8,000+ Cubic Yards of Trash, Weeks of Searching: FBI Launches Race Against Time to Find 15-Year-Old Ja’Derrius Minnieweather
15-year-old Ja’Derrius Minnieweather went missing on June 6 after authorities believe his body was dumped and later picked up during a routine garbage collection.
BATON ROUGE, La. — It’s been more than a month since the disappearance of a Baton Rouge teen who was allegedly murdered. The FBI is now assisting in search efforts to help find his body, which they said could be in a hazardous landfill.
15-year-old Ja’Derrius Minnieweather went missing on June 6 after authorities believe his body was dumped and later picked up during a routine garbage collection. Crews began searching for his body in the East Baton Rouge Parish North Landfill in Zachary, which authorities said it could take weeks to recover his remains.
Investigators on Monday said they have narrowed the potential search area to less than an acre containing more than 8,000 cubic yards of material. The FBI Laboratory’s Technical Hazards Response Unit (THRU) is assisting the search, with crews working in medical, hazmat and safety gear.
“The Technical Hazards Response Unit, the Evidence Response Team Unit, and Team Adam’s combined expertise will increase our chances at a successful search mission,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office in a release. “The ultimate mission is to bring Ja’Derrius home to his family.”
Authorities are providing expert guidance and specialized tools that could help identify any of Minnieweather’s remains.
Investigators believe that Minnieweather was beaten to death during a confrontation with Maurice Parms, 51, who was arrested last month and faces a first-degree murder charge, according to WBRZ. They said surveillance video showed Parms riding a bicycle connected to the case before he was later seen dumping multiple items into trash cans. Investigators also said they found blood stains in Parms’ truck and at the scene.
During a press conference in June, Baton Rouge Police Chief TJ Morse called the search complex and said “We sadly know success is not guaranteed.”
The search for Minniweather’s remains is now a joint effort as FBI personnel from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Virgina. The Baton Rouge Police Department remains in charge of the search and investigation.
