Florida Man Sentenced to Death for Executing Pregnant Girlfriend After She Refused Abortion, Prosecutors Say
SANFORD, FLORIDA — A 23-year-old Florida man has been sentenced to death after prosecutors said he executed his pregnant girlfriend because she refused to get an abortion. The ruling, handed down Friday in Seminole County, follows an 11–1 jury recommendation in October and marks one of the state’s most severe punishments under recently updated death penalty laws.
Prosecutors Say Killing Was Planned, Calculated, and “Execution-Style”
The case centers on the 2022 murder of 18-year-old Kaylin Fiengo, who was found shot inside her car at Coastline Park.
Investigators say she had just completed her first trimester when she was lured to the park by Donovan L. Faison, the father of her unborn child.
Prosecutors told jurors that Faison became enraged after Fiengo texted him a photo of two positive pregnancy tests. Evidence showed he repeatedly pressured her to get an abortion, sending a message that said “Abortion!!!” and later telling a friend:
“On my brothers grave, I’m gonna crop her out.”
Officials said the digital evidence demonstrated clear premeditation.
“Phones are an extension of your mind,” prosecutors told jurors. “He said he was going to do it — then he did it.”
The state argued several aggravating factors required the death penalty, including the murder of a child under 12 and the killing of an unborn child during the commission of a capital felony.
Victim’s Mother Delivers Emotional Statement Before Sentencing
In court, Fiengo’s mother, Sarah Schweickert, described the devastation her family continues to endure.
“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.”
Fiengo, a young mother herself, left behind a 1-year-old son.
Family members described her as “vivacious, loving, funny and caring.”
She graduated high school early, proudly decorating her cap with the message: “Mommy did it.”
Police Say Fiengo Was Lured to the Park and Executed
Sanford police officers found Fiengo’s vehicle backed into a parking spot on Nov. 11, 2022, with the young mother fatally shot inside. The investigation lasted nearly 10 months.
Detectives later determined Faison had arranged to meet her at the park after multiple arguments about her pregnancy.
He then shot her at close range.
Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith called the investigation “exhaustive,” noting that every piece of evidence — from phone data to scene reconstruction — supported the conclusion that the murder was intentional and preplanned.
“This beautiful, young woman and mother was taken from this world far too soon, and in a horrific way,” Smith said. “Kaylin deserves justice, and today she received it.”
Faison was arrested in August 2023 without incident and later convicted of:
- First-degree murder
- Killing of an unborn child
Under Florida’s revised death penalty rules, jurors may recommend execution with a vote of 8–4, the lowest threshold in the nation. Faison’s jury voted 11–1.
Family Says They Will Now Raise Fiengo’s Young Son Together
Fiengo’s father said the family is committed to making sure her son grows up knowing who his mother was.
“It’s going to take all of us to help raise that child and let him know how great his mother was,” he said.
The family expressed relief that the case finally reached a conclusion, though the loss will never fully heal.
As the community reflects on the tragedy and its aftermath, local leaders say the sentence provides a measure of justice for the young mother and her unborn child. For continued updates on major criminal sentencing decisions and public safety stories across the U.S., visit ChicagoMusicGuide.com.