SANFORD, Fla. — A Seminole County jury has recommended the death penalty for a man who was convicted this week of killing his girlfriend and her unborn child in 2022.
On Monday, Donovan Faison was found guilty of first-degree murder with a firearm, killing an unborn child, and burglary with a firearm for the Novemebr 2022 shooting of Kaylin Fiengo at a Sanford park. She was at end of her first trimester when she died.
The jury’s decision was made after considering aggravating factors presented by the prosecution.
Assistant State Attorney Stewart Stone emphasized the premeditated nature of the crime, describing it as an “execution-style killing.”
During the trial, prosecutors presented text messages revealing Faison’s anger towards Fiengo for not terminating her pregnancy. These messages indicated Faison’s intent to “crop her out,” leading to the fatal meeting at Coastline Park.
Victim impact statements were delivered by Fiengo’s family during the sentencing hearing. Her mother, Sarah Schweickert, expressed the profound grief experienced by the family, stating, “No words can capture the depth of pain that comes with losing your daughter to murder.”
Members of Faison’s family testified, requesting a life sentence instead of the death penalty.
Stone acknowledged the difficulty of the jury’s decision, saying, “Many of the true, just and fair decisions are also the difficult, agonizing decisions.”
Assistant State Attorney Domenick Leo commented on the jury’s recommendation, stating that the death penalty should be reserved for the most atrocious conduct, which he argued was demonstrated by Faison’s actions.
The final decision on Faison’s sentence will be made by Circuit Judge Donna Goerner after a hearing on Dec. 5.
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