A Philadelphia jury this week was unable to reach a verdict in the murder trial for Akhenaton T. Jones, who allegedly killed trans woman Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells four years ago. But jurors did convict Jones of a misdemeanor: abuse of a corpse, according to court records.
Jurors deliberated Jones’ fate for five days before telling Common Pleas Judge Charles A. Ehrlich on Dec. 13 they were unable to reach a verdict on first-degree murder or third-degree murder. Ehrlich declared a mistrial.
A spokesperson for District Attorney Larry Krasner couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. Jones remains incarcerated at a jail in Northeast Philadelphia pending a decision on whether he should be retried for murder.
In June 2020, Jones allegedly stabbed Fells to death inside his Powelton Village residence, then dismembered her corpse with a jigsaw and deposited her remains in the Schuylkill River.
Jones served as his own attorney during the trial, though he had a standby attorney, Walter C. Chisholm.
For four days, jurors heard testimony from a variety of prosecution witnesses, including experts in the areas of crime-scene testing, DNA analysis, cellular phone analysis and video analysis. A representative from the medical examiner’s office also testified, along with three civilian witnesses.
The experts testified about evidence allegedly connected to Jones, including a bloody jigsaw, a bloody mattress, a folding knife and other objects such as green plastic wrapping material that were utilized in the crime.
Jones, 40, maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings, claiming another person killed Fells. However, no other person has been charged in the crime.
Fells, 27, was a beloved figure in the LGBTQ+ community. Numerous relatives and friends attended court on a daily basis as a demonstration of support for her.
She was a passionate dancer, artist and fashion designer who had dreams of going back to school and designing her own clothing line. Her death shocked the Philadelphia community and beyond.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.