A week after a suspect was taken into custody in the murders of four people in the Seminole Heights area of Tampa, a flurry of activity continues around the case. 

  • Angie Dupree met suspect and his family at stylist academy
  • Dupree deeply troubled by connection
  • Suspect's parents set to meet judge on Dec. 6

On Wednesday, family members of one of the victims is expected to meet with state prosecutors. 

Benjamin Mitchell's family said they are scheduled to meet with the State Attorney's Office. Angie Dupree, an aunt of the first victim in the murders, said she has especially been struggling not only because her nephew was killed but because she knows the suspect and his family. 

Dupree met Howell Donaldson III and his family nearly 10 years ago while attending the Shear Excellence Hair Academy. Donaldson’s parents own the school.

Dupree has been unable to sleep, thinking about the connection.

"One minute I’m sad because of my nephew and the other minute my heart is going out to their family," Dupree said. "And you know people may look at me crazy and say how could she have but i’m a human being, if i love God, how can I not have feelings for both, when I know both."

Dupree said she doesn’t want to see the suspect, either. She won’t go to court until the trial.

She’s added already thinking of how she’ll feel seeing him and his family for the first time, and she already knows what she’ll say.

“I just want him to be able to remember for the rest of his life and be visited the way I’m visited by [Mitchell],” Dupree said. “To be haunted by the presence of the person you took.”

Meanwhile, Donaldson's parents, Rosita and Howell Donaldson Jr., are set to be in court Thursday at 10 a.m. for a judge to weigh whether they have legal just cause for not answering certain questions posed to them by investigators.