For six weeks, a Baton Rouge mother held on to the hope that her 15-year-old son would somehow come home.

Now, that hope has been replaced by a heartbreaking certainty.

Ja’Derrius Minnieweather was reported missing on June 5 after his family suddenly lost contact with him. His loved ones immediately knew something was wrong. Ja’Derrius was described as a hardworking teenager who was close to his family and would normally never disappear without calling.

As the days passed, investigators uncovered evidence that led them to believe Ja’Derrius had been killed.

Maurice Parms, 51, was arrested in June and charged with first-degree murder. Investigators alleged that Ja’Derrius’ body had been concealed in a garbage container before being transported to the East Baton Rouge Parish North Landfill.

Then came one of the most difficult searches imaginable.

Beginning July 13, law enforcement teams spent weeks digging through the massive landfill in extreme heat. Investigators eventually processed thousands of tons of waste while narrowing the search area using evidence gathered during the investigation.

On August 18, investigators finally recovered human remains.

At first, authorities said they strongly believed the remains belonged to Ja’Derrius. The following day, the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office confirmed the identity through DNA testing conducted with the LSU FACES Lab and Louisiana State Police Crime Lab.

For his family, the news brought an unbearable kind of closure.

Ja’Derrius’ mother, Aquarius Minnieweather, had spent weeks waiting for answers. Her family had pleaded with the community for help finding him, refusing to stop searching for the teenager they loved.

Police Chief T.J. Morse said ending the search without finding Ja’Derrius was never something he could accept, especially knowing the pain it would cause the family.

“I couldn’t imagine a day where I had to go to Ms. Aquarius and say we haven’t found him,” Morse said.

The search eventually gave the family the answer they had desperately wanted — but it was an answer no parent should ever have to receive.

Parm’s legal troubles have also expanded. In addition to the murder charge, he faces separate charges stemming from an alleged inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old girl, including charges related to sexual abuse and trafficking. He remains in custody.

The investigation into Ja’Derrius’ death continues, and authorities have not yet released a final cause of death.

But after more than two months of uncertainty, one thing is finally certain:

Ja’Derrius has been found.

The 15-year-old who disappeared without saying goodbye will finally be brought home to the family that never stopped looking for him.