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Family of transgender woman killed in 2020 remembers daughter after murderer convicted: "Dominque's life mattered"
A man was convicted of first-degree murder in the deadly slaying and dismembering of 27-year-old Dominique Rem'mie Fells, a transgender woman in Philadelphia, back in 2020, the district attorney's office announced Monday.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said Akhenaton Jones was also convicted of abuse of a corpse and possession of an instrument of crime by a jury on June 9, in connection with Fells' killing. The conviction date was almost exactly five years after Fells' dismembered body was found floating in the Schuylkill River.
"Today our family gets back their time. Time to heal. Time to grow beyond this experience. Time to learn how to live again," said Terri Fells-Edmonds, Dominique Rem'mie Fells' mother.
On June 8, 2020, Dominique Rem'mie Fells' upper body was found, stabbed more than 40 times, in the Schuylkill River. Investigators said three days later, her legs were found in a trash bag on the banks of the river.
The 27-year-old's death ignited protests, bringing national focus to the violence LGBTQ+ community members face. Her name became a powerful symbol during the 2020 demonstrations for justice and equality.
CBS Philadelphia
"To me, she was Rem'mie, but to our family, she was a daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece and friend," said Terri Fells-Edmonds. "This does not feel like a loss that was just within our immediate family, but to the many people who, in the summer of 2020, were moved by Rem'mie's story."
According to the district attorney's office, two witnesses who were at Jones' home on the 3900 block of Powelton Avenue told authorities that Fell was with Jones at the home on June 6, 2020. The witnesses left the home when Jones and the 27-year-old went into a bedroom. But the witnesses returned later and found Dominique Rem'mie Fells dead on a bed.
Investigators obtained a search warrant for Jones' home and recovered a knife, an electric saw and a white hazmat suit – all of which were covered in blood. Authorities also caught Jones on surveillance taking Dominique Rem'mie Fells' remains out of the home and into a van that was then seen driving toward the Schuylkill River.
An arrest warrant was issued that month for Jones, who had fled to California. Authorities detained him in Los Angeles in November 2020 and brought him back to Philadelphia, where more DNA evidence connected him to the crimes.
Investigators didn't present a motive or cite bias in this case.
But the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office says it wouldn't have changed the charges, as Pennsylvania's hate crime laws don't protect LGBTQ+ individuals; they apply only to race, religion and national origin.
Dominique Rem'mie Fells
Philadelphia District Attorney's Office
According to the Williams Institute, a research center on sexual orientation and gender identity law and policy, trans people are more than four times more likely to be victims of violent crime than cisgender people – a harsh reality they face daily.
"Dominique always had a purpose," Keith Edmonds, Dominique Rem'mie Fells' father, said.
Her family said now that justice has been served, they hope her life can be a shining light for change.
"Dominque's life mattered, and we will continue to honor her memory every day," Terri Fells-Edmonds said.
Jones' sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 26, 2025.
