x
Breaking News
More () »

Parents of accused Seminole Heights killer must head to jail -- but not to stay

Under the house arrest order, Donaldson's parents will still be allowed to leave their home for medical, religious and employment purposes.
Credit: 10News
The parents of the accused Seminole Heights killer, Howell Donaldson III, in court Thursday, Dec. 7. The judge ordered them to appear in court on Jan. 5, 2018, to explain why they should not be held in civil contempt for not answering questions.

TAMPA, Fla. -- A judge Tuesday ordered the parents of suspected serial killer Howell Donaldson III to report to jail in Hillsborough County, but they won't stay put.

Howell Donaldson Jr. and his wife, Rosita, must show up at the jail by 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, to be placed on the county's GPS monitoring system. This is part of an order to be placed under house arrest after being found in civil contempt of court Friday for refusing to answer prosecutors' questions about their son.

Lawyers for Howell Jr. and Rosita previously arranged for private GPS monitoring to comply with the order until they switch over to the county's system.

Related: Prosecutors in Seminole Heights case serve search warrants to Uber, Facebook, Snapchat and The Weather Company

Under the house arrest order, Donaldson's parents will still be allowed to leave their home for medical, religious and employment purposes.

They will remain under house arrest just shy of six months unless they decide to cooperate with the investigation.

►Stay updated on this and other developing stories. Download the 10 News app now.

Have a news tip? Email tips@wtsp.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.

Before You Leave, Check This Out