Father Charged with Murder in Death of Manny Collins

Content Warning: This story involves disturbing details about the death of a teenager and may be triggering for some readers. Please take care while reading.

Nearly two months after 16-year-old Jordan “Manny” Collins Jr. was reported missing, his father, Jordan Collins Sr., has been formally charged in his murder.

According to the criminal complaint, Collins Sr. has been charged with second-degree murder without premeditation for causing the death of his son, Manny, on or around May 8, 2025, inside Collins Sr.'s Columbia Heights apartment. The charge follows an intensive investigation and search that led law enforcement to a landfill in Elk River where Manny’s remains were discovered on June 28.

The Columbia Heights Police Department first received a missing person report for Manny on May 12 from his mother, Ashley Berry, who told investigators she last heard from her son at 4:00 a.m. on May 8 when he reacted to a text message about his allowance. Manny had been living with his father at the time.

Collins Sr. initially claimed that his son had left later that day to visit family and his girlfriend in St. Paul, but both destinations confirmed Manny never arrived. His girlfriend, who had last video-called with him until about 2:30 a.m. on May 8, said he appeared calm and never mentioned plans to visit her. She also noted that there had been no activity on Manny’s social media accounts since that call.

A search warrant executed at the father's apartment on May 15 revealed deeply troubling evidence. Investigators found garbage bags with apparent blood stains, missing sections of a mattress and carpeting, and several hunting-style knives. DNA testing confirmed that blood found throughout the apartment belonged to Manny.

The investigation took a grim turn when surveillance footage from May 13 showed a garbage truck collecting trash from a dumpster behind the apartment. This led to a massive landfill search involving local authorities, the FBI, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Using precise geotracking information, law enforcement began sifting through waste on June 4 and located human remains on June 28, later confirmed through DNA to be those of Manny Collins Jr.

On July 7, Collins Sr. was arrested after providing additional statements to law enforcement. He admitted to cutting up the mattress and carpet but claimed he was cleaning up his own blood, despite no evidence of his blood being found in the apartment. The blood located in those areas matched his son’s, and the autopsy results revealed that Manny had been decapitated. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide.

There is a GoFundMe set up for the community to support Manny's mother, Ashley, during this difficult time.