06/21/2026
Police Say A Missing 15-Year-Old Was Killed. His Body Has Not Been Found.
On June 5, 2026, 15-year-old Ja’Derrius Minnieweather was last seen in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Ja’Derrius had not been seen or heard from since that day.
Authorities said he was last seen at 2:00 a.m.
In the days after his disappearance, volunteers with the United Cajun Navy joined the search and checked multiple areas throughout Baton Rouge, including wooded areas, abandoned properties, bridges, highways and other high-traffic locations.
On June 20, 2026, the Baton Rouge Police Department announced that Ja’Derrius was dead.
Police said his body has not been found.
Investigators said evidence suggests Ja’Derrius was beaten to death and that his body was disposed of after the attack.
Authorities identified the suspect as 51-year-old Maurice Parms.
On June 20, 2026, Parms was arrested and booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on one count of first-degree murder.
According to an arrest warrant, Ja’Derrius had gone to see a 16-year-old longtime friend before he disappeared.
Detectives said the friend had been out getting food with Parms before returning to the area.
Investigators said a tense disagreement happened between Ja’Derrius and Parms over the way Parms was acting toward the juvenile complainant.
According to the warrant, witnesses described seeing a tall male beating a smaller person for several minutes.
The warrant also said a softer voice was heard begging the person to stop hitting them and leave them alone.
Investigators later found large suspected bloodstains in the area where the altercation reportedly happened.
Detectives also wrote that surveillance video allegedly showed a person matching Parms’ body type riding a child’s bicycle, discarding a mask, gloves and a T-shirt, then later returning to retrieve those items.
Investigators said Parms was also seen wiping areas of his truck with a rag.
According to the warrant, suspected bloodstains at the scene tested positive for blood.
Investigators said processing of Parms’ truck also showed the presence of blood in the area he was allegedly seen wiping, as well as in other areas of the vehicle.
According to the warrant, investigators believe Parms stashed Ja’Derrius’ body, threw away evidence, returned to retrieve evidence and possibly the body, then transported them elsewhere in his vehicle.
Parms had previously been arrested on June 10, 2026, on counts of indecent behavior with juveniles and computer-aided solicitation of a minor.
According to the arrest warrant, those charges stemmed from evidence detectives discovered while investigating Ja’Derrius’ disappearance.
The warrant said detectives found evidence of an inappropriate relationship between Parms and an underage complainant, who was described as Ja’Derrius’ longtime friend.
Police said the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with additional information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 225-344-STOP or 225-344-7867.
The charges are accusations, and Parms is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
— Illicit Deeds | Criminal Case Coverage
