SHARON, Pa. — A western Pennsylvania man is charged with homicide following the death and dismemberment of a transgender teenager.
Dashawn Dale Depree Watkins, 29, of Sharon, Pa., was charged with murder in the first degree, aggravated assault, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence on Wednesday following the death of Pauly Likens on June 23. Pamela Ladner, director of the Shenango Valley LGBTQIA+ Alliance in Sharon said she has spoken to Pauly’s mother, Jennifer, and she confirmed that Pauly identified as a transgender girl.
Likens was murdered on June 23 near a canoe launch in downtown Sharon, police said.
Dashawn Dale Depree Watkins, 29, of 335 Sterling Ave., Apartment A111, Sharon, was arrested July 3 and charged with murder in the first degree, aggravated assault, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence.
Pamela Ladner, director of the Shenango Valley LGBTQIA+ Alliance in Sharon said she has spoken to Pauly’s mother, Jennifer, and she confirmed that Pauly identified as a transgender girl.
Mercer County District Attorney Peter C. Acker said he does not plan to charge Watkins with a hate crime. Acker said this is one of the worst homicide cases he’s ever seen in his 46 years as a lawyer.
“I’ve gotten several questions about whether or not we’re investigating this as a hate crime,” Acker said. “The answer is no because the defendant is an admitted homosexual and the victim was transitioning.”
Likens was reported missing on June 25. Her father said she planned to spend the night at a friend’s house on June 22. About 2:30 a.m. on June 23, Likens posted an image on Snapchat of a dark road and said she was out for a late-night walk to clear her mind and she was not heard from after that.
On June 25, Hermitage police responded to a report of dismembered human remains at Shenango River Lake. Over the next week, more remains were recovered around the lake.
Mercer County Coroner John A. Libonati confirmed the remains to be Likens. Upon completion of an autopsy for some of the recovered remains the coroner’s office ruled Pauly's cause of death to be sharp force trauma to the head with the manner of death as homicide. Acker said authorities have not yet all of Pauly’s remains.
Surveillance video from June 23 in the area of the canoe launch shows a vehicle entering and exiting the canoe launch when Likens' phone last connected with cellular towers in the area. Video images later show the vehicle turning toward the apartment building where Watkins lives. After the vehicle leaves the canoe launch, the victim is not seen leaving the area, police said.
Police also watched video surveillance from inside Watkins’ apartment complex in the early morning of June 23. The surveillance shows Watkins carrying a large duffle bag out of the apartment just before Likens' last known phone activity. The video shows Watkins taking this duffle bag with him to make initial contact with Likens on June 23. At that time, the bag appeared to be empty.
Watkins returns 20 to 25 minutes later carrying the duffle bag, which then appears to be heavy and awkward, into the first floor of the apartment building, police said.
State troopers detained Watkins on July 2. According to the criminal complaint, Watkins told police he used the Grindr app to arrange a meet-up with someone.
In the interview, Watkins said he did not previously know the person he met. Watkins explained the bag by telling police that he took a large bag from his car which had been there from a vacation from about a month ago.
Police executed search warrants on the entryway of 335 Sterling Avenue and of Watkins’ apartment. Preliminary tests indicated that there was blood in the hallway and inside the apartment at multiple locations including the bathroom and under the bathroom flooring. A receipt from June 23 indicated that Watkins purchased a saw with exchangeable blades, which was found in the apartment.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 25.