SHARON - The trial of a Sharon man who has been charged with raping, killing and dismembering a transgender teenage girl has been moved to begin in January.

30-year-old DaShawn Watkins' official charges include criminal homicide, murder of the first degree, abuse of a corpse, involuntary deviant sexual intercourse, aggravated assault and tampering with evidence.

Investigators believe Watkins had a sexual encounter with 14-year-old Pauly Likens before killing the teen and discarding their body in the Shenango River. 

Likens was reported missing on June 25 of last year. Police found parts of her remains in the surrounding area of the Shenango River Reservoir over the course of the next week. 

Watkins' trial was set to begin September 9, but, according to a Mercer County Court of Common Pleas official, it was rescheduled due to evidentiary issues in the case. 

According to court records, the trial is now slated to begin on January 13.

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