New Book Alleges Stockton Rush Planned Titan Implosion That Killed 5 for Titanic Mythology
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 21
New Book Alleges Stockton Rush Planned Titan Implosion That Killed 5 for Titanic Mythology
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 21
Summary
A new book quotes OceanGate friend Karl Stanley alleging Stockton Rush built Titan to implode on its 2023 Titanic dive, framing it as a deliberate bid to enter “Titanic mythology.”
Stanley said Rush knowingly created a fatal “mousetrap for billionaires,” while author Matthew Gavin Frank wrote that even the sub’s name was chosen to echo the fictional Titan tied to Titanic lore.
Former prosecutor Brandi Young said a first-degree murder case would have been hard to prove because Rush also died, though she said manslaughter or possibly second-degree murder could fit the alleged recklessness.
The Titan lost contact on June 18, 2023, and debris found 4 days later confirmed the deaths of all 5 aboard; passengers had paid up to $250,000 each.
A U.S. Coast Guard investigation later found the disaster was preventable, making the book’s allegation the latest and most severe claim about Rush’s intent.