BRPD announces death of missing Baton Rouge teen; suspect arrested

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - The Baton Rouge Police Department announced Saturday, June 20, that missing 15-year-old Ja’Derrius Minnieweather is dead and that Maurice Parms has been arrested in connection with his death.

BRPD said Parms, 51, was arrested June 20 and booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on a count of first-degree murder.

Police said evidence suggests Minnieweather was beaten to death and that his body was disposed of after the attack. His body has not been found at this time.

The warrant says Minnieweather 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 then happened between Minnieweather and Parms over the way Parms was acting toward the 16-year-old.

Detectives wrote in the warrant that witnesses described seeing a tall male beating a smaller person for several minutes. The warrant also says a softer voice was heard begging the person to stop hitting them and leave them alone. Large suspected bloodstains were later found 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.

The warrant says investigators believe Parms stashed Minnieweather’s body, threw away evidence, returned to retrieve evidence and possibly the body, then transported them elsewhere in his vehicle.

Parms was previously arrested on June 10 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 Minnieweather’s disappearance.

The warrant says detectives found evidence of an inappropriate relationship between Parms and the 16-year-old, who was described as a longtime friend of Minnieweather.

Minnieweather had been missing since Friday, June 5. He was last seen around 2 a.m. in Baton Rouge.

Police said the investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with additional information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 225-344-STOP, or 225-344-7867.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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