Im 33, from the US, and always print my name unless it’s like a legal document or a bank check. Cursive is kind of obsolete IMO. I think it’s more of a generational thing than regional or occupational.
Identified! FL - Big Cypress Natl Preserve, Male Hiker, Denim & “Mostly Harmless” July 2018 - Vance Rodriguez #3
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Im 33, from the US, and always print my name unless it’s like a legal document or a bank check. Cursive is kind of obsolete IMO. I think it’s more of a generational thing than regional or occupational.
branmuffin
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Unfortunately, my friend's son has a hard time reading cursive! Thanks for the info!
My moms everyday handwriting is cursive. She has such unique and beautiful writing, I would be able to spot her writing from a mile away. For whatever reason, script just kind of became somewhat obsolete over the years imo. Anyway, gotta go text my mom to tell her I admire her writing
victoriarobinson642
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I know that they solved a case ages ago because they put the assailant's handwriting on a billboard and someone recognized as their contractor (might be wrong with the profession), but that's probably an expense that they wouldn't want to undertake with this case.
MichelleBlue
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Any interesting developments?
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This is just random info I’ve found in the past couple of days while searching for updates on Denim. Answers to a few questions I’ve seen on here frequently and other tidbits. (FWIW)
ATC hiker photo archive: http://www.athikerpictures.org/
May be nothing, but I came across a young guy with the first name Ben. He hiked the trail in 1995 with a school buddy. (You can easily find him on this site using that information and a subsequent google search of his full name along with “Appalachian Trail” will lead you to additional info) He looks somewhat like Denim IMO. It doesn’t appear that anyone is missing by that name, but I never can tell.
—————
A few interesting reads about hiking injuries, illnesses, and deaths:
https://www.outdoors.org/articles/amc-outdoors/packlist/the-latest-appalachian-trail-thru-hike-statistics
Trail Casualties: Examining the Thru-Hiker Dropout Rate (Part I) - The Trek
https://thetrek.co/examining-thru-hiker-dropout-rate-part-ii/
“The first trail survey, called the Southern States Survey, was triggered between Hot Springs, North Carolina and Damascus, Virginia. The second trail survey, the Mid-Atlantic States Survey, was triggered between Front Royal, Virginia and Duncannon, Pennsylvania. The third trail survey, the New England States Survey, was triggered between Kent, Connecticut and Manchester Center, Vermont. This gives an idea of the ranges commonly reached by people before they fall out [abandon the trail]...” (To get a better idea of more specific places he probably should have passed through - several that we know he did - for anyone still searching for potential encounters)
—————
For the most part, other than Brooklyn I think, all the hikers’ accounts of Denim’s back story just place him in New York. However, Collier County SO, and in turn the Glen Falls authorities, released information that specifically referenced the Lake George area.
(https://dailygazette.com/article/2019/02/22/charlton-firefighters-again-propose-new-station) The articles say that “authorities believe he may be from the Lake George area”. No place else (that I’ve seen) has solicited info from the public like they did. I’d expect Baton Rouge, LA to do the same if they were basing their inquiries off of witnesses’ recollections of what Denim told them. Even the Glen Falls Police thought he could be from the area. (https://www.mynbc5.com/article/hiker-found-dead-in-florida-could-be-from-new-york/22727799)
I still wonder about why the CCSO was so specific in this area of New York. I don’t recall any of the hikers mentioning it. Kind of interesting IMO because it is such a specific area. Something about one of their Facebook posts (https://www.foxnews.com/us/who-is-ben-bilemy-florida-police-try-to-uncover-identity-of-mystery-hiker-found-dead-near-everglades) makes it sound to me like they have an idea of he was, just not his true identity. “We know that many of our followers have suggestions and speculations about who he may be. We appreciate your thoughts and interest in this case. At this time we are looking for his identity or information from those who knew him or know of his family. Our database connections will make appropriate matches on all of those persons that have been reported missing. Thank you.”
I get what brunmuffin is saying. I can’t help but think there’s a certain piece of information they’re waiting to get from the public. I mean, obviously that’s usually the case, but this one seems different.
From what I gather (between responses to my submissions and other information gathered from various sources on this thread), Denim had absolutely no tattoos, surgical scars or major physical abnormalities (missing organs). Same with dental work. It seems like the scar was more superficial than anything. That’s not to say they aren’t withholding information (like a missing organ) until a unique tip on a potential match is received.
—————
3343UMFL here is his Doe Network link that was added in late January...not sure I’ve seen it posted yet.
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In regards to an autopsy: (https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/crime/2018/12/28/ccso-five-months-later-id-hiker-found-dead-big-cypress-unclear/2424552002/) “The hiker had no obvious injuries, and his death did not prompt suspicion of a crime, the Sheriff's Office reported. The cause and manner of death have not been determined, and further examinations are planned, according to the Collier County Medical Examiner's Office ... An autopsy report and tissue and teeth exams have been completed, said Elizabeth Nunez, the office's director of operations. She said via email that the body will receive a full anthropological examination, which will take several months” (Keep in mind this was released only 5 months after he was discovered, it’s just to show what the plan was...the autopsy results have never been released to my knowledge. Only that he died of starvation.)
—————
This blog post mentions something I’d not seen before. The site does not cite any sources of the information and I’ve not found any to substantiate it, so I’m taking it with a grain of salt. Seems like I may remember this being mentioned by the guy who spoke to Denim about “sci-fi and Doctor Who”, but I can’t be certain: (https://www.snoopercentral.com/2019/09/mostly-harmless-who-was-unidentified.html)
“He [the UID] also mentioned to another hiker that he had three massive hard-drives back home, full of lots of movies, and games.”
—————
Something else new to me, although the article in it’s entirety is hidden without a paid subscription and it’s not likely to help in identifying him; it’s more of a testament to the lengths they’ve gone to in trying to identify Denim (IMO) : (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/simon-jones-actor-who-played-arthur-dent-in-hitchhiker-s-guide-faces-an-earthly-enigma-kqt3dxz62) “Simon Jones, actor who played Arthur Dent in Hitchhiker’s Guide [to the Galaxy], faces an earthly enigma; He did not expect to be asked 40 years later to assist Florida police with identifying a mysterious, deceased hiker. Yet that was the request received by Simon Jones, the British actor who played Dent in the original BBC radio series from 1978 and the TV series three years later, when Collier County sheriff’s office sought his help in identifying a corpse found on a hiking trail. The body was found at a campsite in the area of the Florida Everglades known as Alligator Alley last summer.”
*I understand some of this may be redundant, irrelevant, or an overall waste of time, but at this point, I don’t see how it can hurt. I appreciate everyone still actively searching for answers. Especially all you coders Someone knows this man! We just need to turn over the right rock!
ATC hiker photo archive: http://www.athikerpictures.org/
May be nothing, but I came across a young guy with the first name Ben. He hiked the trail in 1995 with a school buddy. (You can easily find him on this site using that information and a subsequent google search of his full name along with “Appalachian Trail” will lead you to additional info) He looks somewhat like Denim IMO. It doesn’t appear that anyone is missing by that name, but I never can tell.
—————
A few interesting reads about hiking injuries, illnesses, and deaths:
https://www.outdoors.org/articles/amc-outdoors/packlist/the-latest-appalachian-trail-thru-hike-statistics
Trail Casualties: Examining the Thru-Hiker Dropout Rate (Part I) - The Trek
https://thetrek.co/examining-thru-hiker-dropout-rate-part-ii/
“The first trail survey, called the Southern States Survey, was triggered between Hot Springs, North Carolina and Damascus, Virginia. The second trail survey, the Mid-Atlantic States Survey, was triggered between Front Royal, Virginia and Duncannon, Pennsylvania. The third trail survey, the New England States Survey, was triggered between Kent, Connecticut and Manchester Center, Vermont. This gives an idea of the ranges commonly reached by people before they fall out [abandon the trail]...” (To get a better idea of more specific places he probably should have passed through - several that we know he did - for anyone still searching for potential encounters)
—————
For the most part, other than Brooklyn I think, all the hikers’ accounts of Denim’s back story just place him in New York. However, Collier County SO, and in turn the Glen Falls authorities, released information that specifically referenced the Lake George area.
(https://dailygazette.com/article/2019/02/22/charlton-firefighters-again-propose-new-station) The articles say that “authorities believe he may be from the Lake George area”. No place else (that I’ve seen) has solicited info from the public like they did. I’d expect Baton Rouge, LA to do the same if they were basing their inquiries off of witnesses’ recollections of what Denim told them. Even the Glen Falls Police thought he could be from the area. (https://www.mynbc5.com/article/hiker-found-dead-in-florida-could-be-from-new-york/22727799)
I still wonder about why the CCSO was so specific in this area of New York. I don’t recall any of the hikers mentioning it. Kind of interesting IMO because it is such a specific area. Something about one of their Facebook posts (https://www.foxnews.com/us/who-is-ben-bilemy-florida-police-try-to-uncover-identity-of-mystery-hiker-found-dead-near-everglades) makes it sound to me like they have an idea of he was, just not his true identity. “We know that many of our followers have suggestions and speculations about who he may be. We appreciate your thoughts and interest in this case. At this time we are looking for his identity or information from those who knew him or know of his family. Our database connections will make appropriate matches on all of those persons that have been reported missing. Thank you.”
I get what brunmuffin is saying. I can’t help but think there’s a certain piece of information they’re waiting to get from the public. I mean, obviously that’s usually the case, but this one seems different.
From what I gather (between responses to my submissions and other information gathered from various sources on this thread), Denim had absolutely no tattoos, surgical scars or major physical abnormalities (missing organs). Same with dental work. It seems like the scar was more superficial than anything. That’s not to say they aren’t withholding information (like a missing organ) until a unique tip on a potential match is received.
—————
3343UMFL here is his Doe Network link that was added in late January...not sure I’ve seen it posted yet.
—————
In regards to an autopsy: (https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/crime/2018/12/28/ccso-five-months-later-id-hiker-found-dead-big-cypress-unclear/2424552002/) “The hiker had no obvious injuries, and his death did not prompt suspicion of a crime, the Sheriff's Office reported. The cause and manner of death have not been determined, and further examinations are planned, according to the Collier County Medical Examiner's Office ... An autopsy report and tissue and teeth exams have been completed, said Elizabeth Nunez, the office's director of operations. She said via email that the body will receive a full anthropological examination, which will take several months” (Keep in mind this was released only 5 months after he was discovered, it’s just to show what the plan was...the autopsy results have never been released to my knowledge. Only that he died of starvation.)
—————
This blog post mentions something I’d not seen before. The site does not cite any sources of the information and I’ve not found any to substantiate it, so I’m taking it with a grain of salt. Seems like I may remember this being mentioned by the guy who spoke to Denim about “sci-fi and Doctor Who”, but I can’t be certain: (https://www.snoopercentral.com/2019/09/mostly-harmless-who-was-unidentified.html)
“He [the UID] also mentioned to another hiker that he had three massive hard-drives back home, full of lots of movies, and games.”
—————
Something else new to me, although the article in it’s entirety is hidden without a paid subscription and it’s not likely to help in identifying him; it’s more of a testament to the lengths they’ve gone to in trying to identify Denim (IMO) : (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/simon-jones-actor-who-played-arthur-dent-in-hitchhiker-s-guide-faces-an-earthly-enigma-kqt3dxz62) “Simon Jones, actor who played Arthur Dent in Hitchhiker’s Guide [to the Galaxy], faces an earthly enigma; He did not expect to be asked 40 years later to assist Florida police with identifying a mysterious, deceased hiker. Yet that was the request received by Simon Jones, the British actor who played Dent in the original BBC radio series from 1978 and the TV series three years later, when Collier County sheriff’s office sought his help in identifying a corpse found on a hiking trail. The body was found at a campsite in the area of the Florida Everglades known as Alligator Alley last summer.”
*I understand some of this may be redundant, irrelevant, or an overall waste of time, but at this point, I don’t see how it can hurt. I appreciate everyone still actively searching for answers. Especially all you coders
Someone knows this man! We just need to turn over the right rock!
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I’m curious what makes you think that. Authorities have had the notebook(s) for going on 2 years now without it bringing them any closer to knowing who this mystery hiker truly is. Again, maybe they’re keeping certain information close to the vest, but I’d think if it were so telling they’d have released some portion of it to the public by now. Unless there is something more inside of them than merely a series of indecipherable letters and numbers. Which I suppose would be your prerogative to keep close to your vest as well LOL
branmuffin
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Picking up more info from previous threads: why does LE believe that MH may be from the Lake George area of New York? IIRC, anecdotal information provided by hikers haven't mentioned that location although they have mentioned Brooklyn. Have they disseminated flyers with all the numerous pictures of him to local LE in Lake George? The population is small, so if he was from that area it's possible the locals could identify him. I have no idea what triggered that direction but I'm wondering if they've already reviewed earlier log sheets further up the trail and have eliminated a lot of people.
Another thing I heard is that LE made some inferences that they were investigating the UID as have a criminal background or are investigating a crime he may committed. Are we to presume it may have had something to do with a crime on the trail? Does his general description fit a suspect on the trail or from a crime committed in other areas?
And I'm not sure where I read it, but I was under the impression that the hikers that found his body said there was no indication that his back pack was there yet LE is saying it was found in his possession but it's not listed on the items found with the deceased. Am I missing something here?
Also where is his watch? He wears it in many pics.
He seemed to read the logs quite a bit; there's a couple of pics of him doing it. Was he looking for a specific individual?
Sorry, to dredge up old information that most of you have already read.
Another thing I heard is that LE made some inferences that they were investigating the UID as have a criminal background or are investigating a crime he may committed. Are we to presume it may have had something to do with a crime on the trail? Does his general description fit a suspect on the trail or from a crime committed in other areas?
And I'm not sure where I read it, but I was under the impression that the hikers that found his body said there was no indication that his back pack was there yet LE is saying it was found in his possession but it's not listed on the items found with the deceased. Am I missing something here?
Also where is his watch? He wears it in many pics.
He seemed to read the logs quite a bit; there's a couple of pics of him doing it. Was he looking for a specific individual?
Sorry, to dredge up old information that most of you have already read.
branmuffin
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Can you clarify what you mean? Thanks.
carbuff
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Sorry, no, not without violating TOS. I probably already said too much.
MichelleBlue
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I know most of you have seen it before, but here is a link to the CCSO podcast. There is an assortment of pics of MH at the bottom of the page, which is helpful to have all in one place.
Sworn Statement | Collier County, FL Sheriff
Sworn Statement | Collier County, FL Sheriff
MichelleBlue
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Also, a video of MH that is helpful to see his body frame & mannerisms. Again, for those of you who are just joining in or maybe haven't seen this in awhile.
navywife
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Many crime scene workers have mentioned that when "discovering the deceased that their face might have taken on what looks to be a grimace". That stage of rigor would potentially stay intact up to 7 days following death, so IMO, the "leaping" or "frozen" aspect of his condition doesn't sound that far-fetched.
branmuffin
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Rigor &decomposition can be affected by exterior ambient temperatures. Rigor is accelerated in warmer temperatures and the return to flaccidity is equally accelerated. Rigor initially appears in the smallest muscles first, the eyelids, neck muscles, facial muscles, etc. moving through the body then ending with extremities. When rigor leaves the body, it leaves the same way it came. A town very close to Big Cypress Reserve called Immokalee had the following temperature and humidity during the the preceding days of HM's discovery:
July 20, 2017 Temp:29 degrees C Humidity 88%
July 21, 2017 Temp: 30 degrees C Humidity 83%
July 22, 2017 Temp: 31 degrees C Humidity 82%
July 23, 2017 Temp: 31 degrees C Humidity 80%
31 degrees C = 88 degrees F
I don't believe that rigor could last up to 7 days in those circumstances. As a matter of fact I've never heard of rigor lasting that long. There is a phenomena that can occur called cadaveric spasm that is usually the result of an extreme neurogenic response. An example of a neurogenic response is a convulsion or perhaps a seizure. Extremely high body tempertures can cause a neurogenic response as well. The neurological illness ALS can also cause spasmodic freezing of muscles.
The last example may be one of the terminal illnesses that people have suggested HM may have been referring to when he spoke about hiking the trail while he still could. It is very sad if that happened since he would have been incapable of helping himself to do anything.
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branmuffin
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I've been looking at the website of the Glen Falls PD. They have a page called Who Am I? There are images taken at ATM machines of two people who used a skimming device to access salient information of people's cards, etc. Since the information is on a public platform I'm posting the image of one of the suspects. I wonder if they are thinking the cash MH had on him is from illegally obtained money from ATM machines? I personally think the suspect looks nothing like MH. The baseball cap and the glasses (which may not be prescription) are just part of a disguise.
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turanna25
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Personally, I don't think that guy looks anything like ours, MH.
It was definitely a good idea though.
JMO
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but we can't see his buddy! I agree, MH might have know how to do such a thing & used someone else's cash in his escape?
That fella's hat, glasses, and facial hair do seem like a disguise. He may have started that trip with full, untrimmed beard, and adjusted it in the car between each ATM.
Switched hat & glasses, too.
Maybe I watch too much crime TV & read too much here....
JMHO YMMV
branmuffin
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I was trying to understand where Glen Falls fell within any interest in MH. If someone wasn't reported missing I was trying to see what other circumstances could trigger their interest.
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