Parents Of Accused Seminole Heights Serial Killer Risk Jail Time By Refusing To Testify Against Him And Spark Debate On Loyalty
As prosecutors in the case of the Seminole Heights, Florida, serial killer tighten their case, they were met with a shocking discovery when they questioned the suspect’s parents. When asked questions regarding their son, the parents refused to answer, a move which could result in jail time.
On Tuesday, the parents of 24-year-old Howell Donaldson III were grilled by prosecutors about their son’s mental health. The State Attorney’s Office believes insight into his mental past could shed some light on why he allegedly murdered four people, reported WFLA.
However, Mr. and Mrs. Donaldson refused to testify against their son and even said they are willing to go to jail for him.
The couple’s attorney Ralph Fernandez spoke with WFLA about how his clients responded when they were subpoenaed for questioning.
“One of the two said, ‘testify against our son,’” Fernandez told WFLA when asked about how the couple responded to the request. “’You mean to testify against our baby?’”
He also went on to explain how each parent gave the same answer, although they were questioned at different times.
“Each time the response that was elicited was, ‘I’m not going to answer that question,’” said Fernandez. “They elected not to discuss any matters that they were asked about because they are not going to be witnesses against their son.”
Although the couple is emotional about speaking out against their son, Fernandez does expect paperwork from prosecutors on Wednesday to show contempt of court on the part of his clients.
Some people on Twitter were empathetic to the parents' decision
Whereas others felt they were not helping to bring justice to the victims
The families of the victims were scheduled to meet with the State Attorney on Wednesday to discuss their thoughts on the death penalty.
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