SANFORD, Fla. — A Florida man is facing the death penalty after being convicted of executing his pregnant teenage girlfriend in a city park—just hours after she refused to get an abortion. The chilling case has sparked national outrage and a wave of emotional responses online.
Donovan Faison, 23, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the 2022 killing of 18-year-old Kaylin Fiengo, who was shot in the head while sitting in her running car at Coastline Park in Sanford. Next to her body: an ultrasound image and two positive pregnancy tests.
Fiengo, already a mother to a toddler named Ace, had sent Faison the test results. His response was a single word: “Abortion!!!” Prosecutors said Faison was living with another woman at the time and feared being exposed as a cheater. That pressure, they argued, pushed him to plan the murder.
Hours before the killing, Faison texted a friend, “On my brothers grave, I’m gonna crop her out,” referring to Fiengo. That same night, he lured her to the park under the pretense of meeting up. She never made it home.
Investigators recovered a bullet casing and the ultrasound photo near her body. Prosecutors described the killing as “cold, calculated, and execution-style,” emphasizing the premeditated nature of the crime. Fiengo was nearing the end of her first trimester.
The jury deliberated for just two hours before returning a guilty verdict. They later voted 11-1 in favor of the death penalty, citing the brutality and motive behind the crime. Faison’s formal sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 5.
The case has ignited a firestorm on social media. “She chose life. He chose murder,” one viral post read. Another user wrote, “Kaylin deserved better. Her baby deserved better. This is beyond heartbreaking. #JusticeForKaylin.”
Some users expressed outrage that Faison showed no remorse during the trial. “He planned it. He texted about it. He pulled the trigger. And he sat there stone-faced,” one commenter posted. Others called for stronger protections for pregnant women facing domestic threats.
Fiengo’s family has remained largely private since the verdict, but supporters have organized a candlelight vigil in her memory. Advocates are also pushing for “Kaylin’s Law,” a proposed measure to increase penalties for violence against pregnant women.
As the December 5 hearing approaches, the community waits to see whether the judge will uphold the jury’s recommendation and sentence Donovan Faison to death. For many, the verdict is only the beginning of a long road toward justice.
#JusticeForKaylin
