“Thea Walker went about and beyond as a manager at her local McDonald’s location. The day that she found something out of the trash bin started out like any other. She clocked into work after riding the subway, as she did diligently day after day. But this day would be a day that she would never forget because she would come face to face with someone that she would soon wish that she had never met.
Back to the story: routine is typically taken for granted by the majority of people worldwide. We expect everything to last forever once we get into a habit, whether it be at work and relationships or with our hobbies. However, this doesn’t always occur; the wildest and the most brutal aspects of life can occasionally throw off the established order. These facts occurred in this story, which most of us prefer to ignore.
Like many others day in her adult life, Delanda had started out similarly. She needed to get to her job as soon as possible because when she woke up, she didn’t have a job to pay any of her bills. Thanks to her University education, Thea, a University of Tampa Alum, came to the McDonald’s in her town with the goal of finishing the day unaware of how different this day would be. She put on her uniform and prepared for the day.
Thea typically began her shift in the morning at McDonald’s. She worked and was located in the hub of activity for the neighborhood; many of the nearby workers frequently stopped by for lunch or breakfast. Delanda had developed a few relationships with regular diners over the course of her employment here. Most days were a blur with recognizable faces popping in for set meals. Today, however, a different scenario would play out.
Delanda was attending to her duties when she saw a new face enter the room. Despite the fact that she was aware that this was normal, she sensed a major discrepancy. The patron appeared uneasy and had an air of ambiguity about him. Delanda did not find that odd, yet the man appeared dangerous due to the way he carried himself. Even just watching him made her stomach turn.
Delanda chose to ignore the unsettling sensation she was experiencing; when her workplace was typically busy and the man couldn’t harm her in any way, what was there to be afraid of? She attempted to rationalize the situation and suppress the inner voice warning her to be more watchful. But she knew she had to maintain visual contact with the man at all times.
As he got closer to Thea, he put his hands on the counter. That feeling returned to her as his eyes scanned the menu above her head, this time sending a chill up her spine. The man placed an order; after what seemed like an eternity, Delanda felt relieved when the creepy customer looked away from the menu, knowing that all she had to do was to hand him his order, accept his payment, and watch as he walked away. She managed to maintain her composure.
The cash payment and taking of the order by the man went according to plan. Then, however, he did something Delanda hadn’t anticipated. With one uneasy motion, the man threw a large plastic bag into the garbage. He abruptly walked out after making a mechanical turnaround. Delanda cowered as she spoke; she was unable to explain what had taken place.
Curiosity quickly took the place of the engulfing fear she had been experiencing, and she found herself rushing to the trash can to investigate. She would flinch at what she discovered; when she realized what she was gazing at, she retreated. A black handgun wrapped in plastic was inside the bag.
Her heart started to pound in her chest, and her mind started to race. Was the man a criminal, or was this merely a sophisticated joke? She pulled the gun’s magazine in the hopes that it was the latter and discovered that it was loaded. As she walked slowly back to her station to call the police, she suddenly stopped.
Soon after, a police car arrived at Delanda’s McDonald’s. They took the weapon out of her hand, inquired about the man who had given it to her, and then drove away to the station. She worried for a few days, trying to figure out who this man with the gun was. Shortly after, she got a crucial call: the Tampa Police Department was there. The man with the gun had been the subject of their investigation, and they believed they had him in custody. He was currently being held at the station.
It was only necessary for Delanda to visit the station and attest to his identity as the person she had seen in McDonald’s. Just seeing his face again left Delanda a little shaken. His eerie aura was still discernible even though she pointed him out from behind a one-way mirror. Delanda immediately pointed him out.
Delanda couldn’t help but feel as if he was watching her, even though she knew he couldn’t see her. His enraged eyes were fixed on her, and he was yelling. Delanda endured a torturous wait after the lineup. Delanda was left alone in the station’s waiting area, still unsure of the man’s identity or the circumstances surrounding her confusion.
Delanda grew more and more anxious as the minutes passed by. Detective Sergeant Shery Williams, the case lead officer, finally arrived to take her. After what seemed like an eternity, when Williams approached Thea, he had a very somber expression on his face. He led her into his office and motioned for her to sit down.
His expression, which had once been human, had changed to one of stone as he faced her. He said, ‘Thea, the man you identified as a dangerous criminal.’ Delanda was still in shock over this information when she caught Sergeant Williams’ attention. She experienced cold dread once more; at the precise moment, she could tell that he wasn’t finished making this revelation even more terrifying.
She was utterly terrified by what he said next. Delanda was alarmed enough by the knowledge that a dangerous criminal carrying a loaded gun had entered her shop. All the worst-case scenarios of how much worse things could have been ran through her mind uncontrollably. There now appeared to be something even worse about this man.
Delanda listened to the news with trepidation, unsure what she was hearing. Investigator Williams explained in a cool manner that this man was also a dangerous criminal; a case involving a serial killer made him the main suspect. Thea heard the phrase ‘serial killer’ in her head; her entire body started to shake now from fear.
She was filled with so many queries: would he be aware that she had called attention to him? Did he still have a memory of her appearance? Would they let him go? Could he visit the shop again? Detective Williams tried his best to reassure Delanda that everything would be all right after observing her fear at the news. He clarified that this man was most likely the culprit behind a recent spate of terrifying incidents in the greater Tampa area.
Although the police had been compiling circumstantial evidence against him, they had been doing so. Howell Emanuel Donaldson the third was a suspect. According to Detective Williams, he had a degree from New York’s St. John’s University. He had participated in the men’s basketball team as a walk-on student athlete. Having spent more than a year in Tampa, it appears that Howell had a darker side that no one was aware of. Although the evidence against him had been growing, it was still insufficient at this time.
Detective Williams continued by saying that they had retrieved and reviewed the store security camera footage. Unfortunately, there was no video of Howell tossing the bag into the trash because of a blind spot at the critical location. That meant that there was only one approach to developing a case.
Delanda had already been severely shaken by the experience. She was being calmed down as best as Detective Williams could. After that, she started to feel more stressed; now that he was aware that he needed to make an important request of her, Detective Williams even appeared anxious.
Delanda’s jaw dropped in horror when he did. Delanda was described as the police’s most important asset in the case because she was the only tangible witness who could link the suspect to the gun. She anticipated what he might ask for but also knew she didn’t want anything to do with it.
Delanda would have to appear in court and testify against the suspect. Detective Williams made an effort to calm her nerves; without her testimony, he explained, the suspect would have to be released, which would mean that he would be out in public once more. Delanda eventually gave in after realizing she had no other option.
She only had to ask one more important question at this point: with that, she was afraid to offer assistance. Delanda was very aware that participating in this case would put her safety in danger. Detective Williams assured her that he would take all necessary measures to keep her safe. She wasn’t too worried about that part; she had enough education to understand how the legal system operated.
“Will he be released on bail while the trial is going on?” was the most crucial query in her mind. Detective Williams explained that she could object to his bail if she provided a statement outlining what she had seen in the store and indicated her willingness to testify. Delanda felt a little better but was still incredibly anxious. She understood she owed it to the victim to carry out the request.
Finally, she gave in. Her testimony was sufficient to prevent the suspect from being granted bail, as Detective William had promised. The trial proceeded; Thea struggled with fear and paranoia the entire time, but she was determined to contribute to the solution of this case. This monster needed to be brought to justice.
Soon after the trial started, Delanda had strict instructions not to speak with any other witnesses or discuss the case with anyone outside of the courtroom. She watched the beginning of the proceedings. She didn’t look at Howell Emanuel Donaldson when he first entered the courtroom.
She heard testimony about how he had a promising future but had become lost. When the case got underway, she could now begin her testimony. Delanda faced and fearlessly dispelled her worries, describing in great detail how she had witnessed him tossing the trash in the bag. He could not escape the gun because of the testimony, but all of this combined with the fact that the gun had already been linked to other murders, Howell was finally found guilty.
After receiving a life sentence, Thea was finally released from the terrible ordeal. Delanda never forgot this event and continued to reflect on it even after going back to work. Many people praised her bravery after it became well known that she was courageous. When one woman in particular heard about her goals, she gave Delanda a check for 9 grand so she could finish her education.
In the end, she was praised as a hero because of how brave she was. If you like the story and think it might have a positive meaning, you can share it with your family and friends. We would also love to hear your comments about the story.
