TAMPA, Fla. -- A judge has released from house arrest the parents of the suspected Seminole Heights killer, citing their cooperation with authorities.
Howell Donaldson Jr. and Rosita Donaldson have been serving six months house arrest after being found in civil contempt of court for refusing to answer questions about their son.
Howell Donaldson III is facing felony murder charges for the shooting deaths of four people in Seminole Heights last year.
State Attorney Andrew H. Warren released the below statement.
"Last fall, the senseless murder of four innocent people shook our community to its core. Since the arrest of Howell Donaldson III, our office has focused on holding him accountable for his crimes, seeking justice for the victims, and preserving the integrity of the prosecutorial process. As a routine part of that process, our office subpoenaed Mr. Donaldson's parents. His parents declined to comply with the subpoena, and as a result, the Court held them in contempt. Today, we have finalized a resolution with the defendant's parents where they provided our office with a sworn statement that addresses the questions we sought to have answered. Specifically, they confirmed that they have no information about their son's whereabouts at the time of the murders and no information regarding any mental health issues. Having provided the sworn statement, they are no longer in contempt of court. Our office is pleased to have navigated a difficult hurdle in this process so that we can continue moving forward to hold the defendant accountable and seek justice for the victims and their families."
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