A Pennsylvania man accused of killing and dismembering a transgender teen he met on a dating app has been charged with murder and related charges.
DaShawn Watkins, 29, of Sharon, was arraigned earlier this month and is being held without bail in the Mercer County Jail. He was represented at the hearing by the county public defender’s office, according to court records, but that office declined to comment Tuesday on the case or whether it was still representing Watkins, noting that it does not discuss ongoing cases.
Watkins is charged in the death of Pauly Likens, 14, of Sharon, a transgender girl who was last seen on June 22 and reported missing by family members three days later. That same day, police found mutilated human remains in and around the waters of Shenango River Lake, and more remains were found in the area the following week.
The Mercer County coroner’s office ruled that Likens — who would have turned 15 on Saturday — died of blunt force trauma to the head and was dismembered. The cause of death was ruled a homicide.
Watkins was charged with murder, aggravated assault, evidence tampering and abuse of a corpse. Prosecutors said they also plan to file hate crime charges, but those have not yet been filed.
Watkins told police he had arranged to meet someone he had communicated with on the dating app Grindr on June 22. Surveillance footage, social media records and cellphone records showed Likens appeared to be on the phone that night and waiting to meet someone near the lake’s canoe launch site, county prosecutors said.
Authorities said the footage also showed Watkins driving away from his apartment several times in the early morning hours of June 23. He was carrying multiple bags and riding in a vehicle to his apartment, which was seen near the lake.
According to Likens’ relatives, the teenager was a prankster who wanted to become a park ranger.
“I just want to say what a beautiful, loving person she was and the hate has to stop!!” Likens’ mother, Jen McClure, told Pennlive.