SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A Seminole County jury on Thursday recommended the death penalty for a man convicted of killing his pregnant girlfriend when she refused to get an abortion.
Donovan Faison was found guilty Monday of first-degree murder and killing an unborn child after roughly two hours of jury deliberation. The penalty phase began Wednesday and ended with an 11-1 vote by the jury for the death penalty.
A judge will make the final decision on the death penalty, but a hearing has not yet been scheduled.
The case stems from the November 2022 shooting death of Kaylin Fiengo, who was found shot in her car at Coastline Park in Sanford.
Fiengo was 18 years old and pregnant when she was killed.
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Prosecutors presented evidence that Faison killed Fiengo because she refused to terminate her pregnancy. The jury’s guilty verdict followed the presentation of closing arguments earlier that day.
“She was so brave. She was so funny, so forgiving,” Tatiana Fiengo, the victim’s aunt, told News 6 following the verdict. “And we all miss her. It’s not the same in our family. There’s always something missing.”
During the penalty phase, the jury heard testimony from Fiengo’s mother, father, aunt and grandmother. They also heard testimony from Faison’s family, who asked for a life sentence instead of death, according to the state attorney’s office.
In Florida, at least eight of 12 jurors must vote in favor of the death penalty after finding at least one aggravating factor.