A Minnesota father has been convicted of killing his teenage son, whose remains were discovered at a landfill more than a month after he disappeared.
Jordan Dupree Collins Sr., who acted as his own attorney at trial, was found guilty Wednesday of second-degree murder in the death of his 16-year-old son, Jordan “Manny” Collins.
Manny’s mother, Ashley Berry, previously remembered her son 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.”
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 was never heard from again. His mother and girlfriend told investigators that they last communicated with him during the early morning hours of May 8, 2025.
Collins told Manny’s mother that the teenager had left his Columbia Heights apartment that afternoon to travel to St. Paul to see his girlfriend and grandmother. But during their final video call, Manny’s girlfriend told authorities, he never said he planned to visit her.
On May 15, 2025, police searched Collins’ apartment under a warrant and found “items with apparent blood staining in garbage bags in a living room closet.”
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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 said DNA testing later confirmed that the blood belonged to Manny.
In early June 2025, local law enforcement, the FBI and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension began an extensive search of an Elk River landfill. Investigators had obtained surveillance footage showing a garbage truck dumping a container from behind Collins’ apartment.
A skyline view of St. Paul, Minnesota, where Manny’s father said his son was planning to go before he vanished. (Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The search ended on June 28, 2025, when investigators recovered Manny’s body from the landfill.
An autopsy concluded that he was likely decapitated with a knife.
Collins was arrested on July 7, 2025, and has remained in custody ever since. His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 2, 2026.
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