A Mercer County judge has once again moved the trial for Dashawn Watkins to May, marking the latest in a series of delays for the Sharon man accused of killing a 14-year-old.

Common Pleas Judge Daniel Wallace rescheduled the proceedings for May 12. The case was previously expected to go before a jury in March, following earlier dates in January 2026 and late 2025.

Watkins, 31, faces several charges, including first-degree murder, criminal homicide, and abuse of a corpse. The charges stem from the June 2024 death of Pauly Likens.

Court records show the defense and prosecution have filed several motions since Watkins was arrested in July 2024. In late January, a public defender filed a motion to compel discovery. It was followed by a motion to quash filed on Feb. 3.

Judge Wallace held a hearing on Friday to address the recent requests. Following that meeting, the March trial date was moved to the court's May term.

Watkins has been held in the Mercer County Prison without bail since his arrest. In addition to the homicide charges, he is charged with aggravated assault, tampering with evidence, and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person under 16.

The court previously denied a defense request to move the trial to a different county. Defense attorneys argued that local news coverage would make it difficult to find unbiased jurors, but the judge ruled the trial could stay in Mercer County.

The trial is now scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on May 12.