Page 35 - Florida Sentinel 6-28-18

Crime
Drug Burglary Gone Bad Leads To Driver’s Murder Charge
Competency Hearing
For Accused Seminole
Heights Serial
Killer Postponed
A competency hearing for the man accused of killing four people last year has been post- poned. The hearing will take place at a later date.
In April, Circuit Judge Mark Wolfe honored a com- petency hearing requested by defense attorneys for Howell Donaldson, III, in April. He appointed Dr. Richard Car- penter to conduct the evalua- tion. The competency hearing had been on the docket for June 29th.
However, in a turn of events, Donaldson’s defense attorneys have requested a sec- ond opinion. Judge Wolfe has ordered two additional doc- tors to evaluate Donaldson. The State Attorney’s Office, who did not object, is seeking the death penalty in the case.
Donaldson, 25, is accused of committing four random murders between October 9th and November 14th 2017. in Seminole Heights. Donaldson was arrested on November 28, 2017.
On October 9th, Benjamin Mitchell, 22, was shot 4 times near N. 15th Street and E. Frier- son Avenue.
The body of Ms. Monica Hoffa was discovered on the morning of Friday, October 13th. She was last seen the night of October 11th.
Anthony Naiboa, 20, was fatally wounded on October 19th, shortly before 8 p.m. Nai- boa, a young adult with
CHIKE TIM
... Died in November 2017
EARNEST CHERRY, JR. ... Charged with second-degree murder
ECRU RICHARDSON
... Died in December 2017
DAUNDREA BUTLER
... Charged with third-degree
murder
HOWELL DONALDSON, III ... Charged with 4 counts of first-degree murder
Autism, had gotten off the bus at the wrong stop.
The last murder attributed to Donaldson took place during the early morning hours of No- vember 14th. Ronald Felton, 60, was crossing the street in the 1500 block of N. Nebraska Avenue, when he fell victim to the gunman.
All of the victims were walk- ing in the Seminole Heights neighborhoods when they were shot. Shell casings found at the scenes linked the murders.
Donaldson was arrested after he gave a bag containing a handgun to his manager at the McDonald’s Restaurant near Ybor City.
Ballistics determined the gun was the weapon used in all four murders.
Donaldson purchased the weapon in early October. He took possession of it two days before Benjamin Mitchell was killed.
For the second time in less than a year, the driver of a ve- hicle in which a person was killed in an act of violence, the driver has been charged. The two cases are unrelated, but took place ten days apart.
According to Florida law an accomplice can be charged if a person dies during the commission of certain felonies.
Recently, 36-year-old Earnest Cherry, Jr., sur- rendered to police in connec- tion with a 2017 death. He was charged with second-degree murder.
The shooting that left 39- year-old Chike Tim dead, took place on November 28, 2017, on Rivage Circle, in Brandon. Tim was the pas- senger in the vehicle.
Detectives with the Hills- borough County said Ms. Courtney Mallory was home alone when she ob- served a white car parked in front of her home. A man, later identified as Chike Tim, exited the passenger side of the car. Ms. Mallory told po- lice that he began walking to- ward her home and moments later, he forced the door open, causing structural damage.
At that point, Ms. Mal- lory armed herself with a
9mm handgun and fired one shot towards Tim. He was struck by the gunfire and died at the scene.
At the time of his death, Tim reportedly had socks cov- ering his hands, police said.
Detectives obtained a search warrant for the resi- dence and seized approxi- mately $66,000 in cash and illegal narcotics.
A spokesperson for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said Ms. Mallory has been cleared in the shooting of Tim. It is considered a stand your ground case.
She further stated that more than one person lived at the residence and detectives could not prove who owned the drugs and money.
A witness told police that after the shooting, a man drove away in the white vehi- cle that Tim had been a pas- senger. Detectives learned during the investigation that Cherry was the driver of the vehicle.
He had allegedly borrowed the 2005 white Pontiac. Cherry allegedly told the wit- ness to report the car stolen, but didn’t say why, police said.
A witness told police that he was with Tim earlier in the day and overheard him on the phone discussing breaking into a home in Brandon. The witness said he heard Tim claim the house had a lot of narcotics and money inside.
Police said telephone records confirmed that Tim had called a number that be- longed to Earnest Cherry.
Detectives charged Cherry with second-degree murder during the commis- sion of a felony (burglary) and
conspiracy to commit a felony. Detectives also learned that Cherry was on federal probation at the time of Tim’s
death.
A warrant was issued for
Cherry and he turned himself in to the Hillsborough County Jail on June 18th. He was re- leased on a $75,000 bond the following day.
Earlier Case Where Driver Charged
The first case in which the driver of the vehicle was charged took place December 8, 2017.
In this case, 21-year-old Ecru Richardson was fa- tally wounded at The Oaks Apartments. It was also inves- tigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
Police said they believe the shooting took place after a drug deal went bad. After Richardson was shot, Daundrea Butler, 23, called 9-1-1 and told police he was transporting Richardson to a hospital.
Investigators said initially Butler said he dropped Richardson off and didn’t know why he went to the com- plex. Later, detectives learned Butler had allegedly parked at the front of the complex and waited.
Richardson ran back to the car and was transported to a local hospital, where he later died.
Butler was arrested and charged with third-degree murder. The person responsi- ble for the death of Richard- son remains at large and the case is under investigation.
Butler was released from jail after posting a $15,000.
UNCLE SANDY
Let us not seek the Republican answer 3, 38, 43, 47 or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. 5, 7, 9, 12 Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. 6, 36, 51, 53 Let us accept our own responsibility for the future. 18, 26, 55, 60
FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 2018 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 23-A