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BATON ROUGE, La.(BFMG) — Authorities are conducting an intensive search at the Baton Rouge North Landfill for the remains of 15-year-old Ja’Derrius Minnieweather, more than a month after he was last seen in the Baton Rouge area.
Work at the landfill began at 6 a.m. Monday, with about 70 personnel on scene and a specialized team that includes the FBI assisting in the effort. Crews are focusing on a site just under 1 acre in size that investigators narrowed down from the landfill’s roughly 400-acre footprint.
Police Chief T.J. Morse said this phase of the investigation began several weeks ago after authorities received information indicating Minnieweather’s remains may be in the landfill. Investigators believe the teen’s body was likely picked up during routine garbage collection and taken to the site after he was killed.
Multiple agencies, including the National Guard, spent weeks planning each step of the search operation after Minnieweather was first reported missing. Officials said the effort could take weeks to complete, with the size of the search area, weather conditions and the need to protect and preserve evidence all affecting the timeline. Daily search hours will be adjusted depending on heat and rain.
Morse said fire personnel and other specialized teams are required to take part in the search. He noted that investigators needed time to coordinate protective equipment, heavy machinery and other safety measures under FBI protocols to maximize the chances of recovering remains and any associated evidence.
Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI’s New Orleans Field Office described the landfill as a hazardous environment. Crews are sifting through an estimated 8,200 to 11,000 cubic yards of material containing glass, needles and other trash. As the waste decomposes, it emits toxic fumes and creates additional risks, which Tapp said contributed to the lengthy planning period before the search could begin.
All personnel on the site are required to wear specialized protective gear, and officials said the heat poses a significant challenge for teams working in that equipment.
“The FBI is bringing in every potential resource we have to support local, state and other federal law enforcement who will be on the ground here,” Tapp said. “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. The ultimate mission is to bring Ja’Derrius home to his family.”
Tapp outlined the scale of the operation, saying rotating teams will work through roughly 40 cubic yards of material at a time.
“Let me put that in perspective,” he said. “We need to sift through 8,200 to 11,000 cubic yards of material. Our rotating teams will comb through a little over 40 yards of material at a time. That’s enough material to cover a football field. Our search teams of local, state and federal law enforcement will examine that material one inch at a time for every potential clue.”
Once a significant piece of potential evidence is found, specialized evidence response teams will take over to collect and document it and determine whether it includes human remains. Any possible remains or other key materials will also be sent to the LSU FACES Lab, which will be on scene to assist in quickly identifying human remains.
Police say evidence indicates Minnieweather was beaten to death. According to an arrest warrant, 51-year-old Maurice Parms is accused of hiding the teen’s body and disposing of evidence following the attack.
Parms has been arrested in connection with the case and is charged with first-degree murder.
Sources: Baton Rouge Police Department statements; landfill search briefing remarks by Police Chief T.J. Morse; public remarks by FBI Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp; arrest warrant and charging documents in the case of Maurice Parms.
