In a courtroom in Florida, a judge upheld a jury’s recommendation, sentencing Donovan L. Faison to death. The case revolved around the tragic murder of Faison’s pregnant girlfriend, 18-year-old Kaylin Fiengo, in what has been described by prosecutors as a cold-blooded, execution-style killing. The motive, as presented by the prosecution, was Fiengo’s refusal to terminate her pregnancy.

Faison, aged 23, was sentenced on Friday for the 2022 murder that took place in Sanford, a city located roughly 25 miles north of Orlando. The jury had deliberated and, with a majority vote of 11-1, recommended the death penalty for Faison. This was after his conviction on charges of first-degree murder and the unlawful killing of an unborn child, according to a statement released by prosecutors.

During the trial, prosecutors argued that the murder fulfilled several criteria that justify the death sentence. One crucial factor was that Faison murdered a child under the age of 12 in the act of committing the capital felony of Fiengo’s murder.

In a poignant moment during the proceedings, prosecutor Stewart Stone addressed the jury, emphasizing the premeditated and calculated nature of the crime. “You may and should consider the cold, calculated, premeditated nature of this killing,” Stone declared. “This was an execution-style killing.”

Before the judge delivered the final verdict, Kaylin Fiengo’s mother, Sarah Schweickert, made an emotional victim impact statement, underscoring the profound loss experienced by her family.

“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.

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.

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 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.