Investigators traced garbage from a Columbia Heights apartment to Elk River before recovering remains later identified as 16-year-old Manny Collins.
ANOKA, Minn. — The murder case that ended this week with Jordan Dupree Collins Sr.’s conviction depended in part on investigators tracing waste from a Columbia Heights apartment complex to an Elk River landfill, where crews searched through debris until they found the remains of his missing teenage son.
An Anoka County jury found Collins, 39, guilty Wednesday, Oct. 7, of second-degree intentional murder in the death of Jordan “Manny” Collins Jr., 16. The verdict followed a three-week trial that detailed how a missing-person investigation grew into an intensive search involving surveillance footage, DNA evidence, garbage-hauling records and a prolonged examination of the landfill.
Manny was last seen in early May 2025 while temporarily staying with his father in Columbia Heights. His mother, Ashley Berry, reported him missing May 12 after losing contact with him. Police initially appealed for information about the teenager and said during the search that they feared he could be held against his will.
As investigators gathered evidence, attention increasingly centered on Collins’ apartment and the dumpster behind the building. Trial testimony described surveillance footage that prosecutors said showed material suspected of containing Manny’s remains being placed in the dumpster. Investigators then worked to determine which garbage truck emptied it and where that load was taken.
Waste-hauling information helped authorities follow the route through a weigh station and into the Elk River landfill. GPS and collection data allowed search teams to identify a more limited area within the large disposal site rather than searching the landfill without a defined target. Authorities called in assistance from numerous agencies as the operation expanded.
Crews began searching the landfill June 4, 2025. Testimony described a difficult process in which investigators and other personnel worked through layers of discarded material while trying to preserve evidence. The effort continued for weeks. Human remains were recovered June 28, and DNA testing confirmed two days later that they belonged to Manny.
Evidence from Collins’ apartment also became part of the prosecution’s case. Investigators testified about blood found on items and surfaces inside the residence that testing linked to Manny. Officers also recovered several knives. Prosecutors used that physical evidence together with surveillance footage and waste records to argue that Manny was killed at the apartment and that his remains were later discarded.
The landfill operation became a central part of the case because it connected material removed from the apartment complex with the location where Manny was ultimately found. It also marked a shift from an effort focused on locating a missing teenager to a homicide investigation. Collins was arrested in July 2025 after Manny’s remains had been identified, and prosecutors formally charged him with murder.
At trial, Collins represented himself rather than relying on an attorney to conduct his defense. He waited until the prosecution completed its case before giving his opening statement and then presented a short defense. He did not testify. After closing arguments Wednesday, jurors deliberated for about three and a half hours before returning the guilty verdict.
The conviction closes the trial phase of a case that began with a family searching for a missing 16-year-old and ultimately required investigators to reconstruct the path of discarded material across two Minnesota communities. Collins is scheduled to be sentenced at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 2 in Anoka County District Court.
Author note: Last updated October 9, 2026.