Jordan Collins found guilty in murder and dismemberment of son

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, Minn. (FOX 9) - A jury has found Jordan Collins Sr. guilty in the murder of his son Manny Collins, whose remains were discovered last year in a landfill after a weeks-long search.

Guilty verdict

What we know:

A jury returned a guilty verdict of second-degree intentional murder on Wednesday after only three-and-a-half hours of deliberation. The verdict followed closing arguments which were delivered Wednesday morning. FOX 9's Emily Pofahl is in the courtroom and notes the jury is deliberating 10 additional questions about the facts of the case to help determine how severe his sentence will be.

State statute calls for Jordan Collins Sr. to spend up to 40 years in prison. His sentencing has been scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 2.

Big picture view:

Collins represented himself in the case and had only presented his opening statements and defense on Tuesday over the course of 30 minutes. Collins opted to delay his opening statements until after the prosecution had rested its case.

Collins only called four witnesses though he had two others planned who never showed up. Collins did not take the stand in his own defense. Collins focused on his constitutional rights during his defense and not the facts of the case.

Gruesome murder

The backstory:

In presenting their case, the prosecution showed how investigators tracked Manny's remains from the Collins home to the Elk River landfill. First, surveillance video showed what investigators suspect were Manny's remains being thrown into a dumpster behind Jordan Collins' apartment. The remains were then tracked from a specific dump truck to a weigh station, then the Elk River landfill.

Crews searched the dump starting June 4 through July 18. During those searches, investigators eventually found human remains – a torso.

Local perspective:

Manny Collins had been living with his father in Columbia Heights when he disappeared. Manny normally stayed with his mother in St. Paul but was temporarily at his father's place.

His mother was the one to file the missing person report – not Jordan Collins. As search efforts for Manny began, police said Jordan Collins did not cooperate with the investigation.

Timeline of Manny Collins' disappearance

Timeline:

Here is a timeline of the murder case:

• May 8: Collins was last seen near the area of the 4900 block of University Avenue Northeast in Columbia Heights. Collins' mother reported she last heard from her son in a text at around 4 a.m.
• May 12: A missing persons report was filed.
• May 28: The Anoka County Sheriff's Office and Columbia Heights Police Department hold a joint news conference with Manny Collins family, begging for answers. Police said they feared Manny was being held against his will.
• May 29: Manny's uncle spoke with FOX 9 about his disappearance. Watch the interview here.
• June 2: Authorities provide an update about the investigation into Collins' disappearance, saying they have interviewed additional people and have followed up on leads, though details were vague.
• June 4: Authorities first started searching the Elk River landfill. Ashley Berry, the mother of Collins, sat down with FOX 9's Karen Scullin to make a plea for answers in his disappearance.
• June 5: The Anoka County Sheriff's Office asked residents in the area where he was last seen to check their property for any suspicious items. Residents and businesses in the area were also asked to check their security footage for any sightings of Collins, or anything that might be suspicious.
• June 6: Authorities search the Waste Management Landfill in Elk River in connection with Collins' disappearance.
• June 28: Human remains were recovered.
• June 30: DNA testing came back as a match for the missing 16-year-old.
• July 1: Law enforcement announced the death of Collins and provided an update on the investigation.
• July 7: The father of Manny Collins is arrested on probable cause murder.
• July 9: Formal charges are filed against Jordan Collins Sr.

The Source: This story uses information provided at trial and past FOX 9 reporting.