'It hit the panic alarm': Transgender teen's killing in northwest Pa. dismays LGBTQ+ group

• Report of a missing person and discovery of human remains in late June led to probe in death of 14-year-old Sharon resident Pauly A. Likens Jr.
• State police have charged a 29-year-old Sharon resident in the killing of victim, whom defendant is alleged to have met via Grindr app
• Pauly was a transgender female, says Shenango Valley LGBTQIA+ Alliance, which is supporting Pauly's family

SHARON, Pa. — On June 1, at the start of Pride Month, the Shenango Valley LGBTQIA+ Alliance moved into its own office space in Sharon after three years of running its support groups out of different locations.

The alliance, founded three years ago, had finally established a more permanent presence to advocate for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning and queer community in Mercer County.

The killing and dismemberment of a 14-year-old transgender Sharon resident has shown the alliance how much its advocacy is needed — and mobilized the alliance as it supports the family and friends of the victim, Pauly A. Likens Jr., a transgender female.

"I think it hit the panic alarm," Pam Ladner, the president of the Shenango Valley LGBTQIA+ Alliance, told the Erie Times-News of Pauly's death. "For something like this to happen, just as we are getting started, is devastating."

The Pennsylvania State Police on Wednesday charged a 29-year-old Sharon man, DaShawn Watkins, with first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, aggravated assault and tampering with evidence in the death of Pauly, who police said was killed on June 23.

Among the allegations is that Watkins killed Pauly after the two met via Grindr, the popular LGBTQ dating app, according to arrest records. Pauly's cut-up remains were found scattered around the area of Shenango River Lake in Mercer County starting on June 25. Police used cellphone records, surveillance video and blood found in Watkins' apartment to charge him, according to the arrest records.

LGBTQ+ group organizes candlelight vigil

The death has generated a flood of support for Pauly's family and the Shenango Valley LGBTQIA+ Alliance, Ladner said.

"We have a lot of people who are stepping up and showing support to make sure she gets the recognition and the justice that she should get," Ladner said.

Ladner said the alliance was not familiar with Pauly before the killing, but she said she spoke to Pauly's family after the death to offer help. The family gave the alliance permission to identify Pauly as a transgender female who used she/her pronouns, Ladner said. The family could not be immediately reached for comment.

Ladner said LGBTQ+ organizations in Erie, to the north of Mercer County, and Pittsburgh, to the south, are among the groups that have connected with the Shenango Valley LGBTQIA+ Alliance to show solidarity and offer aid as it organizes efforts to remember Pauly.

"Our hearts go out to this family and our community," the Shenango Valley LGBTQIA+ Alliance posted on its Facebook page. "Absolutely heart breaking and disturbing."

The alliance has scheduled a candlelight vigil to honor Pauly for 7 p.m. on July 13 at the alliance's office, at 87 Stambaugh Ave. in Sharon.

"Let's lift up our community in this tragic time and let Pauly's family know we (are) behind them and with them in their mourning," the alliance said of the event on its Facebook page, which is also for the Shenango Valley Pride Picnic.

"The outpouring our community is receiving for Pauly and her family is immense," another post said. "Thank you to every person who has reached out to help or share information we are all grateful."

Others set up a GoFundMe account to help Pauly's family. It had raised nearly $20,000 as of Friday evening.

Report of missing person launches homicide probe

Watkins, the defendant, is being held at the Mercer County Prison without bond because he is charged with first-degree murder, a premeditated killing. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 17 before Sharon Distrct Judge Travis Martwinski.

The investigation into Pauly's disappearance and murder started on June 25, when the 14-year-old's father reported to Sharon police that he had not seen Pauly since June 22, according to the affidavit of probable cause attached to the criminal complaint for Watkins.

Also on June 25, police in Hermitage, near Sharon, found human remains in the area of Shenango River Lake, including in the Golden Run Wildlife Area, northeast of Sharon, according to an affidavit. The remains were found fully and partially in the water, and more remains were discovered through the week.

The Mercer County Coroner's Office identified the remains as those of Pauly. The office ruled the cause of death a homicide due to "sharp force trauma to the head." The police in the affidavit said the dismemberment was done "by some type of cutting instrument."

Police put together a timeline using video surveillance from businesses and residences and cellphone records. Investigators determined that, before Pauly's cellphone went inactive during the early morning of June 23, Pauly was last known to be at the canoe launch for the Shenango River at the Budd Street overpass in Sharon, according to the affidavit.

The police used video surveillance video to discover that a car was at the canoe launch at the same time before driving to the Riverwalk Apartments, just north of the canoe launch, according the affidavit.

Surveillance video footage from the apartment complex showed a man, later identified as Watkins, leaving the apartment complex with an empty duffel bag and returning with a heavy duffel bag about 25 minutes later early on the morning of June 23, according to the affidavit. The evidence, police said in the affidavit, "indicates that Watkins took this duffle bag with him to make initial contact with the victim."

On June 23 and in the early morning of June 24, Watkins is seen on video leaving and returning to the apartment complex "carrying multiple bags and garbage bags," according to the affidavit. Watkins, according to the affidavit, is also seen trying to clean blood in the hallway in the apartment complex, where he had first placed the heavy duffle bag.

Police: Defendant says he used Grindr to meet someone

State police interviewed Watkins on July 1. According to the affidavit, Watkins told police "that recently, on a weekend, he had used the Grindr App to arrange a meet up with an individual. The individual was to be previously unknown to Watkins and was described to match the likeness of the victim."

Watkins, according to the affidavit, told police "that he had sexual contact' with the person at a spot to which he had driven and the other person had walked. Police said Watkins denied being at the canoe launch, but "later advised that it was possible his vehicle pulled into the canoe launch but advised that his memory was poor, he had issues with it," according to the affidavit.

Police in the affidavit said Watkins denied bringing the person he met to his apartment, and that Watkins said he brought an empty bag into his apartment only because it was left in his car from a vacation a month ago.

Police said they saw two cuts on Watkins' hand for which he had received stitches. Police said Watkins told them that he "cut his hand on a piece of sheet metal while searching for reptiles," according to the affidavit.

Police searched Watkins' apartment. They found blood in the bathroom and under the bathroom floor, according to the affidavit. It also states: "A receipt from 6/23/24 was found to indicate the purchase of a saw. A saw with exchangeable blades, which was consistent with listed saw on the receipt, was recovered at the scene. One of the exchangeable blades for this saw was missing."

A teen's death with far-reaching effects

At the Shenango Valley LGBTQIA+ Alliance, Pam Ladner reflected on Pauly's death as she planned for the vigil and answered questions. The death, she said, "has impacted our entire community."

Ladner also reflected on what prompted her to create the alliance three years ago and to work so hard to find a permanent space. The alliance, she said, was born out of her family's need for support related to LGBTQ+ issues.

"Our area in Mercer County really didn't have a lot of advocacy or visibility" for the LGBTQ+ community, Ladner said. "We knew how isolated and lonely they felt."

Staff writer Jim Martin contributed to this report.

Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com or 814-870-1813. Follow him on X @ETNpalattella.