Charles Jacob Persho, 25, disappeared from the fishing vessel Kelly J on January 14, 1998, about 60 miles west of Madeira Beach, Florida. He had been hired four days earlier by vessel owner Edward Ballo for the trip. Ballo reported that Persho became ill and began hallucinating while at sea, then jumped overboard. Ballo attempted to help by throwing ropes and a ladder, but Persho allegedly refused assistance and pushed them away. The U.S. Coast Guard was called, but Persho could not be located. An extensive search failed to recover a body, and Persho is believed to have drowned; the case remains open and unsolved.

Persho was described as having black hair, hazel eyes, and a tattoo on his upper left arm. Did anyone aboard or in the fishing community ever see signs of illness, conflict, or other unusual behavior on that trip that might shed light on what happened?