4-week search through landfill ends with discovery of missing teen, MN cops say
A weekslong search through a 4-foot-tall section of a landfill ended when a missing 16-year-old boy’s body was found, Minnesota deputies said.
Jordan “Manny” Collins Jr. was last seen on May 8 in Columbia Heights, but no phone or social media activity appeared since, Anoka County deputies said.
“Since that day, my life has been turned upside down. Every moment of every day has been focused on finding him— talking to authorities, sharing his story, posting flyers, and following every lead possible. My heart is breaking, but I refuse to stop looking,” Manny’s mother wrote in a GoFundMe.
Later in the month, deputies said one person of interest had been identified, but no one was in custody as hundreds searched for Manny, according to a May 28 update. That person’s identity was not revealed.
A search through the Waste Management Landfill in Elk River started in early June, and Manny’s body was identified on June 30, the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office said on July 1.
“I assure you it’s a sobering experience to work in a landfill like that only to discover someone else’s child,” Anoka County Sheriff Brad Wise said during a news conference.
A video located Manny’s body in a dumpster in Columbia Heights, then into a garbage truck, where it was taken to the landfill, authorities said.
Workers at the landfill identified a plot that is 200 feet by 200 feet by 4 feet where the garbage truck dropped off the waste, according to officials, prompting a four-week search.
Manny’s cause of death is under investigation by the medical examiner’s office, officials said.
Investigators believe Manny was taken “against his will,” they told WCCO.
The teen was last seen with his father, with whom he had been staying, KMSP reported. Manny’s mother told the outlet the father was not cooperating with the investigation.
Officials said the investigation is ongoing.
Columbia Heights is a 5-mile drive north from Minneapolis.
