Howell E. Donaldson III, The Alleged Seminole Heights Serial Killer Admitted He Owned Handgun Connected To Four Homicides

Donaldson was taken into custody after a McDonald's female employee tipped an officer that the suspect had left a weapon with the her.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

November 29, 2017

Tampa, Florida - On Wednesday, Brian Dugan, the Chief of Police for the Tampa Police Department confirmed that the suspected Seminole Heights serial killer Howell Emanuel Donaldson III, 24, who was arrested in connection with four homicides has admitted that he owned the Smith and Wesson .40 Cal handgun used in the four murders. Donaldson hasn't confessed to committing the homicides, but Chief Dugan and investigators are confident that Donaldson is the serial killer who within 51 days had randomly targeted four victims as they walked and in cold blood shot them to death. Donaldson has not revealed why he killed the four victims who he didn't even know, according to the ongoing police investigation.

Donaldson was booked at the Hillsborough County jail with four counts of premeditated 1st-degree murder, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

According to the criminal complaint, a female McDonald's employee contacted police after Donaldson left a bag with her and she managed to look inside and discovered a handgun. The McDonald's employee gave a police officer the bag and then arrested Donaldson shortly after on Tuesday around 2:30 p.m. at the 400 block of Franklin Street N as he was returning to the McDonald's restaurant in Ybor City.

The murder victims were identified as Benjamin Edward Mitchell, 22,  who was killed on October 9; Monica Caridad Hoffa, 32, was killed on October 13; Anthony Naiboa, 20, was killed on October 19 and Ronald Felton, 60, was killed on November 14. A $100,000 reward had been offered by Crime Stoppers Tampa Florida involving multiple law enforcement agencies for any information leading to the arrest of a murder suspect.