PHILADELPHIA (June 16, 2025)—Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner announced on Monday that Akhenaton Jones (DOB 4/4/84) was convicted of murder and related charges for his role in the brutal killing of 27-year-old Dominique Rem’mie Fells, a transgender woman, in June 2020.
Jones was convicted by a jury last week of First Degree Murder, Possession of an Instrument of Crime (M1), and Abuse of Corpse (M2).
On June 8, 2020, Dominique Fells’ upper body was found floating in the Schuylkill River. Her torso had received over 40 stab wounds. Three days later, her legs were discovered in a trash bag on the banks of the river. Two witnesses who were at the defendant’s residence on the 3900 block of Powelton Avenue were soon brought in for questioning by Philadelphia Police homicide detectives. The witnesses indicated that Fells was spending time with Jones at the Powelton property on June 6, 2020. The witnesses left the house after the defendant and victim went into Jones’ bedroom. They later returned, however, and discovered Fells deceased on a bed with blood covering the scene.
Based on the eyewitnesses’ account, investigators obtained a search warrant for Jones’ residence. They observed large amounts of blood spatter inside and also recovered a knife, an electric saw, and a white hazmat suit, all of which were covered in blood. Surveillance video was later recovered showing Jones taking a trash can and trash bag filled with Fells’ remains out of the residence and into a white van. Additional surveillance videos also showed him driving the white van to the Schuylkill.
A warrant for Jones’ arrest was issued later that month, but the defendant fled to California. He was later apprehended in Los Angeles on November 9, 2020, and extradited back to Philadelphia. Once in custody, investigators obtained DNA from the defendant that matched DNA recovered from the knife, saw, and hazmat suit.
Jones is scheduled for sentencing on September 26, 2025.
“I applaud Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski for her skillful prosecution of this difficult and horrifying case,” said District Attorney Krasner. “I also want to thank our victim support staff for standing with the victim’s family for five long years, and to the jury for delivering justice for Rem’mie, who was by all accounts a remarkable and creative woman loved by her family, friends, and community. I also thank the Philadelphia Police Department for their excellent investigation in this case.”
“I want to thank Philadelphia Police Detectives Mike Venson, Thorsten Lucke, and Kert Wilson for their hard work in this case,” said Assistant District Attorney Toczylowski. “I also thank the jury for their verdict, and Rem’mie’s family for their strength and perseverance over the years.”
“The verdict last Monday brought justice for our daughter, but it doesn’t take away the pain of losing her,” said Terri Fells-Edmonds, Fells’ mother. “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. We’re deeply grateful to the Philadelphia Police Department and the District Attorney’s Office for their outstanding work in this case.”
CONTACT:
Dustin Slaughter, [email protected]
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The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is the largest prosecutor’s office in Pennsylvania, and one of the largest in the nation. It serves the more than 1.5 million residents of the City and County of Philadelphia, employing 600 lawyers, detectives, and support staff. The District Attorney’s Office is responsible for the prosecution of approximately 40,000 criminal cases annually. Learn more about the DAO by visiting PhillyDA.org.