Donaldsons waive court appearance

TAMPA, Fla. - In the last two and half months Rosita and Howell Donaldson's world has been turned upside down.

Their son, Howell "Trae" Donaldson, III was accused of being the Seminole Heights serial killer and if convicted faces the death penalty.

And now they themselves are confined to their home, under house arrest and wearing GPS ankle monitors.

But Hillsborough Judge Mark Wolfe today said there is one more thing they have to do.

"Turn themselves into the jail to do a walk through and be set up on their monitoring system," said Judge Wolfe.

The Donaldsons were found in civil contempt last week for refusing to answer prosecutors questions about their son.

Tampa police say Trae Donaldson gunned down four innocent people in a span of six weeks.

Prosecutors want to know if he had any mental health issues growing up and where he was at the time of the murders but the Donaldsons refuse to talk to prosecutors.

Their attorney Ralph Fernandez says going after the defendant's parents is unprecedented and a slippery slope.

"Given the dramatic changing political climate we are not too far away when law enforcement wants to know what your child is thinking politically and emotionally," said Fernandez. 

So for the next five months and 29 days, the Donaldsons will be confined to their home with a few exceptions.

But Fernandez doesn't think it will change anything

"From day one they indicated they would not testify against their son and as you can see the risk was high and their position did not change so we will see what the future brings," said Fernandez.