The Donna Herring fake will case is a federal fraud prosecution out of Camden, Arkansas, in which a local real estate agent forged the will of Matthew Seth Jacobs, a survivor of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion, after he died in a January 2015 car wreck. The forged document redirected nearly all of Jacobs’ roughly $1.7 million estate to Herring’s daughter and left his teenage son, his only heir, with almost nothing. Herring pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced in November 2019 to 41 months in federal prison.1U.S. Department of Justice. Four Individuals Sentenced in Federal Court for Fraud
How the Forgery Worked
Jacobs had settled in Camden after receiving a substantial payout from Deepwater Horizon litigation. Herring, working as his real estate agent, helped him buy a home near her daughter, Jordan Alexandra “Alex” Peterson, and prosecutors said she facilitated a relationship between the two that included a reported 2014 engagement.2Arkansas Times. Camden Real Estate Agent Indicted Over Alleged Scheme to Fake Will of Deepwater Horizon Survivor
Jacobs died on January 19, 2015, at age 34. Six days later, Herring used her sister Marion Diane Kinley’s debit card to buy a will template from FormSwift.com. She drafted a document naming Peterson as executor and primary beneficiary, leaving Jordan Jacobs, then 17, just $50,000 earmarked for “college or trade school” and directing everything else to Peterson.1U.S. Department of Justice. Four Individuals Sentenced in Federal Court for Fraud
To make the will look authentic, Herring had Marion Kinley and her husband, John Wayne Kinley Jr., sign as witnesses, both of them aware Jacobs was already dead. Peterson supplied the combination to Jacobs’ gun safe, and Herring planted the will inside. Her own husband and a family friend were then sent to the home to “find” it. The document was filed in the Ouachita County Circuit Court in March 2015, and in November 2015 the probate court awarded the estate to Peterson.3Camden News. Herring, Peterson Have Pleas Accepted A settlement between Peterson and Jacobs’ son gave the son the $50,000 from the fake will plus an additional $250,000 and some personal property. Peterson kept roughly $1.3 million.4Arkansas Business. Donna Herring Sentenced to 41 Months for Fake Will Case
How It Unraveled
Jacobs’ family contested the will and brought the matter to the FBI. A joint investigation with the Arkansas State Police opened in 2016. Herring denied any knowledge of the forgery when agents first interviewed her in July 2016.4Arkansas Business. Donna Herring Sentenced to 41 Months for Fake Will Case A grand jury in the Western District of Arkansas indicted her later that year on wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering charges; a superseding indictment in July 2017 added the three other participants.1U.S. Department of Justice. Four Individuals Sentenced in Federal Court for Fraud
On the probate side, Ouachita County Circuit Judge Spencer Singleton found by clear and convincing evidence that the will had been created using FormSwift.com software after Jacobs’ death and threw it out, clearing the way for his son to reclaim the estate.5Arkansas Business. Judge Scraps Fake Will of Deepwater Horizon Survivor
Guilty Pleas and Sentences
All four defendants pleaded guilty. Herring and Peterson entered their pleas in January 2018, and the Kinleys followed in April 2018. Chief U.S. District Judge Susan O. Hickey handed down the sentences on November 12 and 13, 2019.1U.S. Department of Justice. Four Individuals Sentenced in Federal Court for Fraud
- Donna Christina Herring pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and received 41 months in federal prison plus three years of supervised release.
- Marion Diane Kinley, Herring’s sister, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and received 18 months plus three years of supervised release.
- John Wayne Kinley Jr., her brother-in-law, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and received 12 months plus three years of supervised release.
- Jordan Alexandra Peterson, Herring’s daughter, pleaded guilty to making a false statement to the FBI about the location of Jacobs’ cell phone. She received six months of home confinement and three years of supervised release.
Restitution and the Estate
Judge Hickey later ordered Herring, Diane Kinley, and John Kinley to pay $132,964.66 in restitution to Jordan Jacobs, holding the three jointly responsible for the full amount, with payment due by the end of their supervised release. Peterson was not ordered to pay restitution.6Arkansas Business. Restitution Figures Handed Down in Fake Will Case The estate itself, including three houses, personal property, and cash, was ultimately returned to Jordan Jacobs.7Oxygen. Where Are the People From Southern Fried Lies Now
Questions About Jacobs’ Death
In February 2018, a Ouachita County judge authorized the exhumation of Jacobs’ remains for an autopsy, stating it was “reasonable to believe that Matthew Seth Jacobs’ death may not have been because of the car accident.”8KATV. Fake Will Case Leads to Exhumation of Arkansas Man’s Body Available reporting does not indicate that any additional criminal charges tied to his death were filed against Herring or the other defendants.
Where Donna Herring Is Now
Herring served 13 months of her 41-month sentence before being granted early release in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by three years of supervised release.7Oxygen. Where Are the People From Southern Fried Lies Now After her conviction she filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy.9Arkansas Business. Donna Herring
At sentencing, Herring told the court she had drafted the will to make sure Jacobs’ son was not “left completely out,” claiming a previous will she said she destroyed had left everything to her daughter.4Arkansas Business. Donna Herring Sentenced to 41 Months for Fake Will Case In later filings she called the forgery a “horrible mistake” and disputed the description of the scheme as “sophisticated.”9Arkansas Business. Donna Herring As of April 2025 she said she has “paid my debt to society,” denies any wrongdoing beyond the fraud, and describes her relationship with Peterson as strained.7Oxygen. Where Are the People From Southern Fried Lies Now
The Oxygen Documentary
The case is the subject of the two-hour Oxygen special Southern Fried Lies, which premiered on April 27, 2025, and began streaming on Peacock two days later.10Arkansas Business. Donna Herring Fake Will Case Documentary Southern Fried Lies It revisits the forged will, the FBI investigation, and the unresolved questions around Jacobs’ death, with on-camera interviews from Herring, who pushed back on the public narrative, and from Jordan Jacobs.11Oxygen. Who Is Southern Fried Lies’ Donna Herring Executive producer Joel Chiodi said the film contains a late moment in which Herring acknowledges her involvement while suggesting she was not the only responsible party. Producers also referenced “inexplicable deaths” and a “secret mistress” connected to the case, though specifics remain limited in public reporting.