Vernier was last seen in Merryville, Louisiana on August 28, 2007. He had traveled to Houston, Texas with two friends. While they were on their way back, they crashed their car into a telephone pole on La. 389 and Monroe Whitman Road, south of Merryville. Vernier's friends stated he walked away from the scene of the crash. He has never been heard from again.

Investigators found tracks near the Sabine River leading back up a highline along La. 389, and near a slough. They searched in two-mile radius around the crash site, but found no sign of Vernier besides the tracks. Although he is a knowledgeable woodsman, due to the state of his health Vernier could not have survived outdoors for very long. Foul play isn't suspected in his case, but he is presumed to be deceased.