Jordan Collins murder trial nears closing after brief self-run defense and landfill search testimony
Jordan Collins Sr.'s murder trial neared closing Tuesday in Minnesota as Collins, representing himself, mounted a roughly 30-minute defense after the prosecution rested following nearly two and a half weeks of testimony.[1]
Collins called four witnesses, had two no-shows and chose not to testify, and Judge Dyanna Street repeatedly reprimanded him for asking questions barred by pretrial orders.[1] Jurors also watched body-camera video of Columbia Heights officers executing a search warrant and finding a plastic bag in a closet that contained a pillowcase investigators say was soaked in Manny Collins Jr.'s blood, a moment that prompted a man in the gallery to stand, shout threats at the defendant and be removed by deputies.[2]
Prosecutors told jurors they traced surveillance from a dumpster behind Collins' Columbia Heights apartment to a specific garbage truck, a weigh station and ultimately to the Elk River landfill, where searchers recovered a torso between June 4 and July 18, 2025.[1] A crime-scene analyst described chemically revealed blood spatter on a bedroom wall as unlike anything they'd seen outside a textbook, and witnesses including Manny's great-grandmother and his girlfriend testified that Collins Sr. had seemed unusually casual while Manny was missing.[2]
Closing arguments were scheduled to begin Wednesday morning before a 15-member panel of jurors from which three will be alternates and 12 will deliberate.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- Jurors viewed a body-camera video of Columbia Heights officers executing a search warrant and finding a plastic bag in a closet that contained a pillowcase investigators say was soaked in Manny Collins Jr.'s blood.
- When the bloody pillowcase was shown, a man in the courtroom gallery stood, yelled threats at defendant Jordan Collins Sr., called himself “the muscle of the family,” and was removed by deputies.
- A crime scene analyst testified that chemically revealed blood spatter on a bedroom wall was unlike anything they'd seen outside a textbook, underscoring the volume and violence of the incident.
- Manny's great-grandmother and Manny's girlfriend testified that Collins Sr. seemed unusually casual while Manny was missing, and the girlfriend said their nightly video calls the night before his disappearance showed nothing out of the ordinary.
- The state rested after nearly two and a half weeks of testimony; Collins, representing himself, presented a defense of about 30 minutes after the state rested, called four witnesses (two no-shows) and chose not to testify.
- Judge Dyanna Street repeatedly reprimanded Collins for asking questions barred by pre-trial orders as he emphasized alleged crime-scene contamination by family and friends entering his taped-off apartment.
- Prosecutors detailed surveillance that tracked a dumpster behind Collins’ Columbia Heights apartment to a specific garbage truck and weigh station and ultimately to the Elk River landfill, where searchers found a torso between June 4 and July 18, 2025.
- Closing arguments were scheduled to begin Wednesday morning, with a 15-member jury panel (six women, nine men) from which three will be alternates and 12 will deliberate, according to court reporting by FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul Fox 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul.
📰 Source Timeline (3)
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- The state rested after nearly two and a half weeks of testimony; Collins’ entire defense case lasted about 30 minutes.
- Collins, representing himself, gave his own opening statement only after the state rested, called four witnesses, had two no-shows, and chose not to testify.
- Judge Dyanna Street repeatedly reprimanded Collins for asking questions barred by pre-trial orders, as he focused on alleged crime-scene contamination by family and friends entering his taped-off apartment.
- Prosecutors detailed the investigative chain from surveillance of a dumpster behind Collins’ Columbia Heights apartment to a specific garbage truck, weigh station, and ultimately the Elk River landfill, where searchers found a torso between June 4 and July 18, 2025.
- Closing arguments are scheduled to begin Wednesday morning, with a 15-member panel (six women, nine men) from which three will be alternates and 12 will deliberate.
- Jurors viewed body-camera video of Columbia Heights officers executing a search warrant and finding a plastic bag in a closet containing a pillowcase investigators say was soaked in Manny Collins Jr.'s blood.
- A man in the courtroom gallery stood, yelled threats at defendant Jordan Collins Sr. and called himself "the muscle of the family" as the bloody pillowcase was shown, leading deputies to remove him from the courtroom.
- A crime scene analyst testified that chemically revealed blood spatter on a bedroom wall was unlike anything they'd seen outside a textbook, underscoring the volume and violence of the incident.
- Manny's great-grandmother and his girlfriend testified about Collins Sr.'s demeanor while Manny was missing, saying he seemed unusually casual given that his son had disappeared.
- Manny's girlfriend described their nightly video calls and said nothing seemed out of the ordinary the night before he went missing.