Randall Petty Missing Person Case

Mar 17, 2020

Mar 13, 2024

Randall

Petty

64

41

69 inches

190 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

In the late summer of 2002, the vast and unforgiving waters of Alaska became the setting for a heart-wrenching disappearance. On August 16, 2002, 41-year-old Randall "Randy" Torrey Petty, a male resident of Nome, Alaska, vanished under perplexing circumstances. Randy, a man with black hair and hazel eyes, was working aboard a tugboat near St. Michael when the incident occurred. The events leading up to him going overboard remain unclear, leaving his loved ones with unanswered questions and a profound sense of loss that would stretch on for years to come. At the time of his disappearance, he was described as being 5'9" and weighing approximately 190 pounds. He had distinct tattoos on his right wrist and both of his upper arms. The initial report to the Alaska State Troopers on the same day he went missing set in motion an investigation into his sudden disappearance. The circumstances were alarming; he was simply gone from the vessel. A search of his room on the tugboat revealed some of his belongings, including blue jeans and a black flannel shirt, but Randy was nowhere to be found. It was believed he may have been wearing a ball cap and black tennis shoes at the time he went missing. The vastness of the Alaskan waters and the unpredictable nature of the sea presented immense challenges to any search and rescue efforts, shrouding the case in a somber uncertainty. The lack of concrete evidence or witnesses to the event has left the case open and unsolved for over two decades. The official circumstances simply state that Randall went missing after going overboard from his tug near St. Michael. This stark and minimal explanation offers little comfort to those who knew and cared for him. The case of Randall Petty serves as a sorrowful reminder of the dangers faced by those who make their living on the water and the enduring pain experienced by families of the missing. The overview of the case is one of a sudden and unexplained disappearance at sea, a narrative that unfortunately remains incomplete, leaving a void in the lives of his family and friends who continue to hope for answers.

Aug 16, 2002

Nome

Alaska

Nome Census Area

No

77669

Alaska State Troopers

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

99507

Malia Miller

Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager

5700 East Tudor Road, Alaska

9072695511

State

Law Enforcement

020087218

2002-08-16

Alaska State Troopers

Black

Hazel

Hazel

07/27/2026