Woman accused of livestreaming murder in Sanford faces judge
SANFORD, Fla. - Lakevia Davonna Pringle sat in Seminole County court Saturday morning. She's been charged with one count of principal in the first-degree to first-degree premeditated homicide.
Sanford police say she recorded video as her girlfriend fatally shot another woman.
Attorney Albert Yonfa, who was not connected with the case, explained the charges. "The only difference in this particular case is that Pringle was not the one that actually pulled the trigger, but the state feels she was substantially involved by provoking this incident."
The judge found probable cause for the charges and ordered Pringle to be held without bond. Pringle turned herself in at the Sanford Police Department, on Friday. Police say she was the girlfriend of Savon Chantay Tyler, who was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the November 5 shooting death of Lauren Martin. They said Martin and Tyler were in an ongoing feud. "We were all friends. I could imagine that my niece would never think Savon would take her life from her," said Jessica Burks, Martin’s aunt.
Police said both Martin and Pringle - Tyler’s girlfriend - live-streamed parts of the shooting on social media. In the livestream, police allege that Pringle encouraged her girlfriend, Tyler, to continue the fight which led to the deadly shooting. "Had she not been guiding her and leading her…maybe just maybe my niece would still be here," Burks said.
Security expert Dave Benson said in tense or violent situations the key should always be to bring temperatures down. "That's why it's important that folks in the workplace have to understand about de-escalation, that's why it's important for law enforcement officers, and certainly in a heated situation like this, we want to cool explosive encounters, we don't want to escalate them."
Pringle's next hearing will be her arraignment, which is set for December 10. Yonfa said the live-streamed video gives prosecutors an important tool to build their case. "It's going to be used as an aggravating factor in the penalty phase of this, if in fact she is found guilty. In which case, the charge could either be the death penalty or life imprisonment, without the chance for parole."