Howell Emanuel Donaldson III
Howell Emanuel "Trai" Donaldson III (born January 26, 1993) is a serial killer who was convicted of the 2017 murders of three men and one woman around the Seminole Heights neighborhood of Tampa, Florida. All four victims were shot dead seemingly at random. Prior to his arrest, the media called the killer the Seminole Heights serial killer.
Howell Emanuel Donaldson III | |
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Donaldson in a 2023 prison photograph | |
| Born | January 26, 1993 |
| Other names |
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| Conviction(s) |
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| Criminal penalty | 4 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole |
| Details | |
| Victims | 4 |
Span of crimes | October 9 – November 14, 2017 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Florida |
Date apprehended | November 28, 2017 |
| Imprisoned at | Avon Park Correctional Institution |
On November 28, 2017, police arrested Donaldson after he handed a pistol in a bag to his manager at the McDonald's where he worked and instructed her to bury the bag without opening it. Subsequent investigation revealed that the pistol may have fired the bullets used in the killings and that Donaldson's cell phone had been in the vicinity of the killings at the relevant times, while a search of Donaldson's vehicle found clothing similar to that seen in surveillance footage of the killing.
On that basis, police charged Donaldson with four counts of murder. Donaldson stated that the pistol belonged to him but did not state whether he had committed the killings. Donaldson was indicted on the charges on December 7, 2017. He pleaded not guilty to all charges five days later.
On January 23, 2018, Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren announced his office would seek the death penalty against Donaldson. Donaldson's trial was set for August 2023. On May 1, 2023, Donaldson pleaded guilty in the murders and was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without parole.