Monica Hoffa: Murdered on her way to meet a friend
Last Night OutWe all have nights out we remember. From unmissable events with friends to special get-togethers with loved ones, some nights become core memories. They’re something to look back on with fondness and remember with a smile as the years pass by.
But in other cases, these nights end in far more tragic circumstances. For some, it can end up being the last night of their lives.
Crime+Investigation’s brand new series, Last Night Out, uncovers stories where regular nights out have turned deadly. One of these stories is that of Monica Hoffa, a 32-year-old Floridian woman gunned down by a stranger while walking to meet a friend.
But who was Monica, and who killed her? In this article, we explore the tragic events of her death and how it sparked a manhunt for a serial killer.
Who was Monica Hoffa?
Monica Caridad Hoffa was in the prime of her life. A much-loved and popular member of her Seminole Heights neighbourhood in Tampa, Florida, she was a family woman through and through. Raised by her grandparents, Guillermo and Ana, and her deaf mother, Olga, she was fluent in English, Spanish and American Sign Language.
Funny, generous and caring, Monica was described as having a smile that lit up a room. From an early age, she immersed herself in the deaf community to help her mother, and, as a result, many of her best friends were also deaf.
To Monica’s grandparents, she was the light of their lives, and regularly expressed her love and gratitude for her family. 'You know I love you, right?' was something her friends and family would always hear her say.
She also had so much to live for – and was excitedly looking forward to the birth of her first child with her partner, Dereck.
But tragically, in October 2017, her life was abruptly ended by a man she’d never met.
A senseless killing
On 11th October 2017, Monica had arranged to meet a friend after finishing her waitressing shift. Just before 8:05pm that night, she began her journey, walking through a well-lit area of Seminole Heights. She should have been safe.
But at the same time, a killer was prowling the area looking for his next victim. He spotted Monica and emerged directly in her path, shooting her in the chest three times from close range.
Monica’s body was discovered in a vacant parking lot two days later, leaving her family distraught.
It had not been the first murder in the area, however. Two days earlier, Ben Mitchell, a 22-year-old student, had been shot dead at a bus stop while on his way to meet his girlfriend.
But these weren’t random isolated killings, and soon the area would be on alert for a suspected serial killer.
The hunt for a serial killer
Only six days after Monica was discovered, the killer would strike again. Anthony Naiboa, a 20-year-old autistic man, was gunned down after getting on the wrong bus.
Then, on 14th November, 60-year-old construction worker and father-of-three Richard Felton was killed after being shot in the back. He’d been only a few blocks from where a memorial honouring Monica and the two other victims had been established.
The close proximity and seemingly random nature of the killings led police to suspect that they were connected. Residents were warned against going out alone. Police were ordered to hunt down the killer by Tampa’s mayor, Bob Buckhorn.
'I'm mad because those families had a huge hole ripped in their hearts. That scumbag who did that, we're coming for you. I told them [officers], "bring me his head on a platter."'
Howell Donaldson III
On 28th November, Tampa Police Department found their man. The culprit for the killings? Howell Donaldson III.
Donaldson was arrested at the McDonald’s restaurant he worked at. Earlier that day, he’d informed his manager, Delonda Walker, that he was planning to leave town after securing a cash advance.
After collecting his pay cheque, he handed his manager a pistol wrapped in a paper salad bag. He concocted a story that the bag was involved in his mother’s final wish and that it should be buried somewhere it wouldn’t be found.
Walker believed the story to be suspicious and notified a Tampa Police Officer who was eating in the restaurant. The officer alerted others who were involved in the investigation, who subsequently discovered blood-stained clothing while searching Donaldson’s car.
Donaldson’s fate
There was more incriminating evidence. Donaldson’s phone location aligned with the data, time and location of security footage from his killings. Police also discovered that shell casings matching Donaldson’s 40-caliber Glock were found at the scenes of the crime.
On 1st May 2023, Donaldson pleaded guilty to the murders and was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without parole.
But it was little justice for Monica Hoffa’s family and the two lives that had been so cruelly taken from them.
'She was a God send for her mother, her mother being deaf, she would interpret for her mom,' Monica’s father, Kenny, said while paying tribute to his daughter. 'She had a great sense of humour…she was a good person.'
'I am angrier than I’ve ever been in my life…because my daughter made a difference in this world, I just hate it that someone took that from the world and me.'
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