Investigators detail ‘grueling’ search of landfill in Jordan Collins murder trial
Jordan Collins murder trial: Investigators detail grueling landfill search
Week three of the Jordan Collins murder trial is underway in Anoka County, and state prosecutors are building a case that shows investigators methodically tracking down the remains of 16-year-old Manny Collins. FOX 9's Emily Pofahl has the latest.
ANOKA, Minn. (FOX 9) - Week three of the Jordan Collins murder trial is underway in Anoka County, and state prosecutors are building a case that shows investigators methodically tracking down the remains of 16-year-old Manny Collins.
Tracking the evidence
What we know:
Jordan Collins Sr., 39, is charged with one count of second-degree murder in the death of his son, Manny. Collins Sr. has chosen to represent himself in the trial.
Manny was last seen on May 8, 2025. His mother, Ashley Berry, reported him missing that month, right before Mother's Day. According to Berry, Manny mostly lived with her in St. Paul's Frogtown neighborhood but had recently moved in with Collins Sr. about one month before his death. Berry said Manny was struggling in school and was supposed to get math help from his father.
Investigators last week testified they found video of what they suspected to be Manny's remains being thrown into a dumpster behind Collins Sr.'s apartment. They were then able to track the remains to a specific garbage truck, then to a weigh station, and ultimately to the Elk River landfill.
The search at the landfill was a massive effort. The Anoka County Sheriff’s Office and Columbia Heights Police Department called in help from the FBI’s headquarters in Quantico, Virginia to organize the landfill search. A combined group of specialized detectives and volunteers from local police, fire and EMS agencies began searching the landfill June 4, according to Monday’s testimony. The search continued through July 18, an Anoka County investigator said. By the time searchers found human remains — a torso — among the piles of garbage, it had been more than a month since prosecutors say Manny died.
What they're saying:
The jury, Manny's family and everyone in the gallery had to view disturbing images of those remains during Monday's testimony. Collins Sr. sat and observed quietly.
Manny's mother, Berry, was the first witness to take the stand on the opening day of trial, wearing her son's jacket and bracelets. She provided what is known as "spark of life" testimony, describing Manny as determined and intelligent. She said Manny loved basketball and was excited to start working, and that he got the nickname "Manny" because "he looked like a little man" when he was little. She cried as she described searching for her son.
Collins Sr. questions the investigation
The other side:
Because Collins Sr. is representing himself, he is directly questioning witnesses in the courtroom. On Monday, he cross-examined investigators, zeroing in on the fact that Berry and other detectives on the stand testified that Manny's family and friends entered Collins Sr.’s apartment without permission after police had roped it off as a crime scene. Collins Sr. questioned if that could have contaminated any leftover evidence.
What's next:
Collins Sr. has not yet delivered his opening statement to the jury. He is holding it until after the state rests its case, which could happen later this week. The jury is made up of six women and nine men, and the trial is expected to last up to four weeks.
What we don't know:
Court documents do not reveal a possible motive for the killing. Collins Sr.'s full version of events has not yet been presented to the jury, as his opening statement is being held until after the prosecution rests its case.