BATON ROUGE, La. (UrbanCast: 6/20/2026) — Baton Rouge Police announced Saturday that they have arrested a man and charged him with first-degree murder in the disappearance and death of 15-year-old Ja’Derrius Minnieweather.
Authorities charged Maurice Parms, 51, following a two-week investigation that involved multiple detectives, search warrants, and assistance from community members across the Baton Rouge area.
Minnieweather was last seen on June 5. His disappearance sparked widespread concern and prompted a large-scale search effort involving law enforcement agencies, volunteers, and organizations including the United Cajun Navy.
During a press conference Saturday, Baton Rouge Police Chief TJ Morse said investigators developed enough evidence to establish probable cause for a first-degree murder charge. A judge with the 19th Judicial District Court signed the arrest warrant late Friday night.
Police arrested Parms at his residence early Saturday morning. Detectives then executed multiple search warrants at locations across Baton Rouge and recovered additional evidence connected to the case.
Authorities have not located Minnieweather’s body. However, Morse said the evidence collected during the investigation supports the murder charge.
Active and Open Investigation
“This is still a very active and open investigation,” Morse said. “The arrest is just the beginning.”
According to Morse, detectives gathered evidence through witness statements, surveillance footage, search warrants, and information provided by members of the public. He said community tips continued to come in following earlier public appeals for information.
Investigators have not released a specific motive. However, Morse said the evidence points to a violent encounter between Parms and Minnieweather.
“All our evidence leads to a violent attack that occurred with Mr. Parms on Ja’Derrius,” Morse said. “Which led to him killing him.”
Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards thanked East Baton Rouge Parish residents, volunteers, law enforcement agencies, and members of the media for helping generate leads throughout the investigation.
People are Speaking
“The community responded,” Edwards said. “People are speaking. They’re doing the right thing.”
Edwards also offered support to Minnieweather’s family and emphasized that efforts to locate the teenager remain ongoing.
If You Hurt One of Our Babies
“If you hurt one of our babies in Baton Rouge, we can come find you,” Edwards said. “It’s not if we get you. It’s when we get you.”
Edwards became emotional while discussing the case and reiterated that finding Minnieweather remains a top priority.
“The job’s not done,” Edwards said. “We’ve got to go find this baby.”
Morse said Parms had been on investigators’ radar as detectives continued gathering evidence. He said investigators wanted to ensure they had sufficient evidence before seeking the arrest warrant.
“We had to make sure we had all our ducks in a row,” Morse said.
Police are now working with the East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney’s Office as the case moves toward prosecution. Meanwhile, investigators continue searching for Minnieweather and are asking anyone with information to come forward.
UrbanCast extends its condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of Ja’Derrius Minnieweather during this difficult time. We also recognize the many community members, volunteers, and organizations that assisted in search efforts and continue supporting the family as the investigation moves forward.
Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to contact the Baton Rouge Police Department at (225) 389-2000 or by email at brpdinfo@brgov.com. Tips can also be submitted through Crime Stoppers. Investigators continue to seek information that could assist in locating Minnieweather and advancing the case.
Authorities said their focus now is bringing Ja’Derrius Minnieweather home and providing answers for his family.
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