TAMPA, Fla. — A Hillsborough judge ruled on Monday that a jail phone call between the accused Seminole Heights serial killer Howell Donaldson III, 26, and his mother, Rosita Donaldson, will not be released to the public.

"Since the incident phone call has no relevant information regarding the present criminal matter," said Judge Mark Wolfe, "the release of such would only serve the purpose of potentially prejudicing the prospective jury panel."

Donaldson's attorneys filed a motion asking for that March jail phone call and all future recordings be blocked from the media. A January video visitation between Donaldson and his parents was released last month.

In that recording, Donaldson complains about the jail conditions, stating, "They're in here killing me." 

Public defender Dana Herce-Fulgueira argued that releasing the jail conversations will harm Donaldson's ability to get a fair trial, and the information is not being used as evidence in court.

"There is no relevance to the four homicides, there's no duty of the public to know about anything he says because it has nothing to do with the criminal case," she said. "These are personal conversations he's having with his family." 

Donaldson is accused of ambushing and killing four people during a two-month period in Tampa's Seminole Heights neighborhood back in 2017. The state is seeking the death penalty.

Wolfe granted part of the defense's motion, but said it would not apply to future recordings.

"The request to prevent all future recorded conversations is denied," he said. "The court will review all further objections on a case-by-case basis."