A 16-year-old boy’s body was discovered in a Minnesota landfill after weeks of police searching for him, and his father is the primary suspect in his death.
Jordan Collins Jr., also known as “Manny,” was last seen on May 8, according to authorities. He was staying with his father in Columbia Heights when his mother lost contact with him. He was reported missing on May 12.
Collins Jr.’s body was discovered in a landfill in Elk River, about 30 minutes away, according to Anoka County Sheriff Brad Wise, who spoke at a press conference on July 1. Wise confirmed that law enforcement was speaking with the father, 38-year-old Jordan Dupree Collins Sr., but declined to provide any additional information.
Six days later, Collins Sr. was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
According to Twin Cities ABC affiliate KSTP, a criminal complaint filed on Wednesday revealed “evidence of decapitation by knife,” and Collins Jr.’s death is classified as a homicide. The same criminal complaint stated that authorities searched the elder Collins’ home on May 11 and discovered incriminating evidence.
They allegedly discovered items with obvious blood stains in garbage cans in a living room closet, as well as multiple “butcher and hunting style knives” in a bedroom closet, and evidence of a missing mattress and carpet. The father claimed that his son left his apartment on May 8 to visit his grandmother and girlfriend, but the latter seemed skeptical, claiming that they had no such plans.
Collins Sr. also claimed the knives were used to “butcher goats and sheep,” according to CBS affiliate WCCO.
According to reports, blood found inside the apartment matched the son’s DNA.
On May 13, authorities watched a video that “showed some evidence that would suggest the body might have made its way into a dumpster and into a garbage truck,” according to Anoka County Sheriff Michael Wise, which led them to the Elk River landfill.
Over the next few weeks, hundreds of people from more than 30 different agencies helped search the landfill for Collins Jr., Wise said, with a search area of nearly 180,000 cubic feet. They worked for approximately 10,000 hours before discovering the victim’s body.
In a June interview with Fox affiliate KMSP, Collins Jr.’s mother, Ashley Berry, expressed doubts about her son’s safety.
“Do you think he’s OK?” the interviewer inquired.
“No,” Berry responded. “As hard as it is for me to say that I don’t, I don’t think he is.”
“Physically?” the reporter inquired.
“I don’t,” she replied. “I think other people know that as well.”
Berry claimed her hope had faded in early June. “Of course, people want me to hope for the best; he’s just hiding somewhere. But I do not feel that way.”
Berry posted a GoFundMe fundraiser before her son’s body was discovered, saying her “life has been turned upside down.”
“Every moment of every day has been spent trying to find him — speaking with authorities, sharing his story, posting flyers, and following every lead. “My heart is breaking, but I won’t stop looking,” she wrote.
It is unclear what, if any, motive existed for the victim’s murder. Collins Sr. is being held in the Anoka County Jail on a $3 million bond, and his next court date is reportedly August 4.
