What happened to Matt Jacobs? Details explored ahead of Southern Fried Lies on Oxygen 

In January 2015, 34-year-old Matt Jacobs, a Camden, Arkansas, resident and survivor of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion, died in a car crash. His death left behind an estate valued at approximately $1.7 million, mostly built from a substantial settlement following the disaster.

Jacobs, once celebrated locally as a hero, had a teenage son named Jordan, who was initially believed to be his sole heir.

However, within days of his death, a will surfaced naming his fiancée, Jordan Alexandra Peterson, as the primary beneficiary. According to a Justice.gov press release dated November 14, 2019, investigators later discovered that the will had been forged by Peterson’s mother, Donna Herring.

The fraudulent document redirected nearly the entire estate away from Jacobs’ son. Law enforcement uncovered more irregularities, including withheld evidence and the involvement of Herring’s relatives in signing the forged will. What began as a tragic accident spiralled into a multi-person federal fraud case.

These events form the core of the upcoming Oxygen special, Southern Fried Lies.

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Matt Jacobs survived the 2010 Deepwater Horizon blast, but a forged will left most of his $1.7 million estate to his fiancée

After Matt Jacobs' sudden death in 2015, his family searched for a will but found none. Days later, a will unexpectedly surfaced, naming his fiancée, Jordan Alexandra Peterson, as the main heir to his $1.7 million estate.

According to a Justice.gov report dated November 14, 2019, investigators later uncovered that the document had been forged by Peterson’s mother, Donna Herring. She used an online legal platform to create it.

The forgery shifted nearly the entire estate away from Jacobs' teenage son, Jordan. Donna Herring created the forged will using a legal document service just six days after Matt Jacobs’ passing.

Herring used her sister, Marion Diane Kinley’s, debit card to set up the account and drafted the will to appear legitimate. The document was then signed by Marion and her husband, John Kinley, even though they were aware Matt Jacobs was already deceased at the time.

FBI Investigation Reveals Details of Alleged Fraud and Concealment

To make the will appear authentic, Herring placed it in Jacobs’ locked gun safe, then directed others to "find" it. This method of staged discovery raised flags when law enforcement began probing the authenticity of the will.

As per court documents cited in AP News on January 30, 2018, Herring admitted to creating the fake document. She claimed her intention was to ensure Jacobs’ son wasn't "left completely out," despite the original draft allegedly favoring Peterson entirely.

During the investigation, the FBI also discovered that Peterson misled federal agents about Matt Jacobs’ cellphone. Although she claimed not to have it, she had passed it to a third party and later hid it in a safe at her stepfather’s business.

This led to her conviction for making a false statement to federal authorities.

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Sentences handed down and the aftermath featured in Southern Fried Lies

Donna Herring was sentenced to 41 months, nearly three and a half years in federal prison, in 2019, for her role in a wire fraud scheme. Marion Kinley was sentenced to 18 months, John Kinley to 12 months, both followed by 3 years of supervised release. Meanwhile, Jordan Alexandra Peterson received six months in home confinement, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

These events are the subject of the upcoming Oxygen special Southern Fried Lies, premiering April 27 at 6 pm ET/PT. The documentary examines Matt Jacobs’ sudden death, the forged will, and the broader consequences that followed, including interviews with his son, law enforcement, and Herring herself.

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Stay tuned for more updates.