Woman charged in Sanford livestreaming murder faces judge

SANFORD, Fla. – Lakevia Davonna Pringle sat in Seminole County court Saturday morning. She was charged with first-degree intentional homicide.

Sanford police say they captured video of her friend fatally shooting another woman.

Attorney Albert Yonfa, who had nothing to do with the case, explained the allegations. “The only difference in this particular case is that Pringle was not the one who actually pulled the trigger, but rather the state believes she was instrumental in provoking this incident.”

The judge found probable cause for the charges and ordered Pringle held without bail. Pringle turned himself in to Sanford police on Friday. Police say she was the girlfriend of Savon Chantay Tyler, who was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the Nov. 5 shooting death of Lauren Martin. They said Martin and Tyler were in an ongoing feud. “We were all friends. “I would imagine my niece never thought Savon would take her life,” said Jessica Burks, Martin’s aunt.

Police said both Martin and Pringle – Tyler's girlfriend – broadcast parts of the shooting live on social media. In the livestream, police allege Pringle encouraged her friend Tyler to continue the fight that led to the fatal shooting. “If she hadn't guided and led them…maybe my niece would still be here,” Burks said.

Security expert Dave Benson said lowering temperatures should always be a priority in tense or violent situations. “That's why it's important for people in the workplace to know about de-escalation, that's why it's important for police officers, and in a heated situation like this, we want to mitigate explosive encounters, not escalate them.”

Pringle's next hearing will be arraignment, scheduled for Dec. 10. Yonfa said the live-streaming video provides prosecutors an important tool to build their case. “If she is indeed found guilty, this will be used as an aggravating factor in the penalty phase. In this case, the charge could be either the death penalty or life in prison with no chance of parole.”