Mercer County DA doesn’t believe brutal murder of transgender teen was a hate crime

MERCER COUNTY, Pa. — Channel 11 is learning more about the murder of a transgender Mercer County teenager.

Pauly Likens, 14, was killed and dismembered and investigators say DaShawn Watkins, 29, is the man responsible.

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Advocacy groups are pushing for a hate crime charge, but the Mercer County District Attorney told Channel 11 that he and detectives don’t believe the case falls into the category of a hate crime because Pauly was transgender and Watkins is a gay man.

Channel 11 spoke to a woman who says she lived across the hall from DaShawn Watkins in their Sharon apartment complex.

“Pure shock and horror. That could have been any of us,” she said.

She told us she never had a strange interaction with him.

“He seemed like he was friendly. He’s taken garbage out when I couldn’t,” she added.

According to investigators, Pauly’s body parts were found scattered around Shenango Lake and not all of her remains have been found.

We spoke to Pauly’s aunt after her body was identified.

“Only an absolute monster could do something like that to anyone, let alone a child,” Pauly’s aunt, Liz Morsillo told Channel 11.

Advocacy groups are pushing for a hate crime charge, but the Mercer County District Attorney told Channel 11 that he and detectives don’t believe the case falls into the category of a hate crime because Pauly was transgender and Watkins is a gay man.

“No child deserves that. Nobody deserves that,” Watkins’ neighbor told Channel 11.

An obituary for the teen says, “Pauly lit up every room she entered, always making people smile and passing around her contagious laughter.”

The woman we spoke to, and her neighbors, told us they wish they would have heard something that night.

“I am so sorry. That none of us heard or seen anything. I am just so sorry.”

Channel 11 asked the DA if he believes there are more victims and he said he is “unaware of any, but isn’t ruling anything out.”

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