BRPD says more than 1,000 tons processed as Baton Rouge landfill search continues

Search teams had processed 1,054.1 tons of material and covered 2,679 square yards at the Baton Rouge North Landfill by July 27, as investigators continued searching for the remains of 15-year-old Ja’Derrius Minnieweather.

The Baton Rouge Police Department reported the figures in a July 28 update. The operation remains active, and officials have not established an end date. The milestone does not represent a completed recovery operation; the public updates reviewed for this report did not announce the recovery of Minnieweather’s remains or conclusive evidence.

Search pace has increased

BRPD said daily productivity increased from approximately 90 tons of processed material to about 150 tons. More than 395 search shifts had been completed by the July 27 measurement date.

The work is organized across three daily shifts, with an average of about 15 searchers per shift. The full operation requires approximately 70 to 80 people each day, including search teams, investigators, medical and logistics personnel, equipment operators, command staff and other support workers.

Workers use short search periods

Because of the landfill environment, searchers work for about 30 to 45 minutes before leaving the active area for more than an hour of rehabilitation. Officials said that process includes decontamination, rehydration, medical evaluations and putting on replacement personal protective equipment before workers return to the search.

Earlier briefings described the work as slow and methodical. Heat, rain and the need to preserve potential evidence have affected the operation, which requires crews to examine landfill material carefully rather than conduct a conventional recovery effort.

Multiple agencies remain involved

The search at the Baton Rouge North Landfill involves BRPD, the FBI, the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office, Louisiana State Police, the LSU FACES Laboratory, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, among other partners.

The city-parish said the landfill phase began July 13 after weeks of planning and warned that the process could take weeks. BRPD later said there was no established end date and that the department would continue the search while resources remained available.

Pending murder case

The search is connected to the pending criminal case against Maurice Parms, 51. Parms faces a first-degree murder charge in connection with Minnieweather’s death. The charge is an accusation, and the case has not resulted in a conviction.

For Minnieweather’s family and investigators, the search remains unresolved despite the volume of material processed. More than 1,000 tons have been examined, but officials have not declared the operation complete or provided a definitive timeline for its conclusion.

Sources

• BRPD search-progress update reported by WBRZ
• Baton Rouge city-parish update on the landfill search
• WAFB report on the BRPD-FBI landfill search