A jury in Florida voted 11-1 on October 30, 2025, to recommend the death penalty for Donovan L. Faison, who was convicted of fatally shooting his pregnant girlfriend, 18-year-old Kaylin Fiengo, and killing their unborn son after she refused to get an abortion.
The same jury had previously convicted Faison on October 27 of first-degree murder with a firearm, killing an unborn child, and burglary with a firearm for the 2022 shooting. Fiengo was found dead in her Nissan Versa from a gunshot to the head at a Sanford park.
Assistant State Attorneys Stewart Stone, Domenick Leo, and Anna Valentini successfully argued for the death penalty, citing several aggravating factors under state law.
- Cold, calculated, premeditated nature: Stone described the crime as an “execution-style killing.”
- Killing of a child under 12: The unborn child’s death was considered an additional capital felony, concurrent with the premeditated murder of the mother.
In Florida, a death penalty recommendation requires a vote of at least eight of 12 jurors after finding at least one aggravating factor. The only alternative sentence for Faison would have been life in prison without parole.
During the trial, prosecutors presented text messages showing Faison’s anger over Fiengo’s refusal to terminate the pregnancy, including a vow to a friend that he would “crop her out.” The evidence showed Faison lured Fiengo to a meeting at Coastline Park on the night of the murder.
Following the 11-1 vote, Assistant State Attorney Domenick Leo stated, “The death penalty should be reserved as the ultimate punishment for the most atrocious conduct… A father who executed the mother of his child and his unborn child—in a manner that demonstrated both detailed planning and deceit—falls squarely within the type of conduct that justifies its application.”
The sentencing hearing included victim-impact statements from Fiengo’s grieving family members, including her mother, father, aunt, and grandmother.
“No words can capture the depth of pain that comes with losing your daughter to murder,” said Fiengo’s mother, Sarah Schweickert. “The grief never leaves – it sits in my chest like a weight that will never go away.”
Jurors also heard testimony from Faison’s family, who had pleaded for a life sentence instead of death. Stone acknowledged the difficulty of the jury’s decision, assuring them that “Many of the true, just and fair decisions are also the difficult, agonizing decisions.”
The final decision on Faison’s sentence will be made by Circuit Judge Donna Goerner after an additional hearing scheduled for December 5.
READ: Two Florida Men Charged With Murder Of Teen Girl, Wounding 2 Others In Restaurant Shooting
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