Howell Emanuel Donaldson III, the serial killer suspect who stands accused of murdering four people in southeast Seminole Heights last year, could face the death penalty, which Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren is seeking in the case, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
The 24-year-old was charged with four counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of 22-year-old Benjamin Mitchell, 32-year-old Monica Hoffa, 20-year-old Anthony Naiboa and 60-year-old Ronald Felton, all of whom were killed within 11 days of each other in October last year, The Washington Post noted.
No motive was given for the murders and Donaldson had no criminal record when he was arrested in November.
After reviewing the evidence and speaking to the families, Warren said on Tuesday that he had decided to pursue the death penalty, which is reserved for "the most aggravated and least mitigated capital offenses," noting that this case, "in which the defendant murdered four innocent victims, in a cold, calculated and premeditated manner, qualifies."
He noted that Donaldson committed the murders in a "cold, calculated and premeditated manner," and did so despite there being no evidence to any prior mental illness or any other mitigating factor that would "give us pause about our decision to go forward," according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Warren said that the victim's families were central to the decision.
Both Hoffa and Anthony Naiboa's family members were advocating for the death penalty but Mitchell and Felton's families wanted life in prison, ABC News said.
Despite this, Warren said "all of the victims' families were OK with the choice to proceed with the death sentence," the Tampa Bay Times reported.
"No matter what we can't resolve the pain with death penalty or not," said Hoffa's cousin, Yury Gutierrez, per ABC News. "Again there's consequences for actions and it's good that people know that."
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