State set to give opening statement on Friday in murder trial for father of Jordan "Manny" Collins Jr.

A father accused of killing his 16-year-old son goes on trial Friday.

Jordan Dupree Collins Sr. is charged with one count of second-degree murder. He plans to represent himself. He is accused of killing his 16-year-old son Jordan "Manny" Collins Jr.

Collins Jr. was last seen May 8, 2025, near his father's apartment in Columbia Heights, Minnesota. His mother reported him missing days later, and a search began. 

Then a tip led investigators to an Elk River Landfill, where for weeks they searched an area the size of a football field. 

Collins Jr's remains were found there nearly two months after he was reported missing. 

According to a criminal complaint, investigators found blood on a mattress and carpet inside the apartment that matched Collins Jr's. 

Authorities arrested Collins Sr. less than a week after his son's remains were found. Prosecutors said he was planning to leave Minnesota and had cash on hand.

Now, more than a year after Collins Jr. disappeared, the case is headed to trial. 

"He murdered his son, and he needs to pay for it," Mary Berry, Collins Jr's great-grandmother, said. 

More than 90 witnesses are expected to testify, including Mary Berry, Collins Jr's mother, Ashley Berry, and workers from the landfill where his remains were found. 

For Collins Jr's family, there is one question they want answered: why.

"I wish Jordan would just say, 'I'm guilty, give me my time, your honor,'" Mary Berry said. 

Court documents also reveal Collins Sr. will not make an opening statement at the beginning of the trial. Instead, he will wait until the state rests its case.