Parents of accused Seminole Heights killer speak out
The parents of accused serial killer Howell “Trai” Donaldson spoke out Friday afternoon, three days after their son was arrested on four counts of first-degree murder.
The 24-year-old’s parents, Rosita and Howell Donaldson Jr., spoke from their attorney’s South Tampa office Friday afternoon. His mother Rosita said she had been praying for the families of those four victims as the search for the killer progressed, not knowing her son would be accused of their murders.
"I prayed for those families when it first started and when they arrested my son devastation because I love my son. It was disbelief that this was happening to our family and we questioned why. Why?" - mother of murder suspect Howell Donaldson III. @BN9 pic.twitter.com/JloF8BSSrU
— Dalia Dangerfield (@DangerDalia) December 1, 2017
“I prayed for those families when it first started, and then when they arrested my son ... devastation, because I love my son and it was disbelief that this was happening to our family and we question why. Why?” she said.
That’s an answer police say they didn’t get from the suspect on Tuesday when he was arrested. But investigators said he did admit to owning the gun that has now been identified as the murder weapon.
#Breaking: These are the 4 people Howell Donaldson, III is accused of murdering in the #SeminoleHeights community of #Tampa. @MyNews13 pic.twitter.com/hb1hMyyBQx
— Tammie Fields (@tammiefields) November 29, 2017
His parents said the horrible details of the crimes don’t sound like anything the son they know would be responsible for.
“Everybody is in disbelief,” Rosita said. “Anybody that knows Trai knows that’s not Trai. He doesn’t have the personality of that characteristic that they’re giving him. That’s not my son. That’s my baby. That’s not my son.”
When asked if they saw that surveillance video of the suspect wearing a hoodie that was played over and over on television, Rosita began to shake her head before being interrupted by their attorney.
Statement from Delonda Walker: "I went to work on Tuesday intending to serve customers and do my job. The day turned out very differently." https://t.co/qW7Sqcv7lA
— Bay News 9 (@BN9) December 1, 2017
“We’re not going talk about any of the facts to the prosecution or the defense of the case,” said attorney Ralph E. Fernandez.
Howell Jr. said he’s as devastated as any father would be, but he says they’re relying on their faith to make it through this.
“We’re people of faith and we’re going to lean on our faith as we go through this ordeal, and we’re gonna allow God to be God,” he said.
The couple said they haven’t seen their son since he was arrested on Tuesday, but they want him to know they’re standing with him.
“We love him. We support him. We believe in him and we’re here for him,” Rosita said.
This story was originally published December 1, 2017 at 10:17 PM with the headline "Parents of accused Seminole Heights killer speak out."