A Troubled Childhood
Because Olivier had a rough childhood, his sister Courtenay Yeager initially wasn’t very concerned. “When my mom told me he was missing, I said, ‘He probably just ran away,’” she told NewsNation,
The marriage of Olivier’s parents Laurie Durham and Tracy lasted seven years, according to the now-defunct website that Durham created called bringjacobolivierhome.us. Their divorce was acrimonious, and their kids ended up caught in the middle. On her website, Durham posted, “Against my better judgement I allowed Jake to go to his father’s home only until the end of summer that year. … Well in May of 1998 He decided to file for custody of all three boys, that began a nasty battle.”
Tracy, who lived in Texas, won custody of his son, while Durham lived in Georgia. When Olivier left his dad’s home on August 11, 2011, Durham believes he was looking for her, claiming that she lost contact with her son for seven years because of her ex-husband.
“I strongly feel Jake was running from his dad was coming here which he did but I wasn't here that day. Then 2 weeks later he is missing,” Durham posted online. “I have a lot of regret inside, anger at his father he would not be missing if it wasn't for him.”
Tracy Olivier did not respond to A&E Crime + Investigation’s request for comment.
Family Presents Theories
Durham tells A&E Crime + Investigation that she feels disappointed by the search for her son and doesn’t believe he was ever at the national park. “The Everglades have all the wrong information,” she claims. “Their so-called investigation was a joke. I haven’t yet but I will get the proof. I know Jacob was never in the Everglades; only his truck.”
Tracy has been the primary point of contact for investigators and he has not talked to the press. Since investigators have provided Durham very little information, she bases her contentions on conviction alone.
The Charley Project notes that there have been no confirmed sightings of Olivier since he went missing. The National Parks Service did not respond to A&E Crime + Investigation's request for comment.
Yeager entertained the theory that Olivier fell in with the wrong crowd. Durham agreed to NewsNation that that’s a possibility. However, she’s been adamant that her son was not in Florida, an area to which he seemingly lacked any ties.
One theory the family does not want to consider is that he went to the Sunshine State with intentions to end his life. “I know deep in my heart he did not commit suicide like the Everglades wanted us to believe,” Durham told NewsNation.
Robert Koester, co-editor of the Journal of Search & Rescue and an expert on finding missing persons, understands the frustration from loved ones who aren’t looped in on developments. “Operationally, the family members’ lives almost effectively stop because they can’t go through the grieving process,” he tells A&E Crime + Investigation, “Part of the investigative process is you can’t share everything you’re doing with the family.”
At the end of a long and loving description of Olivier on her website, Durham wrote a note for her son. It ends with the following:
You came looking for me, I'm sorry I wasn't here, If I had known, I would have been able to say, How much I love you dear.
