The person at the center of this case
Mark Edmund Doughty
Missing Person · Open
24 years waiting · since 2001
Missing Person: Mark Edmund Doughty
Justice for Mark Edmund Doughty — the trail went cold in 2001, but the truth hasn't.
Start here
Key leads to think about
🔍
evidence
Lead #1Why was the captain the only survivor if the boat sank in one minute? What were the exact circumstances of the collision?
👤
person
Lead #2Could Mark have survived the sinking and been rescued by another vessel, or did he perish in the rapid submersion?
🚗
vehicle
Lead #3What was the condition of the Starbound wreck, and was it ever located and examined for remains?
Mark Edmund Doughty, a 33-year-old crew member aboard the fishing vessel Starbound, went missing on August 5, 2001, when the boat was struck by the Russian tanker Virgo approximately 130 miles off Cape Ann, Massachusetts. The Starbound sank within a minute of impact; Mark was sleeping below deck when the collision occurred and was never recovered. The U.S. Coast Guard investigated, but his fate remains unknown—whether he perished in the sinking or survived remains an open question.
Try asking
Claim this imported case
A one-time $10 claim transfers this imported case workspace to your account. You get 10 uploads for this case, 25 daily AI questions for this case, and public tips with files route to you.
10 uploads25 AI questions/day
This does not start a subscription. When the included limits are reached, the Personal plan unlocks more workspace capacity.
Official wording
Source Narrative
NamUs case MP51782. Missing person: Mark Edmund Doughty.
Last known contact: 2001-08-05 in Gloucester, Essex, MA. Circumstances: Mark was part of the Starbound fishing vessel crew.
They were 130 miles off Cape Ann, MA when their vessel was struck by the Virgo, a Russian tanker. The Starbound captain was the only survivor and stated the boat sank within a minute.
Mark was sleeping below deck when the collision occurred. Demographics: 33 years, Male, White / Caucasian.
Physical description: 5 ft 9 in, 200 lbs, hair: Brown, eyes: Brown. Investigating agency: United States Coast Guard | 981848 | 2001-08-05.
Timeline of Events
👤
2001-08-05
Starbound collision and sinking
The Starbound fishing vessel was struck by the Russian tanker Virgo approximately 130 miles off Cape Ann. The boat sank within one minute. Mark was sleeping below deck at the time of impact.
Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case
Case Information
Incident:August 5, 2001
Last Updated:June 24, 2026
Have Information?
Any information, no matter how small, could be crucial to solving this case.
Phone: 2252985400
You can remain anonymous
Leave a comment
Comments
Case Information
Incident:August 5, 2001
Last Updated:June 24, 2026
Have Information?
Any information, no matter how small, could be crucial to solving this case.
Phone: 2252985400
You can remain anonymous