Judge Denies Motion to Change Trial Location
Mercer- Judge Daniel Wallace has denied a motion to change the venue for the trial of DeShawn Watkins, accused of the murder of Pauly Likens. Watkins Attorneys, who have managed to get the trial postponed twice, filed a motion to have the trial moved to a location outside of Mercer County, citing the amount of attention local news outlets paid to the case. Judge Wallace denied the motion on Friday; he reasoned that the media coverage has significantly fallen off in the 15 months since the arrest. Watkins is accused of killing and dismembering 14-year-old trans-identifying Pauly Likens after meeting her online. His trial is scheduled for January 13th, 2026.

Woman Allows Molester to be Near Child
Reno – In Venango County, a Reno woman has been charged with child endangerment, obstruction, hindering prosecution, and other crimes for allegedly allowing a man under investigation for sexually assaulting her child to have continued contact with them. Cheyenne Tarleton, 42, allegedly allowed the accused abuser to be in the presence of her child after being granted a PFA in 2024. According to police, Tarleton continued a romantic relationship, continued to live in the accused’s home, and even took her child on a cruise along with the accused, all after the PFA was issued.