A Pennsylvania man is behind bars after he allegedly lured a transgender teen into the woods and dismembered the victim after he met him on an online dating app last month.
According to a criminal complaint filed with the Mercer Police Department, 29-year-old DaShawn Watkins is accused of killing 14-year-old Pauly Likens, who was last seen on June 22, and was reported missing by her family on June 25.
Likens’ father, who called Paulie his son, had not been heard from since the early hours of June 23 and contacted police to report that his child was missing, documents state.
Likens would allegedly spend the night with an unknown friend, the complaint states.
Indianapolis woman’s body found in storage bin in woods, one week after disappearance
Dashawn Dale Depree Watkins, 29, of Sharon, Pa., is being held in jail for his role in the brutal dismemberment of 14-year-old Pauly Likens. County Jail. (Mercer County Jail)
On June 25, the Hermitage Police Department responded to a report of dismembered human remains found at Shenango River Lake in Clark Borough, Pennsylvania. After collecting the teen’s cellphone location, interviewing friends and reviewing surveillance video, it was determined Likens was in the area on June 23.
The Mercer County coroner later confirmed that “various dismembered human remains” discovered by police the next week belonged to Likens.
A forensic pathologist determined the teen had been dismembered with “some sort of cutting instrument.”
Documents show that the cause of death of the 14-year-old boy was sharp force trauma to the head, and the manner of death was ruled homicide.
Missouri man dressed in women’s clothes, tortured them in sex den and dumped at least one body in river: police
The criminal complaint alleges that surveillance footage, social media records and cell phone records linked Watkins to the scene of the gruesome murder. He was charged with murder, aggravated assault, tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse.
The 29-year-old allegedly told authorities that he met Likens on the popular LGBTQ dating app Grindr and the two agreed to meet.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro expressed support for the Likens family on Tuesday and advocated for state laws to “handle hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people in the same manner as other hate crimes.”
On Tuesday, Pennsylvania’s Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro expressed support for the family of 14-year-old Pauly Likens in an X post after the death and dismemberment of 14-year-old Pauly Likens was confirmed. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
“The first lady and I are thinking of Paulie Likens’ friends, family and our entire LGBTQ+ community,” he wrote in the letter. an X post Tuesday.
“The Pennsylvania State Police investigation is ongoing and her horrific murder must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he wrote. “It’s time to strengthen Pennsylvania laws to treat crimes against LGBTQ+ people like other hate crimes.” Hate crime.”
Authorities have not confirmed whether the homicide was a hate crime.
Click here to get the Fox News app
Watkins is expected to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on July 25.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office and the Pennsylvania State Police for comment.
