Great-grandmother of Jordan "Manny" Collins Jr. says she had suspicions about his dad prior to his arrest
A Minnesota father is now behind bars and facing murder charges in connection with his son's death, and one family member says they had suspicions about him all along.
A memorial now sits outside the apartment building where 16-year-old Jordan "Manny" Collins Jr. was last seen. He lived there with his father, Jordan Collins Sr., who now sits in the Anoka County Jail.
"I was glad that they arrested him because Manny needs justice. He didn't deserve that, no kid deserves that," Mary Berry, Collins Jr.'s great-grandmother.
Berry said she spoke to Collins Sr. the day her great-grandson went missing.
"May 8, Manny's dad, Jordan Collins Sr., called me and replied that Manny was on his way to my house. And after about three hours passed, I called him back and asked him, 'What time did he leave?'" Berry said.
Berry says that for days, Collins Sr. did not give her a straight answer.
"On the 12th, I called him and I was like, 'Jordan, where is Manny?' He's like, 'Mary, I don't know, but my landlord is here. I'll call you right back.' I never heard from him again," Berry said.
Law enforcement then began an all-out search for Collins Jr.
A tip from the public about someone dumping something into a waste container outside the apartment where the teen was last seen led them to the landfill in Elk River, Minnesota.
For four weeks, they searched an area the size of a football field. They knew where to look because of the waste management company's ability to track exactly where containers come from and where they are dumped.
Collins Jr.'s remains were found at the end of June.
His father's arrest gives the family hope that justice will be served.
"The relief was when I knew they had him, I smiled, and I hadn't smiled in a couple of months," Berry said.
Now the family waits for answers from investigators and the medical examiner about how Collins Jr. died.
"I pray often, and I found it in my heart to forgive him," Berry said. "He was wrong, but I forgive him."
Fundraiser held for Collins Jr.'s family
On Tuesday, Willard's Liquor in St. Paul opened its doors to feed a city in pain and raise funds for Collins Jr.'s family.
Owner Curtis Favors said it was important to bring the community together and to show Collins Jr.'s family that they are surrounded by people who care and who want to fight for justice alongside them.
Many people waited in line, some came for dinner, but everyone came to show Ashley Berry, Collins Jr.'s mother, that she is not alone.
"I appreciate them for doing this for me," Ashley Berry said. "Thank you is not enough."
It's a gesture with enormous meaning after a mother lost her world. She says the only thing on her mind is justice for her son.