Donaldson pleaded guilty to four counts of murder and was sentenced to four consecutive life terms in prison on Monday.
The killings of four seemingly unconnected victims sent shockwaves through the community, with residents fearful of a serial killer on the loose. The victims were each killed while walking alone at night within a half-mile area, leading to police urging residents to be alert and cautious.
The breakthrough in the case came when a manager at a local McDonald’s tipped off the police that an employee had given them a firearm for safekeeping and intended to leave the state. That employee was Donaldson, and the firearm was connected to the first three murders. Cell phone location data also connected him to an address near the scenes of the first three murders.
The victims were Benjamin Mitchell, a 22-year-old full-time student; Monica Hoffa, a 32-year-old waitress; Anthony Naiboa, a 20-year-old with autism who had just started a temporary job; and Ronald Felton, a 60-year-old construction worker with three grown children.
Prosecutors had previously stated that they would seek the death penalty if the case went to trial, but with Donaldson’s guilty plea, he will now spend the rest of his life behind bars.
