The Duffee family has searched for their son and brother Jacob for more than 24 days. He disappeared at the end of September with no trace and left police with little to go on.
His family has not given up hope and is still desperate for any tips that will bring Jacob home. They’re now focusing their search efforts on the central Lubbock area after someone called in with a tip about seeing him at an abandoned gas station.
The family traveled from Levelland to the empty gas station on 4th and Indiana to hang up ‘missing’ posters of Jacob.
“It feels hopeful, at the same time it’s kind of nerve wracking,” said Jacob’s mom, Jody. “We’re here at this spot because we got a tip that this was one of the last places he was seen.”
They estimate they’ve hung up more than 200 posters in Lubbock and Levelland since he’s gone missing.
“We hope someone sees him or he sees his own face and calls in,” Duffee said. “We’re thinking maybe he doesn’t know who he is, maybe he’s got a hit on the head or something and doesn’t know.”
Duffee said the past month has been difficult for her and her family.
“It’s unreal because I lay in bed at night and I’m comfortable and then I’m thinking ‘Does he have a roof over his head? Is he dry? Is he hungry? Is he eating,'” she said. “It’s horrible not knowing where one of your kids is and to have one missing for this long, it’s really scary.”
His 31st birthday was October 18, something which Duffee said was almost impossible to get through. She spent the day remembering Jacob as a child.
“It’s like cutting off a body part. That body part is missing but you still have a ghost of it there,” Duffee said. “I have all the memories. I remember when he was born, his daddy jumped up and down yelling ‘Yay it’s a boy! It’s a boy!'”
The most recent surveillance video shows Duffee wearing pajama pants, a white t-shirt and a green shirt tied around his waist. If you’ve seen Jacob Duffee or know anything about his whereabouts, call the Levelland Police Department at 894-6164.
