TAMPA, Fla. — Trial dates have been set for accused Seminole Heights serial killer Howell Donaldson III years after the city was terrorized by a string of shooting deaths.
Judge Samantha Ward on Tuesday set the trial jury's selection to begin Aug. 9, 2023, with an expected completion date in two weeks, according to Circuit Court spokesperson Mike Moore, citing a new filing.
The trial is expected to run through the week of Oct. 2, 2023.
Donaldson, 29, is accused of killing Benjamin Mitchell, Monica Hoffa, Anthony Naiboa and Ronald Felton in October and November 2017. All four shootings happened within blocks of each other; police suspected the shooter chose his targets at random.
The killings sparked a massive manhunt that led to Donaldson's capture at the Ybor City McDonald's where he worked.
Donaldson was set to go to trial in 2020, but a judge granted a motion for four different trials for each of the individuals killed, court records show. His defense, however, earlier this fall requested and Ward approved their request to consolidate the cases.
Ward also granted a defense motion to exclude any mention of the phrase "serial killer" or "Seminole Heights serial killer" during the trial in fear the jury pool could be tainted and Donaldson wouldn't receive a fair trial.
Donaldson faces four counts of first-degree murder. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
10 Tampa Bay's Brenton Burkett contributed to this report.