Identified! FL - Big Cypress Natl Preserve, Male Hiker, Denim & “Mostly Harmless” July 2018 - Vance Rodriguez

[Classito]

Ghost or D2?

 

[Classito]

Wasn't Harmless in the 2017--? The photos shown are for the 2018 class.

 

[Bit of hope]

Ok I have been doing a little research and reaching out....

White Blaze Forum on MH is back up and has been cleaned up for what they believe to be cases of mistaken identity, unreliable witnesses, and contradictory accounts. Only one sighting remains and it is the very first one in Maryland...its the original and verified.

MT says he met MH at Raven Rock Shelter July 28. He noticed he was new to backpacking, was enjoying the experience, and had a heavy pack of 50-60lbs. MH had said he started the AT in New York in June.

The Pinhoti Trail Alliance fb has also been cleaned up. After speaking to detectives some posters removed their posts based on mistaken identity. At least 3 pictures remain and a few comments remain.
Date and time stamp anyone? Which pics? This is another original source.

The Crestview Florida trail angel and the last guy to see MH are also deemed reliable.

So any info that was removed from either should be deemed flimsy info even if it was cross posted. Flimsy.



They did identify this guy... it was someone reported missing, but not MH. Dementia related I believe.

Thanks. This is really good and helpful info.

 

[Bit of hope]

I'm excited to share the annotated map/timeline. Tricia asked that I include in my post: this map has been reviewed and approved prior to my sharing it. This wouldn't be possible without the timeline @Gardener1850 put together. Everything included comes from official LE postings and official business postings. Of course, this does not mean everything is 100% accurate!

This has been hand-stitched together in Photoshop from approximately 20 screenshots of maps with MH sightings/interactions marked. After that, I overlaid the trails, then associated photos and annotations were placed on a top layer. Due to the shape of our little blue planet, as well as the dynamic nature of trails, please keep in mind that some marked locations and trails may be a bit skewed.


A final note, some photos and sightings were intentionally excluded due to the inability to verify the sighting location, and/or the photo was not found via an official source. I hope this is helpful. I welcome feedback and have set the map up in a way that we can edit/add to it without too much trouble.

• MH Annotated Map & Timeline with Photos

Great work! Thanks.

 

[Bit of hope]

The first thing that jumps out to me..... he shaved and I believe got a haircut within a few days of that last photo.

I noticed that too. Also in one of the last pictures (march 2018), he looks to have a much thicker belly, then in the beginning. Or is this just me?

 

[SugarQueen]

I noticed that too. Also in one of the last pictures (march 2018), he looks to have a much thicker belly, then in the beginning. Or is this just me?

I noticed the belly but couldn’t decide if it was just how tight he has the belt beneath it?

 

[Bit of hope]

I noticed the belly but couldn’t decide if it was just how tight he has the belt beneath it?

That could be it. It's hard to tell. He is wearing the same set of (warm weather) clothes at the beginning and at the end. Considering the time the trail took, wearing the same T-shirt also in other pictures. Wouldn't it be worn off more at the end? Are we sure the pictures provided by hikers are given the accurate time they were thought to be taken? (also some of the sightings, by other hikers who met him on the trail, were concluded questionable)

 

[turanna25]

Wasn't Harmless in the 2017--? The photos shown are for the 2018 class.

I believe he was class of 2017... My bad.. I thought thats what I was looking at.. i told you i was delirious! LOL thanks for pointing it out

 

[Bit of hope]

Apologize upfront. Not wanting to upset anybody, knowing this is a long, very long stretch, missing with his girlfriend Danielle Imbo.

MH supposed to have no tattoos (although still wondering how LE can rule out all possible suggestions that quickly) but I keep staring at Richard Petrone jr. pictures.

Richard Petrone – Missing Since February 19, 2005

Richard has a different beard pattern, I guess. It's just looking beyond the obvious. Like somebody said, a much thicker person and another maybe he did something that isn't ok and that's why he went of the grid.

Risking the whole WS community to "fall over me".

 

[EllieGato]

I noticed that too. Also in one of the last pictures (march 2018), he looks to have a much thicker belly, then in the beginning. Or is this just me?

Yes, distended belly. I noted that.

 

[EllieGato]

Apologize upfront. Not wanting to upset anybody, knowing this is a long, very long stretch, missing with his girlfriend Danielle Imbo.

MH supposed to have no tattoos (although still wondering how LE can rule out all possible suggestions that quickly) but I keep staring at Richard Petrone jr. pictures.

Richard Petrone – Missing Since February 19, 2005

Richard has a different beard pattern, I guess. It's just looking beyond the obvious. Like somebody said, a much thicker person and another maybe he did something that isn't ok and that's why he went of the grid.

Risking the whole WS community to "fall over me".

I looked at him too, but I dont think it is him.

 

[EllieGato]

Something I recently learned by searching "help locate man"

When I find an article about police asking the public to help locate a person who walked away from a treatment center or sober halfway house, those people are not in the missing persons lists for our databases.

So I'm searching
Help locate man halfway house
Help locate man treatment center
Help locate man transitional housing

And there are plenty of people that are being looked for but not listed as missing.

 

[carbuff]

Yes, distended belly. I noted that.

That can be a symptom of malnutrition, particularly vitamin B deficiencies. Which would make sense since the ME said that's what he died from.

 

[carbuff]

That could be it. It's hard to tell. He is wearing the same set of (warm weather) clothes at the beginning and at the end. Considering the time the trail took, wearing the same T-shirt also in other pictures. Wouldn't it be worn off more at the end? Are we sure the pictures provided by hikers are given the accurate time they were thought to be taken? (also some of the sightings, by other hikers who met him on the trail, were concluded questionable)

Hiking clothing is often made of high tech fabrics that are very sturdy and last forever even if you're living in it.

 

[Gardener1850]

I would say early 2018 or late 2017. I don't know if it was a hurricane or a tropical storm that was heading their way.. or some severe weather occurance, but if you can find something that happened around that time, it may help narrow it down. It was an older woman who said he was in one of the group's and she was fairly vocal & active in the group.

That was somewhere around Georgia Alabama before Crestview Florida. See Gardeners timeline for quick access to the name of the storm... Nate maybe. They were stuck in a basement 3 nights. Cross check to the 40 sightings on Amy'totheKate list for any extra details around that time. Let us know what you find @turanna25 and I will look around too tonight. If it was mentioned was on a trail site in real time and has since been removed, I likely have it in my notes. I think this a comment worth looking into.

He was stuck in a Damascus, VA hostel for 2-3 days due to a hurricane in Oct 2017. That is why we have several photos of him in Damascus. Perhaps that is what was referenced? The only reference to a basement I remember is that someone said they met him in a church basement in Duncannon, PA. The comment was never verified by another source but there is indeed a church in Duncannon that does a hiker ministry (just started in 2017). I looked through all their photos online in the past but never found any of him from summer of 2017: Hiker's Ministry

 

[Gardener1850]

Apologize upfront. Not wanting to upset anybody, knowing this is a long, very long stretch, missing with his girlfriend Danielle Imbo.

MH supposed to have no tattoos (although still wondering how LE can rule out all possible suggestions that quickly) but I keep staring at Richard Petrone jr. pictures.

Richard Petrone – Missing Since February 19, 2005

Richard has a different beard pattern, I guess. It's just looking beyond the obvious. Like somebody said, a much thicker person and another maybe he did something that isn't ok and that's why he went of the grid.

Risking the whole WS community to "fall over me".

No falling over here (I'm often one to suggest a long stretch too ). I see some similarities in the face, but one big issue is that Richard had tattoos on his arms-- an “Angela” tattoo on his left arm and clowns on his right arm. Our hiker has no tattoos and no scars except a faint line on his stomach. I think if Richard had his tattoos removed that would leave noticeable scars. JMO.

 

[EllieGato]

I got a decent tip last night. My friend's father used to work at IBM in New York. He said that IBM is one of the big tech companies with multiple locations in Brooklyn and also a big headquarters in Tuxedo Park area which he said was close to Bear Mountain/ Harriman State park. He said last he heard from his friends that still do contract work for them, that Jehovahs Witnesses make up a big part of the employees in both those areas and if MH grew up Jehovahs Witness but left the church he has likely been abandoned by his friends or family that remain with the church... and they wouldn't be looking for him.

He said he would email the MH flyer with the extra pictures to the two guys he knows that still get a little work from IBM.

Anybody here have any IBM contacts or know a Jehovahs Witness that could advise on how to spread the word/flyer for MH or advise on if the church has a specific way to address such a situation? I thought about emailing the Kingdom Halls up there but I think some prior advice would be helpful.

 

[EllieGato]

He was stuck in a Damascus, VA hostel for 2-3 days due to a hurricane in Oct 2017. That is why we have several photos of him in Damascus. Perhaps that is what was referenced?

Yes thanks, Gardener, for the correction. I knew you had some info on the storm or hurricane.

I still never found a reference to him using any SM.

 

[EllieGato]

That can be a symptom of malnutrition, particularly vitamin B deficiencies. Which would make sense since the ME said that's what he died from.

I keep saying he looks like he is suffering from B12 deficiency as well. Something to note about B12 deficiency is that when it gets really bad it can cause some types of psychosis.

Vitamin B12 deficiency - Wikipedia

Vitamin B12 and Psychiatric Illness | Population Health Learning Network

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924933817315729

IMO, this would explain his decisions near the end.

 

[EllieGato]

Sorry for so many posts in a row but my work just went full swing and my time is limited now.

<snipped for concentration>
...(also some of the sightings, by other hikers who met him on the trail, were concluded questionable)

I decided to remove all phone references from my list of sightings and comments, but if anybody has a reason or thoughts about removing more comments as questionable (contradictory/ time and place don't fit) then let me know. I am having a hard time finding a reason to deem other comments inaccurate or questionable, however I would like to.