INQUIRER: Donte Johnson, the 18-year-old who was expected to plead guilty today in the rape and murder of waitress Sabina O’Donnell, has instead hired a new lawyer to review his case.Johnson has confessed to the June killing of the 20-year-old O’Donnell, who was beaten and strangled to death in a vacant lot behind the 4th Street building where she lived with her stepfather. Police have also collected DNA evidence from the crime scene that they have said came from Johnson. […] His new attorney, Douglas Dolfman, said Friday that Johnson and his family wanted to get a “second opinion” before making any decisions. MORE

1200 block of North 4th, 11:05 AM 6/4/10 by JEFF FUSCO

DAILY NEWS: Tomorrow, O’Donnell’s former boss, Tommy Updegrove, will help organize a memorial service for her rather than “a boring old funeral service. She would have hated it. This is what she would have loved. Expect beauty, music, laughs, tears and a lot of love.” O’Donnell’s friends and family plan to gather at 3 p.m. on a neighborhood spot that O’Donnell loved, Liberty Lands on 3rd Street between Brown and Poplar. MORE

INQUIRER: The service will run from 3 to 7 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring live or potted flowers if they choose, and dress casually for a party. There will be music, as well as food catered from some of O’Donnell’s favorite neighborhood restaurants. MORE

RELATED: The death of O’Donnell, who worked as a waitress but aspired to a career in the arts, has brought out generosity from Northern Liberties residents and others across the city. A fund established by Updegrove, owner of the restaurant where O’Donnell worked, has raised almost $40,000. Of that, $25,000 has been earmarked as a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of O’Donnell’s killer. The remainder will cover funeral expenses, and friends are discussing a permanent memorial for O’Donnell. Bars and clubs have donated thousands of dollars, along with friends and people who never met her. The Philadelphia-based producer Diplo donated $1,000, according to Updegrove, and disc jockey Danny Bonaduce has contributed as well. In addition, Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins and restaurateur Stephen Starr have made sizable donations. Last week, American Airlines donated tickets so that members of O’Donnell’s family could fly to Philadelphia from Hawaii this week. MORE

FACEBOOK: The Sabina Rose Gardens

PREVIOUSLY: NO LIBS STRANGLER ALERT: Woman Found Dead

TOMMY UP: Donations for the Sabina Rose O’Donnel Fund are still being accepted. Either give online at http://www.pytphilly.com/sabina or come into PYT & give to any of our staff. The fund is for the reward to catch her killer, for the memorial, for her family & towards a permanent site to honor this beautiful little girl. Thank you for your generosity. One last thing before Thursday…My girlfriend this morning was on Sabina’s myspace page and saw the song she posted before she died. Sabina left all of us a final message.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.