A judge has scheduled a new trial date for the Sharon man accused of killing and dismembering 14-year-old Pauly Likens. Dashawn Watkins will face a jury in March 2026. The trial was previously set for January 13, but Judge Daniel Wallace granted a move to the March criminal trial term.

Court records show the trial has been moved several times. It was originally scheduled for July and then September of 2025 before being pushed into the next year. Watkins, 31, remains in the Mercer County Prison. He was denied bail following his arrest in July 2024.

The charges against Watkins include first-degree murder, criminal homicide, and aggravated assault. He also faces charges of sexual intercourse with a person less than 16 years old, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with physical evidence.

Investigators say Likens was reported missing in June 2024. Police later found her remains in the Shenango Reservoir. In October 2025, Judge Wallace denied a request from the defense to move the trial to a different county. Attorneys for Watkins argued that local media coverage would make it hard to find a fair jury. The judge ruled that a cooling-off period had occurred since the initial reporting of the case.

The trial is currently scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on March 10, 2026.