Jared Plunk was born June 12, 1982, to Cecilia Renee Plunk. His mother was only 16 years old when he was conceived, and her parents kicked her out as soon as they learned of the pregnancy.

She then moved in with the baby's father, Lane Edwards, but soon after Jared's birth, Lane disappeared along with all of his belongings. Forced to fend for herself and her infant, teen mom Cecilia turned to government programs for help. She also relied on the kindness of various men who offered their assistance.

Young Jared bonded with these many "daddies," his heart broken over and over again when the men left. At age 15, he told classmates he would never again let anyone get close enough to hurt him. He said his new motto was "Do it to them before they do it to you."

Jared attended Yoknapatawpha County public schools and managed to maintain a B average throughout his school years. During his senior year of high school, he got a full scholarship to the University of Mississippi, where he majored in music and minored in journalism.

While attending college, he was assigned a mock interview with Elvis Presley, and during his research, he was fascinated with Elvis and his life. He became an avid collector, always searching for new and interesting tidbits about Elvis.

After graduation, Jared landed a teaching job at Oxford Middle School. He was asked to help chaperone the Fall Fling dance, where he met Alison Winslow. She was enthralled by his vast musical knowledge and soon fell for him.

While they were dating, Jared learned that Alison had accumulated a substantial nest egg, had never married, and had no siblings or children. In other words, she was perfect for him. He knew she would make a good wife and had the means to support him so he could quit his teaching job and pursue his journalism and writing. He proposed, and Alison accepted.

After their marriage, everything went according to Jared's plan, and he became a well-known journalist and Elvis specialist. He joined forces with Taylor Boyd in an Elvis-centric business, which proved to be quite successful.

Jared reportedly had several extramarital affairs, none of which lasted very long. He was more focused on building his business and making a name for himself in the Elvis Presley fan community.

Not long before his death, Jared contacted Max Snyder, saying he had information about Elvis that would have a huge impact and urging Snyder to hire him to speak at his upcoming conference. Snyder agreed, bumping Sonya Davis as the keynote speaker and replacing her with Jared.

This was the big break Jared had been hoping for, and he told friends he would surely become a wealthy man when he presented the secrets about Elvis at the conference and then detailed those revelations in what would undoubtedly be a best-selling book.