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

[LibbyinTexas]

I’ve been wondering that as well! If you look at the sketch you can see how skinny he was. He didn’t have any fat left in his face. Even if you hadn’t seen him before and met him while he looked like that, you’d realize he wasn’t okay and needed serious help... I think he must have stayed in his tent the past few weeks. There is no way he would have had the strength to continue hiking. 83 lbs is just scary. To get to that point you must have been short on or completely without food for weeks. It’s not something that just happens in a matter of days. I’ve been wondering if he put his tent next to the picnick area on purpose. Because he was too weak to go on and hoped that other hikers might stop there to eat. Maybe he lived on their leftovers if he was to proud/embarrassed to ask (though, if you’re starving I don’t know how much pride you have left).
Does anyone know how the weather has been in that area? If the weather’s been bad it’s possible that he just had terrible luck. Maybe he’d gotten into trouble and ran out of food, but kept hiking (way longer than he should have) hoping to find other hikers or some sort of meeting place where he could get help. He came by the picnic area, ate whatever he found in the garbage and realized he was becoming too weak to go on. He may have decided that this was the best place to stop and wait for help. If there’s a picnic area it must mean that it’s a well travelled road, he probably figured so as well. It could be the weather changed and became too bad for people to hike, resulting in him becoming weaker still until he was not strong enough anymore to get up. By the time people did come by his tent, he could have been unconcious or dead.

I’ve also wondered if maybe something caused him to pass out and go in some sort of coma, until his body ran out of nutrients.

I’m purely guessing of course. I hope I haven’t offended anyone by doing so.

It really frustrates me that they more than likely know what caused his death and yet they don’t make it public. I feel like his cause of death would tell a lot about why he was there in the first place... I guess we’ll just have to be patient.

I think it's all very probable that he did set his tent up by the picnic area purposely ... it just seems to me like he just would not give up and lay down and starve to death - it does indeed take awhile to get that extremely skinny - I haven't read anything about hikers saying " ohhhh I saw that tent there at such and such time" so if he did just stay there and die it seems hikers would come forward saying that they had seen the tent there.... maybe it was there a long time , a month ... maybe 2 ... are people allowed to actually live on the trails ? I know they can camp out but is there a time limit in a same place ?
I lean more towards him being terminally ill ... they say he said he had a good job but quit it ... they said he said he had health issues .... so maybe that's the most obvious answer ... maybe he stayed feeling good for along time ... maybe a year ... some cancers grow very slow but are in inoperable places ... or maybe he didn't want radiation or chemo ... it just makes more sense that he knew he was ill and opted to hike till the end .... maybe he just went downhill super fast in his health deteriation ... but it's just sad to me that no one noticed --- not that I would expect any passing by to bother him in his tent but I just mean didn't anyone notice how sick he must of looked ? Or did he literally just stay in his tent and not get out ?

 

[LeenC]

I think it's all very probable that he did set his tent up by the picnic area purposely ... it just seems to me like he just would not give up and lay down and starve to death - it does indeed take awhile to get that extremely skinny - I haven't read anything about hikers saying " ohhhh I saw that tent there at such and such time" so if he did just stay there and die it seems hikers would come forward saying that they had seen the tent there.... maybe it was there a long time , a month ... maybe 2 ... are people allowed to actually live on the trails ? I know they can camp out but is there a time limit in a same place ?
I lean more towards him being terminally ill ... they say he said he had a good job but quit it ... they said he said he had health issues .... so maybe that's the most obvious answer ... maybe he stayed feeling good for along time ... maybe a year ... some cancers grow very slow but are in inoperable places ... or maybe he didn't want radiation or chemo ... it just makes more sense that he knew he was ill and opted to hike till the end .... maybe he just went downhill super fast in his health deteriation ... but it's just sad to me that no one noticed --- not that I would expect any passing by to bother him in his tent but I just mean didn't anyone notice how sick he must of looked ? Or did he literally just stay in his tent and not get out ?

Someone mentioned it way at the beginning of this thread that hikers actually noticed his tent at that precise spot and called out to him but didn’t get an answer and just figured he was either really tired or not in the mood to talk and left him alone.

The “problem” that I have with the cancer theory is that it seems weird to me that he would camp in such an obvious spot. It kind of bothers me that on the one hand he got away from his old life, didn’t have any contact with whomever he left behind (no phone) and didn’t leave any evidence behind to hint at his identity; therefore making it look like he wanted to disappear in the wilderness; while on the other hand he chose to spend his final days in a spot where he surely would be found. It’s not like cancer creeped up on him from one day to the next. It’s a slow disease which must have been eating away at him for a while, making it more difficult to go about his day as time progressed. If he was terminally ill I think he would have felt at a certain point that he didn’t have much time left. It seems weird to me that he would choose that precise spot unless he hoped for people to find and help him. I don’t know... I also don’t think he just laid down and gave up. More that his body just gave out. The weight still seems extreme to me for it to be caused “solely” by cancer. Maybe it’s a combination of both things. He could have lost conciousness or maybe he was in too much pain because of the cancer to walk further, ran out of food and eventually passed away. We won’t know for sure until they decide to make the autopsy results public. Though, it would also help to know if any food or water had been found in his tent.

Ugh this is such a sad story. Such a horrible way to go. I can’t stop thinking about those kind eyes. Nobody deserves to go like this.

 

[folieadeuxnola]

I wonder if the nickname "Denim" that was mentioned could have been "Denham" a short version of Denham Springs just east of Baton Rouge. Know several people that just call it Denham instead of Denham Springs in any case they know where you are talking about. It literally is pronaunced the same way.

 

[LibbyinTexas]

Someone mentioned it way at the beginning of this thread that hikers actually noticed his tent at that precise spot and called out to him but didn’t get an answer and just figured he was either really tired or not in the mood to talk and left him alone.

The “problem” that I have with the cancer theory is that it seems weird to me that he would camp in such an obvious spot. It kind of bothers me that on the one hand he got away from his old life, didn’t have any contact with whomever he left behind (no phone) and didn’t leave any evidence behind to hint at his identity; therefore making it look like he wanted to disappear in the wilderness; while on the other hand he chose to spend his final days in a spot where he surely would be found. It’s not like cancer creeped up on him from one day to the next. It’s a slow disease which must have been eating away at him for a while, making it more difficult to go about his day as time progressed. If he was terminally ill I think he would have felt at a certain point that he didn’t have much time left. It seems weird to me that he would choose that precise spot unless he hoped for people to find and help him. I don’t know... I also don’t think he just laid down and gave up. More that his body just gave out. The weight still seems extreme to me for it to be caused “solely” by cancer. Maybe it’s a combination of both things. He could have lost conciousness or maybe he was in too much pain because of the cancer to walk further, ran out of food and eventually passed away. We won’t know for sure until they decide to make the autopsy results public. Though, it would also help to know if any food or water had been found in his tent.

Ugh this is such a sad story. Such a horrible way to go. I can’t stop thinking about those kind eyes. Nobody deserves to go like this.

Okay Interesting! I didn't know that it had been mentioned that his tent had been spotted -
so it had actually been there awhile and he was holed up inside maybe in a lot of pain or unconscious...so it is odd that he would disappear off the grid with no identification yet plop his tent in a picnic area to die -- unless he didn't know he was dying then ? If he wanted help wouldn't he of responded when the hikers called out to him ? unless he was just too out of it ... so if he wasn't unconscious yet wanted help he would of somehow made it known how bad off he was --- but so how long would his tent of been there noticed but no one tries to peek inside or notice it's just been there awhile ? I guess since people are always moving down or up the trail they don't come back that way to notice his tent was there awhile ... so sad -- just wish I knew his story

 

[LibbyinTexas]

I wonder if the nickname "Denim" that was mentioned could have been "Denham" a short version of Denham Springs just east of Baton Rouge. Know several people that just call it Denham instead of Denham Springs in any case they know where you are talking about. It literally is pronaunced the same way.

I think it's been mentioned his name was given to him by other hikers because he was wearing jeans on a long hike which is usually not recommended. But that is a good thought since they are saying he might be from Baton Rouge.

 

[folieadeuxnola]

I think it's been mentioned his name was given to him by other hikers because he was wearing jeans on a long hike which is usually not recommended. But that is a good thought since they are saying he might be from Baton Rouge.

TY Libby greatly appreciate. Honestly have not read the thread in its entirety just bits and pieces it was a thought that popped in my head. Do believe he will be identified soon.

 

[RickshawFan]

Wow those are some good pictures! Do you know when the last one was taken? It could just be the lack of beard but he looks skinnier than in the other pictures I’ve seen from him so far.
*****
His weight really puzzles me. My first thought would be that he starved to death but it’s not like he was camping in the middle of nowhere. Several people came by his tent before his body was found. So you’d think that if he was that low on food, he would have had the opportunity to ask other hikers for help. Then the second theory comes to mind, that he may have been terminally ill. If that’s the case then surely he must have known his diagnosis otherwise you’d think he would have come to a point where he started worrying about his own health enough to look for a doctor. What baffles me in this scenario is that if he was terminal and he indeed started his hike a year and a half ago, then that’s a hell of a long time to survive (not even just surviving but hiking and working) for being terminally ill. It’s possible of course. I know people who beat the odds like that by just keeping themselves going and doing the things they loved most for way longer than the doctors had given them. But if the disease was that brutal that it could made him lose this much weight, I feel like he would have died before his bodyweight could drop to this point (if that makes sense).
*****

Giardia or crypto.....

It sounded from upthread as though not many hikers go on that trail. I got that impression because it requires a GPS, map, and compass. Evidently, it's easy to get lost or lose the trail. Since that's the case, it can't be well trafficked.

He could have been out there for quite some time. And no one seems to have reported an aroma? That seems really odd, too.

While my first inclination was to agree with the idea of a terminal illness, I thought better of it, since I've seen thru hikers do some very nutty things and not pay close attention to realities. They're so into being on the trail, denial sets in....

In earlier photos, this hiker had Kopat (?) knee braces. He could easily have messed up both knees, not focused on drinking treated water, and it was too late by the time he realized he was incapacitated.

Male ultra-distance hikers can look extremely emaciated.

No one knows how long he was out there, correct?

 

[RickshawFan]

I wonder if the nickname "Denim" that was mentioned could have been "Denham" a short version of Denham Springs just east of Baton Rouge. Know several people that just call it Denham instead of Denham Springs in any case they know where you are talking about. It literally is pronaunced the same way.

AT thru hikers have trail names. Generally, people don't know other thru hikers' real names. You generally acquire your trail name in the first few days. It often arises out of conversation (frequently attended by lightheartedness) with other hikers. It usually just sort of happens.

If this hiker was wearing jeans when he came to the trail, he might actually have thought he was only going for a quickie hike--though denim wouldn't have been appropriate in this situation, either--or he got fed up one day and headed to the mountains with whatever he happened to be wearing. Next thing they know, they're thru hiking.

"Denim" would have come easily as a trail name...

As a tangent on inappropriate clothes for the Appalachian Trail. There was a fugitive (IIRC the Atlanta bomber) who was supposed to be on the trail for a few months. The FBI showed up on the trail purporting to be "thru hikers". They were quite gussied up in crispy outfits, evidently, didn't smell rank, and were categorically incapable of eating a whole pizza at one sitting. Gave themselves away instantly.

 

[LeenC]

Giardia or crypto.....

It sounded from upthread as though not many hikers go on that trail. I got that impression because it requires a GPS, map, and compass. Evidently, it's easy to get lost or lose the trail. Since that's the case, it can't be well trafficked.

He could have been out there for quite some time. And no one seems to have reported an aroma? That seems really odd, too.

While my first inclination was to agree with the idea of a terminal illness, I thought better of it, since I've seen thru hikers do some very nutty things and not pay close attention to realities. They're so into being on the trail, denial sets in....

In earlier photos, this hiker had Kopat (?) knee braces. He could easily have messed up both knees, not focused on drinking treated water, and it was too late by the time he realized he was incapacitated.

Male ultra-distance hikers can look extremely emaciated.

No one knows how long he was out there, correct?

No, as far as I know it’s not known how long he had been there. Stories of people meeting him on the hike go back about one year and a half, but that doesn’t mean he has been in the woods all that time. Though, judging from how many hikers encountered him, I do think he must have spend most of that time hiking.

I tend to agree with you. I’m not concinced he suffered a terminal illness either. I think he may have gotten lost or overconfident and by the time he got back on the trail he was too weak to go on. I believe he put his tent in that precise location on purpose. Figuring other hikers would pass there and maybe stop to eat, eventually. If the trail is indeed not that often travelled, it’s quite possible he had already passed away by the time the first couple of hikers passed his tent.

 

[Satchie]

I'm not sure how busy that campsite would have been in summer. Apparently that's the rainy season, plenty of mud and mosquitos.

Giardia or crypto.....

It sounded from upthread as though not many hikers go on that trail. I got that impression because it requires a GPS, map, and compass. Evidently, it's easy to get lost or lose the trail. Since that's the case, it can't be well trafficked.

He could have been out there for quite some time. And no one seems to have reported an aroma? That seems really odd, too.

While my first inclination was to agree with the idea of a terminal illness, I thought better of it, since I've seen thru hikers do some very nutty things and not pay close attention to realities. They're so into being on the trail, denial sets in....

In earlier photos, this hiker had Kopat (?) knee braces. He could easily have messed up both knees, not focused on drinking treated water, and it was too late by the time he realized he was incapacitated.

Male ultra-distance hikers can look extremely emaciated.

No one knows how long he was out there, correct?

Sadly, it appears the hikers who found him were just a few days too late: "he had most likely died within a few days of his body being found." Hiker found dead went by 'Denim' and 'Mostly Harmless' on the trail, but investigators don't know his real name

 

[Classito]

Glen Austin Oldfield? Missing from Kentucky--Disappeared after hiking in Washington. He was picked up and dropped off at another location in search of water... leaving his car and gear behind. He disappeared in 2015 and would be 42 yrs old now. Grey/blue or very blue eyes. He has family in FL

WA - WA - Glen 'Austin' Oldfield, 39, Skamania County, 17 Sept 2015

 

[Classito]

Another photo of Austin Oldfield

 

[Classito]

Update. It is not Austin Oldfield. The sheriff's office said they have scanned the databases on missing people for matches.

 

[waterfalllady]

I'm not sure how busy that campsite would have been in summer. Apparently that's the rainy season, plenty of mud and mosquitos.


Sadly, it appears the hikers who found him were just a few days too late: "he had most likely died within a few days of his body being found." Hiker found dead went by 'Denim' and 'Mostly Harmless' on the trail, but investigators don't know his real name

This probably wasn't the case for his site, but there are some campsites in/ near the Everglades that close for the summer. I remember being so confused when I saw a sign that said (Name) Campground: No Camping.

 

[LeenC]

Update. It is not Austin Oldfield. The sheriff's office said they have scanned the databases on missing people for matches.

Does that mean we would be wasting our time by looking through missing persons on NamUs and the Charley Project?

 

[Classito]

From what they said (see below) it would seem so.
"The database connections we have already scanned for matches on reported missing people."

 

[Classito]

People who knew him say he was an experienced hiker but I could not find anyone named Ben Bilemey, Mostly Harmless, or Denim that has completed the Appalachia or Pacific trails with those names. It would appear Ben Bilemey is not his real name and he most likely changed his name for a reason..Thinking along these lines I looked for photos of other hikers that matched Ben's prior to him possibly changing his name. I did find an experienced hiker that matches with the statements of being experienced, in the tech industry, facial and Grey/blue eyes. However, the Collier sheriff is only looking to talk with people who actually knew him and his real name..So...helping to solve at all is probably wasting time ....

 

[Bit of hope]

People who knew him say he was an experienced hiker but I could not find anyone named Ben Bilemey, Mostly Harmless, or Denim that has completed the Appalachia or Pacific trails with those names. It would appear Ben Bilemey is not his real name and he most likely changed his name for a reason..Thinking along these lines I looked for photos of other hikers that matched Ben's prior to him possibly changing his name. I did find an experienced hiker that matches with the statements of being experienced, in the tech industry, facial and Grey/blue eyes. However, the Collier sheriff is only looking to talk with people who actually knew him and his real name..So...helping to solve at all is probably wasting time ....

I don't think this is accurate....if you are sure this could be a match..push it the
through.....

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

Slightly OT to identifying this man and sorry if this link has been offered in this thread (can't hurt to have it posted more than once IMO). (I am of no help identifying this man but am an avid hiker and human being with compassion and empathy and an interest in the AT.) This link contains blogs of folks hiking the AT and PCT. Bloggers Archives - The Trek Fascinating IMO.

 

[Classito]

Bit of Hope--Sure did feel that way. I did send it through after spending a lot of time looking for a match and being satisfied with it..This was someone not listed as missing and not in any databases. I sent one photo of him hiking in 2016 with links of other photos and information on him...I was given an answer of not him in less than a minute and was told that they are looking for someone who actually knew him and his real name.

Thank you AzPistonsGirl--I have been reading a lot of forums and blogs in the past couple of days and will check this one out!