Philadelphia Man Convicted in Murder of Trans Woman
Akhenaton Jones was found guilty of brutally stabbing and dismembering 27-year-old Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells in 2020.
A Philadelphia jury has convicted Akhenaton Jones, 41, of the gruesome 2020 murder of Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells, a 27-year-old transgender woman and freelance fashion designer whose dismembered body was found in the Schuylkill River. On June 16, Jones was found guilty of first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, and possession of an instrument of crime, according to the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. Fells and Jones were reportedly romantically involved at the time of her death.
Fells’ upper body was found floating in the Schuylkill River near Bartram’s Garden, a botanical garden in southwest Philadelphia, on June 8, 2020. Her torso had more than 40 stab wounds. Three days later, her legs were discovered in a trash bag along the riverbank.
Police launched an investigation and appealed to the public for information about Fells’ death. According to Philadelphia’s ABC affiliate WPVI, people close to Fells said they had seen her arguing with a male acquaintance just days before she was killed.
As the investigation progressed, two witnesses told detectives that Fells had been spending time at Jones’ home in Philadelphia’s West Powelton neighborhood. They said they left after Fells and Jones went into his bedroom, but returned later to find Fells dead on the bed, with blood covering the scene.
Investigators obtained a search warrant for Jones’ residence, where they found extensive blood spatter, along with a knife, an electric saw, and a white hazmat suit — all covered in blood.
Surveillance footage later showed Jones removing a trash can and bag, which contained Fells’ remains, from his home and loading them into a white van. Additional video captured him driving the van to the river, according to WPVI.
A warrant was issued for Jones’ arrest, but he fled to California, where he was apprehended six months later and extradited to Philadelphia. Once in custody, DNA obtained from Jones matched DNA recovered from the knife, saw, and hazmat suit.
Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on September 26, 2025. Typically, first-degree murder carries a charge of life imprisonment without parole, or a minimum sentence of 35 years to life.
Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on September 26, 2025. A conviction for first-degree murder in Pennsylvania typically carries a sentence of life without parole, or a minimum of 35 years to life.
Following the guilty verdict, Fells’ mother, Terri Fells-Edmonds, released a statement thanking the Philadelphia Police Department and District Attorney’s Office for securing a conviction, as reported by Philadelphia NBC affiliate WCAU.
“The verdict last Monday brought justice for our daughter, but it doesn’t take away the pain of losing her,” Fells-Edmonds said. “Dominique’s life mattered, and we will continue to honor her every day. To me, she was Rem’mie, but to our family, she was a daughter, granddaughter, niece, and friend.”
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