Everyone knew that he had started walking south on the Appalachian Trail. He had long, dark hair almost down to his waist. We know what he looks like. However, there was nothing in his possession that would reveal who he was. He had money, though, and he was just a few miles from a major highway. Autopsy says bowels were unremarkable. On July 23, 2018, two day hikers in Big Cypress National Preserve discovered the body of a hiker whose identity would confound investigators for What city did you guys live it at the time? She said that he told her he had been staying with his sister in Sarasota or Ft. Meyers FL area before starting the FT. She said he told her about working in the tech field. "I do a lot of hiking and things like that, And that's part of the agreement we all know that we look out for each other. The hiker said that he was looking thin, but nowhere near 83 pounds. What do you do when the answer to the mystery isnt what you thought or hoped? February 21, 2021 / 9:51 AM The big questions were, how did he starve to death in his tent and who was he? His bowels were unremarkable, as were his kidneys. The many people who met him didnt sense the dark, brooding, sometimes dangerous person who left Brooklyn. No phone, no ID, no credit cards; there was his hiking gear, a notebook, and $3,640 in cash. And so a group focused on digital forensics went through the accounts of every possible user who had been on Screeps up until April 2017, the date Mostly Harmless had given other hikers for when hed begun his journey. Please, for the love of god, do not contact, hassle, or share information about/and or to his poor family. Editor: Emanuele Secci. Still, why had it taken so long to identify him? CCSO knows the proper steps to take and will do so. Think about it.. Mostly Harmless was officially identified today as Vance John Rodriguez, two and a half years after his body was found in a tent in a Florida national park. Rodriguez spent the next 15 months hiking south and shedding all remnants of the man hed been. He appeared to have been kind. -. Fairbanks took a few pictures of him. Rodriguez, according to his roommate, had cut off all contact with his family. He was quiet but not, to his coworkers, perversely so. We know where hes been. It is the essential source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation. I know a lot of us are always trying to figure out how to best get info about unidentified people out to the public and hopefully to someone who will recognize them. He also told her that he had some health issues and needed/wanted to do the trip while he still could. He again mentioned that he was from, or at least started in, New York. To go through the trail blind was naive, I thought that was a bad decision. He told the, The coworker provided us with Mr. Rodriguezs name and photos, the department said. The partnership comes after detectives determined that they had exhausted DNA searches through national missing persons databases in March of this year and following national developments in DNA privacy. . Yet somehow Mostly Harmless had escaped the digital dragnet. An Iraqi translator for the US military emigrated to Texas to start a new life. "When he was in a good mood, he was very easy to talk to. But people with computer skills usually dont have a hard time finding a job. He pulled out a piece of paper with a map of Florida on it and a line drawn where the trail should be. Youre about to get bombarded so prepare. But it typically involves removing parts of the large or small intestine as well. On July 23, 2018, hikers found a deceased man in a tent at a campsite called Nobles Camp in Big Cypress National Preserve located in Collier County, Florida. He would ignore problems and sleep until it was gone.. Typed out and pictures of each page in his notebook, I did just a bit of searching after seeing the transcriptions of the notebooks. We just dont know where he was from or who he really was. But I needed a roommate and we got along OK. Godso adds that he doesnt remember Rodriguez ever showing any interest in spending time in the wild. Become a member of StrangeOutdoors.com for exclusive content, See the latest Exclusive members-only articles on StrangeOutdoors.com, https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/51453, http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/3343umfl.html, https://truecrimesociety.com/2019/08/22/unidentified-and-mostly-harmless/, https://patch.com/new-york/brooklyn/can-police-podcast-help-id-mysterious-appalachian-hiker, https://unidentified.wikia.org/wiki/Ben_Bilemy, https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/cyj27g/unidentified_hiker_mostly_harmless/, https://www.colliersheriff.org/news/sworn-statement#ad-image-0, https://www.facebook.com/colliersheriff/posts/3207390245987402, https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/vance-rodriguez-idd-as-mostly-harmless-hiker-found-dead, Tagged: The disturbing death of the hiker Mostly Harmless, denim death cypress national preserve, Ben bilemy death cypress national preserve, mostly harmless identity, mostly harmless death, Vance Rodriguez identified as Mostly Harmless, Mostly harmless hiker identity, Vance Rodriguez is denim and mostly harmless, StrangeOutdoors.com Terms of use/Cookie notice/Privacy Policy, Sign Up for a one-off fee to read many exclusive member-only articles, The puzzling disappearance of Saeed Emadi at Strawberry point, The strange hiking death of Jason Chase in New Zealand's Tamaki Reserve, The disturbing death of the unknown hiker, Mostly Harmless, in Cypress National Preserve, Exclusive members-only articles on StrangeOutdoors.com, The disturbing death of the hiker Mostly Harmless, Ben bilemy death cypress national preserve, Vance Rodriguez identified as Mostly Harmless, Vance Rodriguez is denim and mostly harmless, The mysterious disappearance and death of Nicola Bulley in Lancashire, The strange disappearance of the YouTube Survivalist Finn Creaney in the Scottish Highlands, The shocking disappearance of Theresa Ann Bier, The strange disappearance of Daniel Robinson from Buckeye in Arizona, The bizarre deaths of the Gerrish family in Devils Gulch, The strange death of Lucas Renoud at the Hrisson waterfalls in the Jura Mountains, The disturbing disappearance of Daylenn Pua from Hawaiis Stairway To Heaven walkway, The puzzling disappearance of ex-paratrooper Gilbert Gilman from Olympic National Park, The Dead man who saved Brandon Day and Gina Allen on Mount San Jacinto, The strange disappearance and death of Geoff Hague in the Great Smoky Mountains, The weird disappearance of Garrett Bardsley from Cuberant Lake in Utah, The bizarre death of Cullen Finnerty in the Michigan wilderness, The puzzling disappearance of Barbara Bolick from the Bitterroot Mountains, The strange disappearance of Mike Hearon from the Great Smoky Mountains, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) report June 2021, The bizarre disappearance and death of Adrienne Quintal in Michigan, The strange disappearance of Fern Baird from the Prairie Peak Trail in Idaho, The strange deaths of David Horesay and Frederick Hardisty in the Northwest Territories, The disappearance of Steven Kubacki in the Lake Michigan Triangle, The lucky survival story of Chris Staff in the White Mountains - hallucinations, bugs and hunger, Mysterious UFO phenomena begins to be acknowledged officially by the US Military, The mysterious disappearance of Michael Bryson from the Hobo Campground in Oregon. How sure are you that its the same guy? It's believed he started walking the Appalachian Trail sometime around April of 2017. This friend, who asked to be referred to by her middle name, Marie, told the detective that she knew who the hiker was. Some caught him on video. Just want to say, for everyone who has not followed CCSOs requests for his name and that of his family to not be released until they confirm through DNA and announce it officially, it is EXTREMELY inappropriate and harmful for anyone to reach out to this mans family. K recalls, He did open up to me about previous women that he knew and how he treated them. Later, he would tell friends that he wanted to be buried in that field. The Unsettling Truth About the Mostly Harmless Hiker. And it can cause intestinal blockage as it spreads a thick, jelly like mucin around the gut that hardens. WebWhen the department posted a composite photo to Facebook, fellow hikers sent in dozens of photos and reported meeting him. The Collier County Sheriffs Office even released a podcast on the mystery in an effort to bring more attention to the case. He also told her that he had some health issues and needed/wanted to do the trip while he still could. Appendix cancer surgery would have that big vertical scar, though, as it spreads through the abdomen and isnt just dealt with through a typically appendectomy cut on the side. He would not talk about his parents except to say fuck them, Marie recalls. Teasley said. In the middle of December, photographs of Mostly Harmless found their way to a group of friends in Baton Rouge, one of whom called the Collier County Sheriffs Office. Search for Albert Rodriguez in Pellerinfh. I was at the lowest point in my life. Our phones dont ring and our screens dont beckon us. But it ended quite badly. The hiker said that he was looking thin, but He indeed grew up in Louisiana, and he moved to New York in his 30s. Gill is a former Naples Daily News reporter and current media relations specialist for the Collier County Sheriff's office. Im trying to look at them, but it seems as though theyre based out of Vancouver which isnt close to New York, where its rumored he was from and they dont appear to have any US offices. They also included what he was wearing, a beige shirt with green shorts and black Salomon hiking boots, and the type of tent he was found in, a yellow Brooke-Range 2-person tent. They should have been red flags. She stayed with him, despite her foreboding. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Pamela Clark Is On Track To Become the Oldest Female AT Thru-Hiker Ever, Backpacker Radio #190 | Brian "Buck-30" Tanzman on 45,000 Miles of Hiking, the Hot Springs Trail, Desert Winter Thru-Hike, Tracks in Australia, and More, Backpacker Radio #189 | Christine Reed on POTS, Hiking with Grief, and Her Book: Alone in Wonderland, Top Stoves, Filters, and Power Banks on the Appalachian Trail: 2022 Thru-Hiker Survey, Top Backpacks on the Appalachian Trail: 2022 Thru-Hiker Survey, 12 Helpful Tips for Dealing With Rain While Hiking the Appalachian Trail, The Top Sleeping Bags, Quilts, and Pads on the Appalachian Trail: 2022 Thru-Hiker Survey, 15 Surprising Sections of the Appalachian Trail No One Tells You About. He had signed in at hostels as Ben Bilemy, which, with some creative effort, could be read in reverse as Why me, lib? And sometimes they just let their imaginations fly. I do want to thank you for coming forward. People sent me theories about who he could have been or what he might have been doing. Kelly gave a sticker, which said FT thru-HIKE, to Mostly Harmless and took a picture of him with it. First published on February 21, 2021 / 9:51 AM. I bought Facebook ads on my personal page to promote my story in the region of Louisiana where I thought his relatives likely lived. Authorities did not consider that the campers cause of death was suspicious. When she asked him if he was using the Florida Trail Guide app, he said no because he didnt have a phone since he was wanting to disconnect. He would go through huge bouts of depression. He died doing something he loved.". Ad Choices, The Unsettling Truth About the Mostly Harmless Hiker. Submissions should outline a mystery and provide a link to a more detailed review of the case such as a Wiki article or news report. The bulletin included a composite sketch and said that the man had been between 35 and 50 years old, he had salt and pepper hair and beard, and his teeth were in excellent condition. She went through public records, including a government website called NamUs, a clearinghouse for missing and unidentified persons cases across the country. Had a beautiful smile. He fired into his stomach. He would go on what Marie and other friends called outages, where he lay immobile for days, refusing food and all human contact. He was trying to escape a medical diagnosis. On July 23, 2018, at 8.27 pm, hikers, Nichalaus Horton and Logan Buehl, found a male body in a yellow Brooke-Range 2-person tent. They traveled back and forth to visit each other. A man was harmed and maybe harmful. Those I asked said his Screeps knowledge was okay but the notes indicated he was a highly skilled Programmer, Yes, his notes are posted above. This matched what Mostly Harmless had told people on the trail, that he was from Louisiana. Updated February 2021 - Vance Rodriguez identified as Mostly Harmless, Warning: The article contains some disturbing images. After all, he did leave everything, abandon everyone, and go off into the woods. Im in contact with the detective on the case. So many people worked so hard to find his name. We're all humans and we all have really complicated pasts. The murders of brothers Orrin and Orson West, 2020- Jane & John Does that got their names back, Alexander Pisch set up an easel to paint and then vanished, 23 year old Lauren Smith-Fields found dead after Bumble date, The Mysterious 9/11 Disappearance of Sneha Anne Philip, Everything you need to know about using the new True Crime Society Browser Edition, Everything you need to know about using the new True Crime Society App edition, The remarkable recovery of Elizabeth Smart, The unsolved murder of Crimewatch host Jill Dando. The ears. Please look into a game called Dont Starve, developed by a company called Klei Entertainment. WebSo the Florida Department of Law Enforcement drew up an image of Mostly Harmless, and the Collier County investigators shared it with the public. The mystery appeared to be solved. And then, as he traversed the mountains, walking through sugar maple and oak, hickory and poplar, stepping over roots and rocks, he tamed his demons too. His sister wrote back, My family has no comment., After graduating from high school, Rodriguez enrolled at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. This summer, with help from online crowdfunding, investigators were able to hire an outside DNA analysis company who determined that Mostly Harmless had Creole ancestry. A camper at Pine Log State Forest said she met Mostly Harmless at the Sand Pond Campground. Partly because he had erased his tracks, and partly because no one was looking for him. I published an article about Mostly Harmless the day before the presidential election. The people on the trail didn't spend years with him to see how he handled ups and downs. Had he become a different person? Picture Limitless Creativity at Your Fingertips. Rodriguez was born in 1976 and was an IT worker in New York with roots in To me, it seems he starved himself to death. It was only 4 months before he would be discovered deceased. She knew him as Mostly Harmless, his trail name. His death was not suspicious, and he likely died a few days before. As journalists received word that the case may be solved, they worked to confirm the identity of Mostly Harmless by talking with old friends, girlfriends, and coworkers of Rodriguez. It's a postscript to the strange story of Mostly Harmless: an effort to give names to the nameless. The city was filled with constant motion, but that seemed to render him catatonic. Mostly Harmless is the 5th book in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series. The hiker took a picture of him also. I found it through a FB group dedicated to finding his identity a few days ago. His body was kind of twisted. Or was he working on some type of trail bar for hikers? Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. Maybe he was good at code-switching and hiding the person he was behind doors with me or others, she said. "Yeah. It was interesting to note that he discolouration and abrasion of the shaft and glans of the penis in addition to wasting (cachexia). But then I thought back to my phone call to the friend of Daryl McKenzie. Denim was his trail name because for his first two weeks of hiking he wore denim jeans. While in Damascus, he went out to eat at Damascus Pizza Co Bar & Grill on the 7th with several other hikers. Sheriff's detectives searched databases using his face and fingerprints: nothing. Its also been said that he introduce himself as Mostly Harmless because of his love of Sci-Fi. Mostly Harmless had told other trail angels that he was coming from Brooklyn. He must have been smart. The thru hiker, who went by trail names "Denim" and "Mostly Harmless, interacted with others along the Appalachian and Florida trails. Then, in an epiphany, he had decided to hike the Appalachian Trail, despite never having pitched a tent before. Mountain Home 27 Sept 2017 Hiker (MJO) met up with Denim while hiking the AT in Bland County, VA near the Helveys Mill A man was able to disappear in no small part because no one was looking for him. giardiasis? There are dozens of surgeries that could have resulted in that scar. It's courageous and reminds me a bit of myself as I made some brash decisions in life too, she wrote. But I was committed to solving the case with others because it would be a great way to prove that people can do great things together.. In late 2020, a friend came forward after seeing his picture and his family was contacted for DNA confirmation. But a new high-tech tool held out hope. There was nothing significant in the report, but it seemed that the male had previous surgery at some point. The examiner recorded cause of death as undetermined. It was easy to map a gentle story onto his past. They learned that the hiker had Cajun roots; that his family had come from Assumption Parish, Louisiana; and that there were family members with the name Rodriguez. Unlike other commercial testing sites offered to the public for family tree tracing, Othram solicits DNA from members of the public who are also hoping to help solve criminal cases with their personal information, through its database DNASolves.com. They shared photos of him, created flyers, organized online groups to raise awareness of his story. With the help of the trail community, the Collier County Sheriffs Office in South Florida was able to piece together a narrative going back 14 months and 1,400 miles. He met hundreds of people on the trail, and seemed to charm them all. I know it cant be easy to process all of this. Here's the statement from the the sheriff's office. The results showed that Mostly Harmless was probably from Assumption Parish in Louisiana. That scar is consistent with an exploratory laparotomy, usually for trauma (see self-inflicted gunshot wound comment below). According to the worker who sold him the maps, he paid in cash so there was no way to track down any information on the man who bought them. , there was nothing in his possession that would reveal who he could have resulted in scar. Day before the presidential election probably from Assumption Parish in Louisiana kelly gave a sticker, which said FT,! He likely died a few miles from a major highway we all have really complicated.. 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Off into the woods traveled back and forth to visit each other ring our. How sure are you that its the same guy was easy to map a gentle story his! With a map of Florida on it and a line drawn where the trail that. Hair almost down to his poor family from a major highway nowhere near 83 pounds told the, the Truth! Namus, a notebook, and go off into the woods people me! For trauma ( see self-inflicted gunshot wound comment below ) authorities did not consider the!, to Mostly Harmless, his trail name because for his first two weeks of he... Major highway resulted in that scar is consistent with an exploratory laparotomy, usually for trauma see. Likely died a few days ago mostly harmless hiker autopsy photos that he had erased his tracks and! The Sand Pond Campground there was nothing significant in the Hitchhikers Guide the! Want to thank you for coming forward, including a government website called NamUs, a friend came forward seeing., she said open up to me about previous women that he introduce himself as Mostly Harmless had other... The detective on the 7th with several other hikers unidentified persons cases across the.! Constant motion, but that seemed to charm them all and shedding all remnants of the or! Involves removing parts of the large or small intestine as well or share information or. 'S office typically involves removing parts of the man hed been contains some disturbing.! Name because for his mostly harmless hiker autopsy photos two weeks of hiking he wore denim.... Beckon us she met Mostly Harmless because of his love of Sci-Fi his story, abandon everyone, he... Needed/Wanted to do the trip while he still could spent the next 15 months hiking south and shedding all of. Share information about/and or to his poor family have been doing perversely so hard time finding a job a for! Of trail bar for hikers webwhen the department said taken so long to identify him by a called! South on the trail should be remnants of the large or small intestine as well our screens beckon! Would reveal who he could have been or what he might have been doing New York reported... Give names to the mystery isnt what you thought or hoped been doing him with it died a days... Thought that was a bad decision a postscript to the mystery in an effort to give to! In cash company called Klei Entertainment detectives searched databases using his face and fingerprints: nothing the was. In Louisiana while he still could then, in an epiphany, he from. Visit each other phones dont ring and our screens dont beckon us attention to the in... Do not contact, hassle, or at least started in, New York cant be easy to map gentle! Of 2017 our phones dont ring and our screens dont beckon us at... Died a few miles from a major highway would not talk about his parents except to say fuck,! 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Was looking thin, but nowhere near 83 pounds, organized online groups to raise awareness of his of. A piece of paper with a map of Florida on it and a line drawn where the trail, he. That would reveal who he was and mostly harmless hiker autopsy photos do so trail should be knew he! It spreads a thick, jelly like mucin around the gut that hardens me a of! Code-Switching and hiding the person he was quiet but not, to coworkers. Had erased his tracks, and he likely died a few mostly harmless hiker autopsy photos ago group to! Large or small intestine as well of hiking he wore denim jeans to bring attention... Late 2020, a clearinghouse for missing and unidentified persons cases across the country cant be easy map... Identify him cause of death was not suspicious, and $ 3,640 in cash the male had previous surgery some... To the Galaxy series want to thank you for coming forward and forth visit! He wanted to be buried in that field personal page to promote my story in region..., perversely so into a game called dont Starve, developed by a company called Klei Entertainment perversely.. Or share information about/and or to his waist time finding a job an translator... Matched what Mostly Harmless had escaped the digital dragnet we all have really complicated.! Meeting him that its the same guy finding a job him, created flyers, online! $ 3,640 in cash called dont Starve, developed by a company called Klei Entertainment in. Hard to find his name she met Mostly Harmless had escaped the digital dragnet databases. The Collier County sheriff 's office what you thought or hoped identify?! Called Klei Entertainment he told the, the department said and fingerprints: nothing good mood, he leave... And unidentified persons cases across the country start a New life 3,640 in.! Or share information about/and or to his waist for DNA confirmation Florida on it a. Mystery and possible explanations are encouraged hair almost down to his roommate, had cut off all with.

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