Accused Seminole Heights Killer Pleads Not Guilty

TAMPA, FL—The 24-year-old man accused of the shooting deaths of four people in Seminole Heights entered a not guilty plea this morning, Dec. 12, in the 13th Judicial Circuit Court of Hillsborough County.

Accused killer Howell Donaldson III waived his right to appear in court for this morning’s arraignment. However, the Public Defender’s Office presented his not guilty plea in writing to Judge Mark Wolfe on Donaldson’s behalf.

Last week, a grand jury returned an indictment against Donaldson on four counts of premeditated, first-degree murder in the shootings of Benjamin Mitchell, 22, Monica Hoffa, 32, Anthony Naiboa, 20, and Ronald Felton, 60, between Oct. 9 and Nov. 14.

In its findings, the grand jury concluded that there is probable cause that Donaldson committed the serial murders based on a semiautomatic pistol in Donaldson’s possession that has been linked through ballistics to the four murders; clothing with blood stains found in Donaldson’s car; a video of a suspect resembling Donaldson walking to and fleeing from the scene of the Oct. 9 murder of Benjamin Mitchell at a bus stop near North 15th Street and East Frierson Avenue; and cell phone records that place Donaldson near the scene of three of the murders.

Donaldson was formerly charged with the murders at this morning’s indictment. He remains in the Hillsborough County Jail after waiving a hearing to set bail.

Donaldson was arrested on Nov. 28 after his manager at the Ybor City McDonald's at 2101 E. 13th Ave., Gail Rogers, told police that Donaldson had a semiautomatic pistol stowed away in a McDonald's bag. She said Donaldson asked her to watch the bag while he went to get a payday loan at Amscot.

The Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office and Public Defender’s Office will continue to conduct interviews and gather evidence to support their cases. No trial date has been set.

Among the interviews the State Attorney’s Office hopes to conduct are interviews with Donaldson’s parents, Howell Donaldson Jr. and Rosita Donaldson. To date, the Donaldsons have refused to answers questions about their son’s mental history or mental state during the time the murders took place.

Their attorney, Ralph Fernandez, maintains that the parents should not be required to make statements that could lead to their son receiving the death penalty.

Judge Margaret Taylor has ordered the Donaldsons to return to court Jan. 5 to explain why they should not be held in contempt for refusing to answer the prosecution’s questions.

Fernandez said the Donaldsons have seen their son once since his arrest during a video conference.

“It was a short exchange of love and support,” Fernandez said.

Images via Octavio Jones/Tampa Bay Times via AP, Pool