Minnesota father convicted of killing teenage son whose remains were found in landfill

A Minnesota man was found guilty of killing his teenage son, whose remains were found in a landfill after he vanished for over a month.

Jordan Dupree Collins Sr., who represented himself during his trial, was convicted Wednesday of second-degree murder for killing his 16-year-old son, Jordan “Manny” Collins.

Ashley Berry, the boy’s mother, has previously described Manny as someone who was “always helping others, spreading kindness, and lifting up those around him.”

“Manny should still be here today,” Anoka County Sheriff Brad Wise said in a statement. “No verdict can remove the pain his loved ones feel, but we hope this decision provides some measure of justice. Our thoughts remain with Manny’s family, especially his mother, Ashley, as they continue to grieve and remember him.”

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According to the criminal complaint, the teen went to his father’s apartment in May 2025 and was never heard from again. His mother and his girlfriend both told police they last communicated with him in the early morning hours of May 8, 2025.

Collins told Manny’s mother that the 16-year-old left his Columbia Heights apartment on the afternoon of May 8 to go to St. Paul to visit his girlfriend and grandmother. The girlfriend later told authorities that Manny never indicated he was coming to visit during their last video call together.

On May 15, 2025, police obtained a search warrant and descended on Collins’ apartment, where they found “items with apparent blood staining in garbage bags in a living room closet.”

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Police said DNA testing confirmed that the blood found in the apartment belonged to Manny.

In early June 2025, local law enforcement agencies, the FBI and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension launched an extensive search of an Elk River landfill after surveillance footage showed a garbage truck emptying a dumpster behind Collins’ apartment.

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The search ended grimly on June 28, 2025, when investigators recovered Manny’s body from the landfill.

An autopsy determined he was likely decapitated with a knife.

Collins was arrested on July 7, 2025, and has been in custody ever since. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 2, 2026.