The murder trial for Akhenaton T. Jones, who allegedly stabbed to death and dismembered trans woman Dominque “Rem’mie” Fells, began this week.
Jurors were selected on Dec. 2 and testimony began the following day.
On June 6, 2020, Fells was stabbed about 40 times and her body was dismembered, allegedly inside the Powelton Village residence of Jones. A party in the residence reportedly had taken place around the time of Fells’ death. Two days later, on June 8, 2020, a fisherman discovered Fells’ body parts after they washed ashore in the Schuylkill River.
Jones allegedly fled to Los Angeles, where he was arrested in November 2020 and subsequently charged with murder, abuse of a corpse and related offenses. He remains incarcerated at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Northeast Philadelphia, pending the outcome of his trial.
Jones, 40, is serving as his own attorney though he has a stand-by attorney, Walter C. Chisholm.
In his opening statement, Jones maintained his innocence and said someone else killed Fells. But prosecutor Ashley M. Toczylowski said the evidence points to Jones as the killer. No other person has been charged in the crime.
The evidence against Jones includes a bloody jigsaw, a bloody mattress, a knife, two full-body protective suits and green plastic wrap — which matched the wrap used to cover Fells’ legs, according to court records.
Common Pleas Judge Charles A. Ehrlich is presiding over the trial, which was expected to include graphic images of Fells’ remains.
When speaking of the crime, Jones referred to the victim as “Rem’mie,” which some courtroom observers found disrespectful.
Asa Khalif, a community advocate, attended the trial. He was impressed with the prosecution’s opening statement which he said conveyed a strong case against Jones.
“The details were extremely brutal,” Khalif said. “I had forgotten how brutal the murder was.”
Khalif also said it was “unnerving” to hear Jones speak about Fells’ death in a calm manner.
“The crime is so horrific, it was unnerving to see how calm [Jones] was talking about it.”
The courtroom was “packed” with relatives and supporters of Fells, Khalif added.
Fells, 27, was a passionate dancer, artist and fashion designer who had dreams of going back to school and designing her own clothing line. She was a graduate of Central York High School in York, Pa. Additionally, she studied at the William Penn Performing Arts Institute in York before moving to Philadelphia. Her death shocked the Philadelphia community and beyond.
Testimony was expected to continue through Wednesday, Dec. 4 with a verdict possible by the end of the week.
This is a developing story and will be updated after a verdict is announced.