Pennsylvania man accused of killing and dismembering missing 14-year-old
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A man is accused of killing and dismembering a missing 14-year-old in Mercer County.
In a news release on Wednesday from Pennsylvania State Police Troop D, DaShawn Watkins is facing a list of charges, including criminal homicide, in connection with the killing of 14-year-old Paul Likens Jr.
The news release said that the Sharon Police Department took a report of a missing 14-year-old on June 25. Later that day, law enforcement was called to Shenango Lake in Clark Borough, Mercer County, and dismembered human remains were found in the water.
State police said they took over the investigation and found more dismembered remains in the area surrounding the lake. The news release said they were the teen's remains. The coroner said the cause of death was sharp force trauma to the head and the manner of death was homicide.
"Evaluation by a forensic pathologist indicates that the victim was dismembered by some type of cutting instrument," the news release said.
State Police said their investigation found that the teen was in the area of Budd Street Public Park and the canoe launch near Budd Street on June 23 between 3 a.m. and 3:40 a.m. The teen appeared to be waiting for someone, police said.
Authorities said video surveillance located a vehicle in the area at the time and tracked it back to Riverwalk Apartments and then to Watkins. The news release said Watkins made several trips out of his apartment with multiple bags and garbage bags. Blood was also found in Watkins' apartment, officials said.
Watkins, of Sharon, is in the Mercer County Jail. Sources told KDKA-TV that law enforcement doesn't know the relationship between the two, but Watkins told police he used a social media app to meet up with an individual described to match the teen.
Anyone with information on the case can contact the Pennsylvania State Police.