In a chilling case that captured nationwide attention, a Florida jury has recommended the death penalty for Donovan L. Faison, a 23-year-old man convicted of murdering his pregnant girlfriend, Kaylin Fiengo. Faison’s heinous act was driven by her refusal to undergo an abortion, as described by prosecutors as a cold-blooded, execution-style killing.

The jury, after deliberating, reached a decision with an 11-1 vote in favor of the death penalty. This decision follows Faison’s earlier conviction for first-degree murder and the death of Fiengo’s unborn child. The tragic incident took place in 2022 in Sanford, a city located about 25 miles north of Orlando.

According to the prosecutors, the crime met several aggravating circumstances that warranted the death penalty. Among these factors was the brutal killing of an unborn child, considered an especially egregious act within the context of the capital felony. Stewart Stone, a leading prosecutor in the case, urged the jury to weigh the calculated and premeditated nature of the murder. “This was an execution-style killing,” Stone emphasized to the jurors.

The courtroom also heard from Fiengo’s mother, Sarah Schweickert, who gave a poignant victim impact statement, adding a deeply personal dimension to the proceedings as she spoke of the loss of her daughter and unborn grandchild.

Fiengo”s mother, Sarah Schweickert, made a victim impact statement.

“No words can capture the depth of pain that comes with losing your daughter to murder,” she said. “Every day I wake up and face a world that no longer has her smile, her laughter, her hugs. The grief never leaves – it sits in my chest like a weight that will never go away.”

In the Sunshine State, jurors can recommend the death penalty by an 8-4 vote — the lowest threshold in the country. The Florida Legislature passed a bill changing the law after the jurors failed to unanimously agree to put Nikolas Cruz, the man who murdered 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, on death row.

A judge will seal Faison’s fate on Dec. 5.

Prosecutors said Faison “erupted” in anger when Fiengo sent him a photo of two positive pregnancy tests. The defendant accused her of lying before sending her a text that said “Abortion!!!,” prosecutors said. The dad-to-be “felt pressured” because he was living with another woman who suspected him of cheating.

Faison later texted a buddy: “On my brothers grave, I’m gonna crop her out.” The text messages proved Faison’s intent, prosecutor Domenick Leo said in closing arguments on Monday.

“Phones are an extension of your mind and your body – it’s the reason we can give you clear, convincing evidence,” Leo told jurors. “He said he was going to do it, then he did it. The police got the right guy.”

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 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.