GUILTY FL - Manhunt in Tampa after 4 slayings in 5 weeks, Oct-Nov 2017 #3 *Arrest*

[margarita25]

My eyes were rolling as I read this article. Their actions have to be like pouring salt on an open wound to the victims' families.

As far as not being able to function, they have 2 other children I believe and they cannot stop functioning because those children deserve to have functioning parents. They also have a business to run. Suck it up buttercups! He's not a baby. HED is a 24-year-old young man who murdered 4 people. I will save my tears for the victims' families.

Jessica Ridgeway, beautiful little girl, murdered, raped, dismembered...thank goodness the suspect's own mother had the courage enough to do the rifht thing and call her own son to police, as difficult as that muse have bee . This unselfish bravery and character of this woman speaks volumes.

Then you have the others, like Donthe Lucas' family, who imo have done nothing positive to help bring Kelsie's and her unborn son's bodies back home, but rather protect their own son, jmo.

Eta: *the above 2 cases mentioned are very different from the one at hand, of course, just jumping off your post bootsctr, as "I hear ya".

Thanks everyone for the updates; I finally have some time to get caught up here.

 

[cujenn81]

(Re: the reward, today I saw an episode of 20/20 which outlined Somer Thompson's case.

Some folks had tipped off LE about a possible suspect, who turned out to be the correct suspect. But again, like the case here, these folks did not get the reward, specifically because they told the police directly, and did not call CrimeStoppers. So, apparently this is not the first time for this to happen...so how often does this happen, I wonder...

In Somer's awful case, the people who told LE about the suspect had found very, very graphic child on their former roommate's computer, and the psychological damage done to the female who saw those was real...her parents said that if she had called CrimeStoppers, that reward money "would have paid for her therapy" (after seeing those images, which the detectives said NO person should every have to see, EVER).

I've seen other cases where Crimestoppers (or the person who was relaying the information to the public about the Crimestoppers reward being offered) has stressed that you must contact THEM with tips, rather than the police, to be eligible for the reward money. I truly don't see what the h-e-double-hockeysticks difference it makes one way or the other. As long as the suspect is apprehended, it shouldn't matter. It seems like a ridiculous technicality meant to serve as a loophole in order to keep the reward money, if you ask me.

It's like gotcha! You just risked your life but you don't get the reward because you didn't also do A, B, & C - in that order. Sorry! Better luck next time!


PS. How weird would it have been if that McDonald's employee had said...
"there's a cop sitting at one of our tables... but I'm just going to call Crimestoppers about this here glock that my coworker just handed me hidden away in a fast food bag. Did I also mention that he looks just like that serial killer they've shown on TV?"

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[dotr]

“The critical issue is this...Call my office if you feel delighted about ratting on your children," Fernandez said. "Does that excite anyone, that prospect? And if it does, you're not my friend."

That’s a rather odd thing for him to say. He pretty much just said that HD's parents do, in fact, know something about these murders but refuse to "rat on" their child.

If the murders were committed by someone with a serious mental health problem, the DP probably would be taken off the table, imo.perhaps unlike a clear-thinking murderer.imo.

If those things are true, might that suggest that the parents never saw anything wrong with, or changes in HED at all?
Or, had been" normal " but had been increasingly voicing his displeasure at someone or thing?
Maybe they need to mine for " crazy " fast.
imo, speculation.

 

[enelram]

It does seem like an odd choice of words for the attorney to say " ratting on your child". This would lead us to believe
the parents are aware of his guilt and were aware of his involvement.
So this gives them 30 days or so to devise a storyline to help their son, not that it would necessarily be the honest truth.
Or they continue to refuse to answer the questioning.

 

[Hatfield]

I think the parents could be angling to have the death penalty taken off the table (if it is even for sure on the table - just going by what the victims' families said), but I don't think they are going about this the right way.

I agree that they are just going about it the totally wrong way. They should not be disobeying court rules if the rules are really rules about them having to participate.

This is surely not the first time this sort of thing has occurred where a mother or father have been asked questions. The Casey Anthony case is a good example where they had both parents on the stand.

I consider this a hostile witness situation. We have seen that before in the Jodias Arias case. What happened there is the hostile witness has "selective memory". LOL

Answering questions with answers like
"I dont know"
"I cant remember"
"Im not sure"
"Not that I know of"

That is typically how I have seen hostile witnesses behave and its just a reality of what can happen in a case. Its up to the prosecution to get evidence elsewhere and not rely on the hostile witness.

So I am wondering why prosecution is even pursuing this.

We probably need some legal eagles to chime in to help us. It is an interesting situation.

One thing I am pretty sure of is the parents are not going about it the right way and they are making enemies of the public and it may hurt their business. There are other ways they should be handling this.

Their son did the crime and they should not let his actions take them down with him and maybe even lose their business over it if the public turns on them and boycott their business.

 

[FindHG]

Jumping off your posts, Hatfield, dotr, cujenn, enelram and Magz:

I doubt the perp's parents would lose much business as a result of their support for their son.

He's charged with four murders of beautiful people, whose loss is more deeply felt the more they are known, their lives lost, their families, their dreams and aspirations.

The perp's parents may want to draw some of the anger, latent fear, need for justice and media attention, onto themselves and away, either willingly and deliberately or out of desperation, seems possible, like a media and legal psyops against the DP for their son?

 

[FindHG]

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/tampa-shooting-suspects-parents-risk-jail-51666660

 

[LadyL]

Agreed. I thought he was light-skinned when I saw his photo, until I compared him to other shades.

I think the description of his skin was relative to what the witness believes is the norm. What if the witness was a dark skinned black man? He would then describe the perp as light skinned. Not to mention the perp was wearing all black clothing so he would appear lighter than normal. I say this because I know how people in the Bay Area talk, and I think that is why it seems to be a discrepancy MOO


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[margarita25]

Qmfr:

Jessica Ridgeway, beautiful little girl, murdered, raped, dismembered...thank goodness the suspect's own mother had the courage enough to do the rifht thing and call her own son to police, as difficult as that muse have bee . This unselfish bravery and character of this woman speaks volumes.

Then you have the others, like Donthe Lucas' family, who imo have done nothing positive to help bring Kelsie's and her unborn son's bodies back home, but rather protect their own son, jmo.

Eta: *the above 2 cases mentioned are very different from the one at hand, of course, just jumping off your post bootsctr, as "I hear ya".

Thanks everyone for the updates; I finally have some time to get caught up here.

(Just saw Donthe Lucas, his mom, and his sister have all been arrested! Donthe has been charged with Kelsie's murder---finally! Kelsie and her unborn child have still not been recovered.)

 

[FindHG]

Agreed. I thought he was light-skinned when I saw his photo, until I compared him to other shades.

Speculating, since it seems to be a highly subjective issue, that makeup could have been easy enough to wash/wipe off, light reflecting stuff, if he had access to it.

I wonder if there's such residue or evidence available?

It could make some sense of the shine or reflection in the videos?

He obscured his work garment with a thin plastic rain hoodie, it appears in the adjusted screenshots and from what we saw come out of his trunk when he was caught, then why wouldn't he hide his face in the same thinly veiled manner?

 

[LadyL]

public mischief?

OMG. I have lots of questions. Especially about this.

"Police say what she did isn't a crime. Instead it's an ethical violation.
"

WTH? Why is this not considered a crime?
Sure it is. Isnt it?
How about impersonating a public official?
Or impersonating a police officer since interpreters working for LE may be considered police officers too maybe?

Surely there is something on the books that is against the law?

Tresspassing at a minimum?

How can they let themselves get so easily duped. This is incredible to me and no wonder the public loses trust in their officials. My goodness. I am really upset about this.

 

[dotr]

Speculating, since it seems to be a highly subjective issue, that makeup could have been easy enough to wash/wipe off, light reflecting stuff, if he had access to it.

I wonder if there's such residue or evidence available?


It could make some sense of the shine or reflection in the videos?

He obscured his work garment with a thin plastic rain hoodie, it appears in the adjusted screenshots and from what we saw come out of his trunk when he was caught, then why wouldn't he hide his face in the same thinly veiled manner?

Ita,
Just about to post a similar thought concerning the possibility that the suspect could have been wearing makeup.
Lighting also could make him appear to be lighter skinned than he is, but what i would find interesting is if the killer lost colour/ went pale, either as he was about to kill, or just afterward.
imo, speculation.

 

[EuTuCroquet?]

Ita,
Just about to post a similar thought concerning the possibility that the suspect could have been wearing makeup.
Lighting also could make him appear to be lighter skinned than he is, but what i would find interesting is if the killer lost colour/ went pale, either as he was about to kill, or just afterward.
imo, speculation.

Maybe? It wouldn’t change melanin, though, I wouldn’t think. Even on light-skinned caucasions need chemical bleach-type products to lighten melanin-caused dark spots, let alone their entire complexion.

 

[FindHG]

Mr. Ronald Felton was shot crossing a street, perhaps the one the perp crossed in the last footage of him.
The reflection of the street light looks greenish in some of the caps, which IIRC kind of bleaches out color.
The last sequence of that is where his ear stands out. That a witness and security footage caught him there at the same moments, that's what stands out to me the most about Mr. Felton's murder.

That's when the perp's urge to kill overcame his caution.

Maybe he couldn't stop himself from wanting to be seen to kill on camera, growing more brazen, not counting on a witness that early in the morning. Being a cold blooded killer could regale him in his head. He wanted to share that with Tampa.

 

[Bootsctr]

Obfuscation, Bootsctr?

~

http://abcnews.go.com/US/suspected-...well-donaldson-iii-indicted/story?id=51653894

..."Warren promised that the Hillsborough County State Attorney's office will be "as transparent as possible every step of the way during the prosecution." The prosecutor's office has reached out to the families of the victims to inform them that the charges were filed, he said.

"My office continues to work to prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law," he said. "I'd like to remind everyone, please keep your thoughts and prayers for the victims and families at this time.""
...


Parents’ dilemma: Refuse questions in Seminole Heights murder case or risk harming son’s defense
By Dan Sullivan, Tampa Bay Times
Dec 7 17 6:22 pm

...
"Brenda Samuel, the mother of Benjamin Mitchell, who was shot to death Oct. 9, said she believes if the parents know anything, they should tell the authorities.

"I don’t know anything about the Donaldson family," Samuel said. "They say they’re well-respected in the community, but if it was my son who was out doing wrong, I would report it no matter what."
...

Obfuscation!! When I read this I nearly choked. lol! Perfect word for what the lawyer is doing on behalf of the parents.
First time I heard this word was during the Casey Anthony debacle. I think it was used in regards to George and Cindy's antics or maybe Jose's or maybe all involved. HED's parents do remind me of George and Cindy in regards to how they are acting.

Out of curiosity regarding HED possibly lightening his skin with makeup, I checked out the website for Shear Excellence. I don't think this will hurt their business. They have a little section for Community Service. The only place I see the Donaldson name is under Our Team. I did find the hours for classes to be interesting (Mon - Thur 4 - 9 p.m.). Should have jotted down the times of the murders, but I think 2 were close to 9 p.m.?

Margarita, thank you for reminding us about Somer Thompson and Jessica Ridgeway! Precious little girls taken so cruelly from this world! I will always remember them!

 

[Bootsctr]

Mr. Ronald Felton was shot crossing a street, perhaps the one the perp crossed in the last footage of him.
The reflection of the street light looks greenish in some of the caps, which IIRC kind of bleaches out color.
The last sequence of that is where his ear stands out. That a witness and security footage caught him there at the same moments, that's what stands out to me the most about Mr. Felton's death.

That's when the perp's urge to kill overcame his caution.

He couldn't stop himself from wanting to be seen to kill, not counting on a witness.

I think you hit the nail on the head there FindHG! He wanted to be seen on camera killing someone so he could watch it himself and relive that moment. Disgusting!

 

[dotr]

http://wfla.com/2017/12/07/tampa-ba...seminole-heights-killers-parents-not-unusual/

[h=1]Psychiatrist says actions of accused Seminole Heights killer’s parents not unusual[/h]

According to their attorney, Ralph Fernandez, the parents can’t eat. They can’t sleep. They are depressed. They are under so much stress that their own health is now at risk. They are currently in hiding, unable to go home – even receiving death threats.

“There are safety issues. You know, it’s just a nightmare.”

The father is also said to be in poor health, suffering two heart attacks in years past. Those surrounding the family are fearful he could suffer a third.

“What would you do… if the police came to tell you, you had to testify against your child?”

Paperwork shows that the state is trying to determine the exact state of mind of their son – his demeanor “emotionally, psychiatrically, intellectually, educationally.”

They also asked about his childhood, specifically “prenatal care, any difficulties with birth, head injury, chronic illnesses, or trauma to his body.”

“It destroys a parent, it destroys a person It’s like your child dying,” said Dr. Walter Afield, a longtime Tampa Bay area psychiatrist, in practice for 54 years. He explained that the actions of the mother and father are not unusual and that most parents would never testify against their own child.

 

[ATasteOfHoney]

I think it’s not so much about him being their “child” (crikey, he is 24 yrs old) but more about him being a Director and on their payroll with fiduciary legal responsibilities

 

[EuTuCroquet?]

http://wfla.com/2017/12/07/tampa-ba...seminole-heights-killers-parents-not-unusual/

Informative story, dotr. Thanks for sharing that link! I agree — the parents are grieving and overwhelmed, and their behavior isn’t unusual. I can’t begin to imagine what they’re going through. Their son (innocent until proven guilty) is accused of heinous crimes. He appears to have lived a double life. Their world, and their family, is shattered.

 

[loreet]

I personally know parents who have hidden and covered for their child's crimes and unfortunately their 'child' (23 years old) went on to commit further and more serious crimes. To me, those parents are culpable in any additional crimes from the moment they knew or even suspected their son was up to something. Every victim in these shootings is also someone's child and those families deserve justice. Yes, a child's crimes tear a family apart and destroy their parents. But that destructive work has already been done and by their son's own hand, not by the prosecutors and not by the victims. I have sympathy for HD's parents, but they should either share everything they know, or they should be charged with obstruction. Accessory, if they had any knowledge at all of the crimes before his arrest.

MOO