A Pennsylvania man is behind bars after allegedly luring a transgender teenage girl he met on an online dating app into the woods and dismembering her body.
According to a criminal complaint filed with the Mercer Police Department, Dashaun Watkins, 29, is accused of being involved in the death of 14-year-old Paulie Likens, who was last seen on June 22 and reported missing by her family on June 25.
The documents state that Likens’ father, who called Paulie his son, reported him missing to police after not hearing from him since the early morning hours of June 23.
According to the criminal complaint, Likens had planned to stay the night at the home of an unknown friend.
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Dashaun Dale DePree Watkins, 29, of Sharon, Pennsylvania, is being held in the Mercer County Jail on suspicion of brutally dismembering 14-year-old Paulie Likens. (Mercer County Jail)
The Hermitage Police Department was dispatched to a report of dismembered human remains found in Chenango River Lake in Clark County, Pennsylvania on June 25. After gathering location information from the boy’s cell phone, interviewing friends and reviewing security camera footage, officers determined Likens had been in the area on June 23.
The Mercer County coroner later confirmed that the “various dismembered remains” police found over the next week were those of Likens.
A forensic pathologist determined the boy was mutilated with “some type of cutting instrument.”
Documents show the 14-year-old boy’s cause of death was determined to be sharp edge trauma to the head and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.
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According to the criminal complaint, surveillance video, social media records and cell phone records placed Watkins at the scene of the horrific murder, and he has been charged with murder, aggravated assault, tampering with evidence and criminal desecration of a corpse.
The 29-year-old man allegedly told authorities he met Likens on the popular LGBTQ dating app Grindr and agreed to meet up.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Tuesday voiced support for the Likens family and advocated for state legislation that would “treat hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people the same as other hate crimes.”
Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro expressed support for Likens’ family in a Tuesday X-post after 14-year-old Paulie Likens was confirmed dead and had four limbs amputated. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
“The First Lady and I are thinking of Polley Likens’ friends, family, and our entire LGBTQ+ community at this time,” he wrote. X Post on tuesday.
“The Pennsylvania State Police investigation continues, and her horrific murder must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he wrote. “It is past time to strengthen Pennsylvania’s laws to ensure that hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people are treated the same as other hate crimes.”
Authorities have not confirmed whether the killing was a hate crime.
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Watkins is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on July 25.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office and Pennsylvania State Police for comment.
