Sanford, Florida – A Central Florida judge has imposed the death penalty on a 23-year-old man convicted of murdering his pregnant girlfriend in what prosecutors described as an execution carried out because she refused to terminate her pregnancy.
A Seminole County courtroom delivered the final decision on Friday, formally sentencing Donovan L. Faison to death for the 2022 killing of 18-year-old Kaylin Fiengo, whose body was discovered in a parked car at a local park. Jurors had voted 11–1 in October to recommend the sentence. Faison was found guilty of first-degree murder and the killing of an unborn child.
Prosecutors Describe a Cold, Premeditated Attack
During trial, state attorneys detailed a series of messages and interactions that documented increasing hostility from Faison after learning Fiengo was pregnant. Authorities said he became enraged when she sent him a photo of two positive pregnancy tests, accusing her of lying before sending a text that simply read “Abortion!!!”.
Prosecutors said he later sent another message to a friend stating, “On my brothers grave, I’m gonna crop her out,” a text they argued demonstrated intent.
Prosecutor Stewart Stone told jurors the evidence supported the required aggravating factors for the death penalty.
“You may and should consider the cold, calculated, premeditated nature of this killing,” he said. “This was an execution-style killing.”
The aggravating circumstances included the killing of a child under 12 during the commission of another capital felony.
Discovery of the Crime and the Evidence Trail
Sanford police officers patrolling Coastline Park on Nov. 11, 2022, found a vehicle backed into a parking spot. Inside, officers discovered Fiengo deceased in the driver’s seat from a gunshot wound. Detectives later confirmed she had recently completed her first trimester of pregnancy.
According to investigators, Fiengo had gone to the park that night to meet Faison after multiple arguments about the pregnancy. Detectives said he had lured her there before shooting her.
Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith called the investigation exhaustive, noting that every piece of digital and physical evidence was analyzed to piece together the events leading to the murder.
“Our investigators have made sure every possible shred of evidence was processed and analyzed in order to bring Kaylin’s killer to justice,” Smith said.
Faison was arrested in August 2023 and taken into custody without incident.
Family Speaks of Irreparable Loss
Before sentencing, Fiengo’s mother, Sarah Schweickert, delivered a powerful victim-impact statement describing the devastation her family continues to endure.
“No words can capture the depth of pain that comes with losing your daughter to murder,” she told the court. “The grief never leaves – it sits in my chest like a weight that will never go away.”
Fiengo left behind a one-year-old son. Her father said the family would support the child as he grows up without his mother.
Her mother described her as “vivacious, loving, funny and caring,” noting she had graduated high school early as a young mother, proudly wearing a cap that read “mommy did it.”
Florida’s Death Penalty Threshold Now Among the Lowest
Under Florida law, jurors can now recommend the death penalty with an 8–4 vote — the lowest threshold in the country. The Legislature changed the standard after jurors in the Parkland school shooting case failed to reach unanimous agreement for the death penalty.
In this case, the near-unanimous 11–1 jury vote supported the prosecution’s request for the harshest sentence available.
Community Reaction and Case Closure
Law enforcement officials said the killing was senseless and rooted in escalating domestic conflict, emphasizing the disturbing use of digital evidence that traced Faison’s anger and threats leading to the attack.
Chief Smith said the conclusion of the case brings at least a measure of closure.
“We hope today’s sentence brings the slightest amount of peace for Kaylin’s family and the young son she left behind. It doesn’t bring her back, but at least she will have the justice she deserves.”
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