Abraham Medina has been formally charged with the murder of Gabriella Watkins, a 19-year-old who went missing in Westmoreland in December 2024 and whose body was discovered in Essex in January 2025.

Medina, now 21, was identified as the prime suspect at the time and charged in Essex with concealing a dead body, a Class 6 felony. Medina was also charged in Westmoreland with two counts each of destruction of property, possession of burglary tools, and attempted grand theft auto for incidents in Placid Bay, which is where he lived and the last place Watkins was believed to have been before her disappearance.

The search warrants executed for the Placid Bay incidents allowed WCSO to seize cell phones from Medina that contained details that led to the discovery of Watkins’ body.

Medina pled guilty to the charges related to Placid Bay and was in court last Thursday to be sentenced. However, ahead of that proceeding, a grand jury indicted Medina for second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and shooting in an occupied building. He was arraigned on those charges last week.

His lawyer, James Monroe, asked the court to delay sentencing on the burglary-related charges until the murder case is concluded so that there can be one sentencing.

A three-day trial for the charges linked to Watkins’ murder was set and is scheduled to begin in August 2026.

Medina is scheduled to return to court in Essex for a status hearing on June 24. Proceedings in that case have also been continued multiple times in anticipation of the charge.

Medina, deemed to be a flight risk, has been in custody since his arrest in January 2025.