A Minnesota father has been convicted of killing his 16-year-old son, whose remains were discovered in a landfill more than a month after he disappeared.
Jordan Dupree Collins Sr. was found guilty Wednesday of second-degree murder in the death of his teenage son, Jordan “Manny” Collins. Collins represented himself throughout the trial.
Manny’s mother, Ashley Berry, has remembered her son as a compassionate teenager 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.”
An undated photo of Justin “Manny” Collins, a 16-year-old boy who was killed by his father, Jordan Dupree Collins Sr., in May 2025. Collins Sr. was convicted of murder on Oct. 7, 2026. (GoFundMe)
The criminal complaint states that Manny went to his father’s apartment in May 2025 and then disappeared. His mother and girlfriend told investigators that they last spoke with him during the early morning hours of May 8.
Collins told Manny’s mother that the teenager had left his Columbia Heights apartment later that afternoon to travel to St. Paul to see his girlfriend and grandmother. But during their final video call, Manny’s girlfriend told police, he never said he planned to visit her.
Investigators searched Collins’ apartment on May 15, 2025, after securing a warrant. Inside a living room closet, they found garbage bags containing what appeared to be bloodstained items.
Booking photo of Jordan Dupree Collins Sr., who was arrested in July 2025 for the murder of his son. (Anoka County Sheriff’s Office)
Authorities later said DNA analysis confirmed that the blood belonged to Manny.
In early June 2025, local police, the FBI and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension began searching an Elk River landfill. Surveillance video had shown a garbage truck dumping waste from a dumpster located behind Collins’ apartment.
A skyline view of St. Paul, Minnesota, where Manny’s father said his son was planning on going before he vanished. (Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The search ended on June 28, 2025, when investigators found Manny’s body buried among the landfill refuse.
An autopsy concluded that the teenager was likely decapitated with a knife.
Collins was taken into custody on July 7, 2025, and has remained jailed since his arrest. His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 2, 2026.
