In Florida, a jury is now tasked with determining the fate of a man found guilty of murdering his girlfriend after she refused to have an abortion. The choice before them is stark: deliver a death sentence or condemn him to life imprisonment.

Donovan L. Faison, aged 23, was convicted this Monday for the first-degree murder of 18-year-old Kaylin Fiengo and the unlawful killing of her unborn child. This tragic incident occurred in 2022 in Sanford, a city situated roughly 25 miles from Orlando. The announcement was made by prosecutors through a press release. The sentencing phase of this high-profile case is set to commence on Wednesday.

The sequence of events began when Fiengo sent Faison a photo revealing two positive pregnancy tests, which ignited a furious reaction from him. He accused her of deceit and followed up with a terse message demanding “Abortion!!!”. This reaction was reportedly fueled by his living arrangement with another woman, who had become suspicious of his infidelity.

Faison’s intentions became evident when he texted a friend with a chilling message: “On my brothers grave, I’m gonna crop her out.” These communications were pivotal in the prosecution’s case, with prosecutor Domenick Leo highlighting them during his closing arguments on Monday.

“Phones have become extensions of our minds and bodies, providing us with undeniable evidence,” Leo remarked to the jury. “He articulated his plan and followed through. The authorities apprehended the correct individual.”

As Law&Crime previously reported, Sanford police were patrolling on Nov. 11, 2022, and saw a vehicle backed into a parking spot at Coastline Park, cops said at the time. An officer found Fiengo in the driver’s seat of the car, dead from a gunshot wound. Police later confirmed Fiengo was pregnant and had just completed her first trimester.

During the course of the 10-month investigation, detectives learned Fiengo went to the park the night of her death to meet Faison, police said. The two had been having multiple arguments about the pregnancy. After Faison lured her there, he shot her dead.

Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith described the investigation as “exhaustive.”

“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 in a statement. “This beautiful, young woman and mother, was taken from this world far too soon, and in a horrific way.”

Faison was arrested in August 2023 and taken to jail without incident.

In addition to the unborn baby, Fiengo left behind a son who was just a year old at the time of her death. Her father told Orlando NBC affiliate WESH that she took her role as a mother very seriously.

“I feel devastated,” Ricky Fiengo said shortly after the shooting. “I mean in a way the baby is young so I guess it’s better that he’s not going to feel that pain. It’s just going to take a village; it’s going to take all of us to help and chip in to raise that child and let that child know how great his mother was.”

Fiengo’s mother also released a statement to the outlet, calling her “vivacious, loving, funny and caring.”

“She graduated high school early as a young mother, with her cap saying ‘mommy did it’,” the statement said. “She is a loss for many, but for her mom an empty hole in my heart that will never heal.”

Smith said the murder was senseless and the violence was infuriating.

“We hope that today’s arrest 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,” he said.