow the law,” said Warren.

    The State Attorney says he will consider Donaldson’s age, his mental well being and the fact he allegedly killed four people to make his decision.

    “I will evaluate all of the aggravating and mitigating evidence in this case to determine whether there is a legal basis to seek the death penalty,” said Warren.

    http://wfla.com/2017/11/30/hillsboro...eights-killer/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  5. #5
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    I don't think so. Two of the families want the DP.

    The DA is a democrat and has stated it would only be sought in extreme cases but has not said that it would never be sought.

    The fact that Governor Scott was at the news conference about his arrest is a direct message to the DA that this needs to be a DP case.

    The only way I see him getting a plea is if all the families agree to it.
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Eerily similar Tampa serial killer cases a century apart

    By Paul Guzzo
    The Tampa Bay Times

    TAMPA — It is a horrific case of local déjà vu.

    Twice, a man in his early 20s has stalked the streets of Tampa under cloak of darkness, used a gun to snatch the lives of random victims, was identified in Ybor City under odd circumstances and arrested in November.

    The second instance has played out over the last two months, culminating in the arrest this week of 24-year-old Howell Emanuel Donaldson III, who is charged with four murders in Seminole Heights.

    The first killer — Robert Anderson — roamed the streets a century ago.

    "I am stunned history is repeating itself with such detail," said Angela Alderman, who while researching her family's genealogy learned her uncle Florentino Martinez was shot by the 22-year-old Anderson. "This is very tragic and scary that Tampa had to go through this again."

    Local historians think Anderson was likely Tampa's first serial killer. In all, he killed at least 10 people.

    The first body was found on Christmas Eve in 1911, along the Hillsborough River, according to news reports of the time.

    Over the next month, three more dead men — two African-Americans and one Latino — were discovered in the same area.

    Then a few months of silence, until a letter written by an anonymous black man was sent to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

    The author didn't take responsibility for the murders, but said that if white men did not stop "having relations" with the black women who lived on Fifth Avenue he would burn the city to the ground. He tried to live up to his word.

    Over the next two months, nearly 100 homes were set on fire in the African-American community of The Scrubs located on the outskirts of downtown.

    Then he destroyed a more prominent target: The original and wooden Centro Asturiano social club building in Ybor City was destroyed via arson.

    A man was seen running from some fires, but he hid his identity by wearing a woman's wig and dress.

    In the middle of 1912, the man nicknamed "The Ybor City Fire Bug" wrote a second letter to law enforcement, taking credit for the arson and Hillsborough River murders and promising more deaths would come.

    It was 9 p.m. on July 4, 1912 when Alderman's uncle Martinez, while he stood on a corner in Ybor, was shot in the back. The bullet passed through his kidney and out his body.

    "He needed a miracle to survive surgery," Alderman said.

    He somehow did, but future victims were not so lucky.

    Again, like the man who terrorized Seminole Heights this year, victims were chosen arbitrarily.

    Most of the murders were in The Scrubs: Two black women were killed as they relaxed on different occasions on their front porches, one was shot through an open window while she sat inside her home and Anderson walked into another African-American woman's living room to murder her.

    Anderson also slew a Latin man standing outside an Ybor store and a black male psychiatric patient by shooting him through an open window of a ward.

    Then, in September 1912, Anderson, in broad daylight, shot at and missed a white police officer patrolling The Scrubs. Anderson got away, but the officer had a description: around 5-foot-6, 150 pounds, and "ginger black" skin tone.

    A month later, officers approached Anderson as he hung outside an Ybor bar and said he looked like the serial killer. Anderson invited them to search his apartment to prove his innocence.

    The invitation, equal parts confounding and exceptionally risky, again draws parallels to the recent Seminole Heights killings. In that case, the 24-year-old charged with four counts of first-degree murder asked a fellow Ybor City McDonald's employee to look after a paper bag containing a loaded gun that police say was used in the crimes.

    In Anderson's apartment, the officers found a gun, bullets matching those at murder scenes, a woman's wig, fake eyelashes and a dress.

    But before they could arrest Anderson, he ran and escaped.

    For a month, a state-wide manhunt ensued. A reward of $2,200 was offered.

    In early November, Anderson was arrested in Jacksonville.

    The trial was quick, as was the execution order. On November 22, Anderson was hung in front of an audience at the Hillsborough County jail yard and the rope was divvied up among the onlookers for souvenirs.

    http://www.tbo.com/news/publicsafety...-apart/2345552

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    Attorneys: Seminole Heights murder suspect might be mentally ill

    Attorneys for the man accused of four Seminole Heights murders want a psychologist to determine if their client is mentally ill.

    The lawyers filed a formal request Tuesday asking a judge to appoint a doctor to assess whether Howell Emanuel Donaldson III might be incompetent to stand trial due to mental illness.

    A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Wednesday before Circuit Judge Mark Wolfe.

    The court paper, filed by Assistant Public Defender Charles Traina, states that Donaldson might not be capable of understanding the court proceedings or assisting in his own legal defense. It does not specify what Donaldson’s mental condition might be.

    Traina requested that the judge appoint Richard Carpenter, a psychologist, to examine the defendant.

    Prosecutors have declared their intent to seek the death penalty against Donaldson, 25. He is accused in the random shootings of four people, which occurred over several weeks in October and November in Tampa’s southeast Seminole Heights neighborhood. The killings of Benjamin Mitchell, Monica Hoffa, Anthony Neiboa, and Ronald Felton, captured national attention as police proclaimed the murders were the work of a serial killer.

    Donaldson was arrested in late November after he gave a bag that held a handgun to a coworker at a McDonald’s restaurant in Ybor City, where he worked. The gun was the same one used in all four killings, police said. Data records from Donaldson’s cell phone also placed him near the scene of the murders.

    In a January news conference to announce his intent to seek the death penalty, Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren said there was no evidence that Donaldson was mentally ill.

    If he is declared mentally incompetent, Donaldson will not be off the hook for the criminal charges. Typically, mentally ill defendants are sent to a state hospital for treatment. When doctors decide that they are well enough to be declared competent, they return to court and the case against them continues.

    http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/...-ill_167619898
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

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    Papa Don’t Snitch: Parents of Alleged Serial Killer Arrested for Not Cooperating With Prosecutors

    The recent case of an alleged serial killer in Tampa, Fla., raises an interesting question—namely, should parents be forced to participate in the conviction of their child if it could quite literally mean the death of their offspring? Would your mother do it? Could you snitch out your own child? More importantly, in this specific scenario, who gives the stitches?

    A Florida judge has placed the parents of suspected serial killer Howell Donaldson III under house arrest for refusing to testify against their son, who is charged with four counts of first-degree murder. The Tampa Bay Times reports that Judge Mark Wolfe found Howell Donaldson Jr. and Rosita Donaldson, the parents of the suspect, to be in indirect contempt of court and sentenced them to six months home confinement.

    The judge notes that prosecutors have not asked the parents to incriminate their son. The state attorney says they only want to discuss the son’s past history, mental well-being and whereabouts at the time of the crimes. Still, the Donaldsons have refused to cooperate in any way.

    “The defendants have willfully and intentionally refused to provide truthful testimony as ordered through the investigative subpoena and the judge’s order,” Wolfe said.

    State Attorney Andrew Warren says he believes his prosecution team has enough evidence to prosecute the crime, but they are fearful that the accused murderer’s parents could remain silent throughout the hearing and provide an alibi after he is convicted.

    “If they’re going to come up with some excuse for on the night of this murder he was home eating pizza with us, the community, the victims’ families and the State Attorney’s Office have a right to hear that,” Warren said.

    I’m pretty sure that the responsibility of removing the possibility of reasonable doubt in a prosecution belongs to the person whose job title is “prosecutor.” I’m not a legal scholar or anything, but I watched 1,023,744 episodes of Law & Order, which is the same as an associates degree in lawyering.

    While every state has laws against forcing spouses to testify against each other, only certain states have similar laws protecting parents from having to testify against their children. Of course, Florida is not one of those states because everything goes in Florida. A crocodile can get a driver’s license in Florida. You can get butt implants in convenience stores in Florida. A 19-year-old can buy an AR-15 from a vending machine in Florida.

    The parents will be confined to their home for a period of six months, which will be lifted if they decide to cooperate with the state. At the end of the term, which ends on Aug. 14, state attorneys will decide whether or not to pursue further punishment.

    Prosecutors have stated that they will seek the death penalty against 24-year-old Howell Donaldson III for the deaths of Benjamin Mitchell, 22; Monica Hoffa, 32; Anthony Naiboa, 20; and Ronald Felton, 60, during a 51-day period which terrorized the Tampa neighborhood of Seminole Heights.

    https://www.theroot.com/papa-dont-sn...rre-1823189835
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

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    Accused Seminole Heights killer was arrested one year ago today

    By Daniel Figueroa IV
    The Tampa Bay Times

    One year ago today, a nearly two-month reign of terror in Tampa’s Seminole Heights neighborhood -- an otherwise hip and happy bastion of trendy eateries, cozy Craftsman bungalows and old Florida roots -- came to an end.

    Someone had been on the loose with a murderous thirst. Seemingly random killings became linked by the same .40 caliber shell casings found at the scene of each homicide. Shell casings police said match a gun found in a bag by an Ybor City McDonald’s manager on Nov. 18, 2017. A gun that belongs to her then-employee Howell Donaldson III, the man who, for the last year, has been in jail accused of being the Seminole Heights killer.

    He faces four charges of murder in the first degree for allegedly killing Benjamin Mitchell, 22; Monica Hoffa, 32; Anthony Naiboa, 20; and Ronald Felton, 60, between Oct. 9 and Nov. 14.

    The slayings captured the attention of the nation and were a cause for concern and frustration throughout Tampa. Before the arrest, Mayor Bob Buckhorn told police to “bring his head to me” and after, he called for the death penalty, a decision that will be left to State Attorney Andrew Warren.

    Since the arrest, interviews and investigations revealed a man seemingly spiraling out of control, losing a hold on life, falling down. His public defenders in April challenged his competency to stand trial because of suspected mental illness. In late July, he was determined competent to stand trial.

    The next disposition hearing is scheduled for Jan. 19, 2019. Legal experts previously told the Tampa Bay Times it could take up to three years for the legal saga to end.

    The victims:

    Benjamin Edward Mitchell — Mitchell was heading to his girlfriend's house around 9 p.m. Oct. 9, 2017. He was waiting for a bus near 15th Street and E. Frierson Avenue when he was shot and killed.

    Monica Caridad Hoffa — Four days and barely half of a mile from Mitchell's slaying, on Oct. 13, Hoffa's body was found by a Tampa landscaping crew along the 1000 block of E. New Orleans Avenue. Police believe she was shot and killed a day or two before while walking to a friend's house

    Anthony Naiboa — Naiboa, a Bronx native who was diagnosed with autism and ADHD, took the wrong bus home on the evening of Oct. 19. He was shot and killed sometime around 8 p.m. near 15th Street and Wilder Avenue.

    Ronald Felton — The shootings stopped for nearly a month as fear and frustration heightened. Then, on Nov. 14, Fenton was crossing N. Nebraska Avenue near E. Caracas Street when he was shot from behind. He was on his way to volunteer at the New Seasons Apostolic Ministries food bank, where he'd spent 10 years helping to feed families in need.

    https://www.tampabay.com/news/public...oday-20181128/
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

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    Seminole Heights killings suspect complains of health problems in jail, asks judge for help

    The routine court appearance Tuesday was the first time Howell Emanuel Donaldson III has spoken publicly at length since he was accused in the four murders more than a year ago

    By Dan Sullivan
    Tampa Bay Times

    TAMPA — Howell Emanuel Donaldson III says jail is making him sick.

    The man accused in the shooting deaths of four people in Tampa's southeast Seminole Heights neighborhood asked a judge Tuesday to have a doctor examine him, saying his 427 days of incarceration have damaged his health.

    "Since I've been in jail, I've had unfortunate things happen to me," Donaldson said. "Since I've been in there I've become physically ill. ... I'm just asking for you to just get me some help, some professional help."

    Donaldson's plea, which came at the end of a routine court hearing Tuesday, was the first time he has spoken at length publicly since his arrest. Standing in a jury box before a crowded courtroom, he complained to Hillsborough Circuit Judge Mark Wolfe about unspecified ailments.

    "I'm an ex-college athlete and it's hard for me to stand right now," he said.

    Long before he was accused, Donaldson played college basketball for St. John's University in New York. He graduated in January of 2017 and returned to Tampa. His friends would later tell police he seemed troubled in the months before his arrest, but no one could explain why.

    A pair of mental health experts previously evaluated Donaldson and found him competent to stand trial. On Tuesday, he said his problems are physical.

    "I know my body. I know I'm a strong guy," he said. "I'm 26 years old. I shouldn't be feeling like I'm 96 years old."

    He asked the judge to send him to a doctor outside the jail for a checkup. "I feel like if I'm in there much longer, my heart and my body won't be able to last," he said.

    Wolfe said he would order a medical evaluation from the Hillsborough County jail. If jail doctors find Donaldson has physical problems, the Public Defender's Office would file a motion requesting any necessary treatment, the judge said.

    Donaldson faces four counts of first-degree murder in separate, seemingly random shootings of Benjamin Mitchell, Monica Hoffa, Anthony Naiboa and Ronald Felton during October and November 2017. The killings, which were linked through ballistic evidence, terrified the southeast Seminole Heights neighborhood and attracted national attention.

    Donaldson was arrested Nov. 28 of that year after police said he gave a gun to a co-worker at a McDonald's restaurant in Ybor City. Police later said the gun was consistent with the weapon used in all four killings.

    Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

    Along with his health complaints, Donaldson also asked Tuesday to be present at all his future court hearings. He missed some previous hearings after his attorneys waived his appearance.

    But he wants to know what's going on, he said. The judge declined his request to have the court pay for transcripts of the missed hearings. But Wolfe told Donaldson he had a right to attend future hearings.

    Attorneys for the state and defense told the judge they were still in the early stages of examining witnesses before trial.

    Of the more than 300 witnesses in the case, only three have undergone pretrial depositions so far. That means a trial is still a long way off.

    Public Defender Julianne Holt told the judge that her office was meeting this week to develop a plan on how to handle to mountain of work still to be done. The judge asked her to send him a memo next week to more precisely define how long the pretrial work might take.

    https://www.tampabay.com/news/public...help-20190129/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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