The District Attorney in Mercer County says the murder of a transgender teenage girl will not be prosecuted as a hate crime.
The body of 14-year-old Pauly Likens was found dismembered in the Shenango River last month. After an investigation, police charged 29-year-old Shawn Watkins with homicide.
But, the DA says that Watkins was openly gay and met Likens through a dating app.
Because of that, the DA says hate crime charges are unlikely, but that could change during the course of the investigation.
He also added that he is seeking “real justice for the family” and described it as one of the most heinous crimes he’s seen in his career.
