Identified! FL - Big Cypress Natl Preserve, Male Hiker, Denim & “Mostly Harmless” July 2018 - Vance Rodriguez#4

[carbuff]

Everybody says he had no accent but spoke perfect English. Seems like he can't be from New York or Louisiana! To Americans, English Canadians have an accent. Actually that accent varies depending on where you lived growing up in Canada. There are some Canadians that sound like they have absolutely no English accent though. It is French Canadians who are truly bilingual and grew up using both languages extensively. You can think someone you know is English Canadian forever until you hear them around French people. Could it be that MH is French Canadian, possibly from Quebec. Quebec is close to New York and he could have easily been working IT in New York.

A minor point--Quebec might be just over the border from northern New York, but it's not very close to the part of New York state where Denim was. A 4 to 5 hour drive from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu to the park where he started his hike, longer from Montréal or Quebec City.

But your point about the accents is one I've wondered about from the beginning. He hiked from New York to Florida, a very wide range of accents, and nobody thought he sounded "local." They probably meant he had a generic American TV announcer voice--but that generic accent is pretty rare in real life unless you've been trained out of it--stage, TV work, something like that.

 

[gfinale]

He could absolutely be from NY or LA and speak with a general American accent. Some people grow up with neutral accents. Some learn to hide their accents when they move to a new city or start working in the professional world. We've discussed this before in this thread or the last one...

Not in this one and I've read almost all of the past 4 or 5 from the beginning I believe. Good to hear though.

 

[gfinale]

Looking thoroughly through this timeline FL - FL - Big Cypress National Preserve, Male hiker, "Denim" and "Mostly Harmless", 23 July 2018

"June or July 2017 Hiker (WF8) posting on the Mountain Crossings Walasi-yi page claims to have met him in a church basement in Duncannon, PA. " <-- with lots of religions, I don't think you would go into another religion's church. Possibly others can comment on whether that last statement seems correct. I only see one church in Duncannon and it's Christian. If this is accurate info, it possibly rules out theories about MH being JW or any other religion at the time of his hiking.

"Nov 2017 – Hiker (DB) met him at Trey Mountain shelter on the AT. He told DB he did IT work in NYC and was going to Florida. " <-- so, by near the end of the AT, he had decided he was hiking through to Florida. I wonder if there is any earlier date when he told anybody Florida.

"2 Dec 2017 – ...told the owner he was heading for Key West, Florida." <-- soon after Tray Mountain, at Mountain Crossings he said Key West according to hiker.

From the photo timeline, people who talked to him were 19 on the AT, 3 on the Pinhoti and 9 on the Florida. Is it fair to say that he was seen way more on the AT than the other 2 trails? If so, does him purchasing good hiking gear and possibly his first tent account for that or does it imply he was tucking away from people more, possibly wanting less interaction than he had encountered but accepted?

 

[Coffee56]

It looks like he has signed that name plenty of times before. We probably have his signature writing and possibly his close to regular writing. Look at his capital B for instance. Highly doubtful he made up a whole new way of writing for his fake name. This strengthens my thought that Ben could very well be his real first name.

I’ve always believed Ben was his real first name. Never even reason other than just thinking he stuck with his real name.

 

[gfinale]

I just looked at that video of MH a couple more times. Can't hardly even tell he's saying anything. Not surprised his part can't be brought up in volume. To me, he just seems to be him though. That's probably what the hikers who met him would say too, although they should see the video and confirm. He doesn't look like someone faking who they are.

 

[gfinale]

We have never proven MH has lied about anything. He says he started his journey near New York, NY and left his IT job there just before. We have witnesses who say they saw him first near there. To the people who think he lied about staying with his sister, he most likely didn't because it turns out that witness account is highly questionable. Most of his notes are computer guy specs and code and says he's an IT guy. Kind of half proves it. He looks and acts like an IT guy. He said he was doing about 10 mi a day. It checks out. He said he was going to the Keys near the end of the AT, he was sure getting close to the Keys when found! He didn't lie and go a different way. The entire way, he doesn't seem to have disappeared for long. He's totally consistent the entire year plus. What would make anyone think anything he said is a lie?! Secretive about his personal information and protecting his identification, sure, that's it. I would challenge anyone to point out anything he has said that could be considered suspicious, let alone an outright lie.

 

[wishBones1962]

Just putting this out there;

Re his pungent body odor.
What does your body odour say about your health?.

 

[MaryFromFla]

Obsidian, who I think was the one who hiked the longest with him at 5 days, said he reached in his wallet and pulled out cash. I believe Bob, the shop owner who sold him the tent, said he had a wallet that was stuffed with cash. Now, maybe later on, he lost the wallet or had it taken from him.

I wonder if the reason he was around more people and there are more sightings and pics of him on the Appalachian Trail is because he had to go frequently into rest stops, get stuff, sleep over, not having all the gear at that point including a tent.

I think Obsidian hiked longer than 5 days with him. Somewhere I thought is was said near a month. On the A.T. he would have encountered many more people either going south or coming north. Also the A.T has camp shelters every so many miles. Plus the hostiles are more frequent. Atthe hostiles it is common to have a donation box people can take from including lots of gear and clothes. People drop items to drop weight or because they are dropping out completely. Hiking in Florida in mid to late summer is rare, even for natives like myself. It's just too hot and the heat and insects are oppressive.

 

[wardo27]

We have never proven MH has lied about anything. He says he started his journey near New York, NY and left his IT job there just before. We have witnesses who say they saw him first near there. To the people who think he lied about staying with his sister, he most likely didn't because it turns out that witness account is highly questionable. Most of his notes are computer guy specs and code and says he's an IT guy. Kind of half proves it. He looks and acts like an IT guy. He said he was doing about 10 mi a day. It checks out. He said he was going to the Keys near the end of the AT, he was sure getting close to the Keys when found! He didn't lie and go a different way. The entire way, he doesn't seem to have disappeared for long. He's totally consistent the entire year plus. What would make anyone think anything he said is a lie?! Secretive about his personal information and protecting his identification, sure, that's it. I would challenge anyone to point out anything he has said that could be considered suspicious, let alone an outright lie.

Uh...he lied about his real name on a form where he was asked for his real name. This is the chief lie.

I understand what you are saying, and I agree with it. What you're basing it on, are things that can be proven with evidence. Yes, we know he walked 10 miles a day, kinda mostly. People saw him, hiked with him. Yes, he had computer code indicating that he probably was a coder. Yes, he followed through on his desire to go to Florida. But, we know those things because either others have corroborated those truths, and that there's photographic and additional evidence for it. It's not like he told people he was a butcher, and instead was found with notebooks of computer code. Everything that he said might indeed be true. Probably is.

But, conversely, there is a lot that he said that we have no evidence for, and thus might not be true. This has nothing to do with suspicion, and solely to do with evidence. He said he worked in IT in Brooklyn, but no one has recognized him. He claimed he had a sister to at least two people (the "Sarasota" person, and the "Naples/Ft Myers" person), but no relative has reported him missing or recognized him in two years. Again, it could be true, but perhaps not. He claimed that he had weighed more at one point. Did he? Who knows! He claimed to another hiker that he wanted to do this hike while he could. Was the hiker who heard this misconstruing the statement, or were they correct in assuming he had a health issue (which the autopsy did not find)? The reason for this skepticism, rather than suspicion, is precisely because he was hiding his identity, even when pressed to not hide it. Cautiously hiding your identity is one thing, but deliberately tossing your wallet, ID, and credit card before expiring might another. We just don't know. This could have been completely innocent, of course, and a legit desire to unplug, combined with terrible health-related issues. Probably was. Or?

 

[gfinale]

I wish this would be taken off the list of what's known about him because he wasn't on their list that or any other year... Listed on the ECT Thru-Hike's website as part of the ECT class of 2018 as “Mostly Harmless”

 

[gfinale]

Uh...he lied about his real name on a form where he was asked for his real name. This is the chief lie.

I understand what you are saying, and I agree with it. What you're basing it on, are things that can be proven with evidence. Yes, we know he walked 10 miles a day, kinda mostly. People saw him, hiked with him. Yes, he had computer code indicating that he probably was a coder. Yes, he followed through on his desire to go to Florida. But, we know those things because either others have corroborated those truths, and that there's photographic and additional evidence for it. It's not like he told people he was a butcher, and instead was found with notebooks of computer code. Everything that he said might indeed be true. Probably is.

But, conversely, there is a lot that he said that we have no evidence for, and thus might not be true. This has nothing to do with suspicion, and solely to do with evidence. He said he worked in IT in Brooklyn, but no one has recognized him. He claimed he had a sister to at least two people (the "Sarasota" person, and the "Naples/Ft Myers" person), but no relative has reported him missing or recognized him in two years. Again, it could be true, but perhaps not. He claimed that he had weighed more at one point. Did he? Who knows! He claimed to another hiker that he wanted to do this hike while he could. Was the hiker who heard this misconstruing the statement, or were they correct in assuming he had a health issue (which the autopsy did not find)? The reason for this skepticism, rather than suspicion, is precisely because he was hiding his identity, even when pressed to not hide it. Cautiously hiding your identity is one thing, but deliberately tossing your wallet, ID, and credit card before expiring might another. We just don't know. This could have been completely innocent, of course, and a legit desire to unplug, combined with terrible health-related issues. Probably was. Or?

I hear ya. Having given up on his parents probably quite young, he probably didn't have anything to do with any of his family except, maybe his sister. I'm still not convinced that she doesn't already know but hasn't come forward. True that we don't have evidence of that though, just a thought at this point. As far as while he could, he had bad knees for one. I highly doubt he meant he was dying. Using his real name there would have defeated his top priority of protecting his identity and he probably thought it to be a small white lie.

 

[gfinale]

Key West seems to be an unrealistic goal for a hiker. There doesn't seem to be any way to get through 3/4 of it except by the main highway. There doesn't seem to be nearly enough hiker type stops along the way either. If that's the case then either he confused it with the Keys or Key Largo OR he was going all the way to Key West somehow and for some reason. Key West should be a place to investigate, probably put his information out there.

 

[Vespertine]

I wish this would be taken off the list of what's known about him because he wasn't on their list that or any other year... Listed on the ECT Thru-Hike's website as part of the ECT class of 2018 as “Mostly Harmless”

He was on that list for quite sometime. I don't believe anyone knows how his name got onto the list in the first place or when/why it was removed.

 

[carbuff]

He was on that list for quite sometime. I don't believe anyone knows how his name got onto the list in the first place or when/why it was removed.

I don't know how he got onto the list, but he wouldn't be entitled to be on it because he only finished about two-thirds of the trail--no indication he did the part from Mt. Katahdin to Harriman SP, or even planned to.

 

[branmuffin]

I saw these over on the FB forum earlier, and thought: that's clearly "Ben Bilemy" and not something else based on poor handwriting. About the only letter that could be misconstrued would be the letter "m" but that seems to match his "m" in "Denim," right below; and his signature looks like someone who is not used to scribbling out a pseudonym. In fact, it almost seems like he automatically began writing different letters (y? j?) in a signature-soup.

I was thinking exactly the same thing. It's unusual for an individual with first name and surname beginning with the same letter to have such a vastly different formation of the letter in their signature. It almost seems he was going to write another letter and then wrote a strange B in the first name.

It seems that when he was printing his alias he wrote the letters very similarly but the actual writing of a signature caused a hitch and he almost started writing something else.

Everybody says he had no accent but spoke perfect English. Seems like he can't be from New York or Louisiana! To Americans, English Canadians have an accent. Actually that accent varies depending on where you lived growing up in Canada. There are some Canadians that sound like they have absolutely no English accent though. It is French Canadians who are truly bilingual and grew up using both languages extensively. You can think someone you know is English Canadian forever until you hear them around French people. Could it be that MH is French Canadian, possibly from Quebec. Quebec is close to New York and he could have easily been working IT in New York.

As a Canadian born in the UK I can say there are different accents even in the province of Ontario. People in northern Ontario sound different than someone in southern Ontario. Lots of French Canadians live in Ontario and speak English with a French Canadian accent which is different again from a French person from France. French Canadians speak a colloquial form of French. A lot of French Canadians can't speak English. East Coasters sound different and those from Newfoundland sound even more different.

People can be born in a state or city and not have the stereotypical accent, whether that's Brooklyn or Boston. I've met people from rural Maine where I struggle to understand what they're saying yet meet people born and bred in South Carolina who sound like someone from Toronto to me.

 

[GatorFL]

Key West seems to be an unrealistic goal for a hiker. There doesn't seem to be any way to get through 3/4 of it except by the main highway. There doesn't seem to be nearly enough hiker type stops along the way either. If that's the case then either he confused it with the Keys or Key Largo OR he was going all the way to Key West somehow and for some reason. Key West should be a place to investigate, probably put his information out there.

There is a trail system built on the old railroad and people do hike it. It is called the Florida Keys Heritage Trail. Think of it as a bike path. On some sections you have to walk along side US1. But this is not uncommon, on many trails all across the country you have to walk alongside roads.

 

[Coffee56]

I just looked at that video of MH a couple more times. Can't hardly even tell he's saying anything. Not surprised his part can't be brought up in volume. To me, he just seems to be him though. That's probably what the hikers who met him would say too, although they should see the video and confirm. He doesn't look like someone faking who they are.

I’ve run the video/audio through a bunch of audio enhancers. Freebies of course because I’m cheap. I’ve never gotten past the 1st part because it’s so frustrating. The only thing I was able to pull out is “....my knee, of course”. And still not 100% sure that’s what he said.

 

[Valiant]

One needs to look at all possibilities for things he's said.
If he said "I'm doing this now while I can" could mean:

• While his health holds out
• While he is between jobs
• While he has the funds to do it
• While he is newly single

If he says "I'm going to stop and see/visit my sister" could mean:

• She was expecting him and he never made it
• She was expecting him and he contacted her
• They were estranged and she never expected his visit
• He's visiting her grave.

So many of the statements like these are so vague (and I probably didn't cover all the possibilities), but are enough detail for polite conversation without really giving away who the person behind the trail name really is. In these cases, I don't think he's lying or misleading. just being intentionally vague.

 

[UnlicensedPI]

Looking thoroughly through this timeline FL - FL - Big Cypress National Preserve, Male hiker, "Denim" and "Mostly Harmless", 23 July 2018

"June or July 2017 Hiker (WF8) posting on the Mountain Crossings Walasi-yi page claims to have met him in a church basement in Duncannon, PA. " <-- with lots of religions, I don't think you would go into another religion's church. Possibly others can comment on whether that last statement seems correct. I only see one church in Duncannon and it's Christian. If this is accurate info, it possibly rules out theories about MH being JW or any other religion at the time of his hiking.

"Nov 2017 – Hiker (DB) met him at Trey Mountain shelter on the AT. He told DB he did IT work in NYC and was going to Florida. " <-- so, by near the end of the AT, he had decided he was hiking through to Florida. I wonder if there is any earlier date when he told anybody Florida.

"2 Dec 2017 – ...told the owner he was heading for Key West, Florida." <-- soon after Tray Mountain, at Mountain Crossings he said Key West according to hiker.

From the photo timeline, people who talked to him were 19 on the AT, 3 on the Pinhoti and 9 on the Florida. Is it fair to say that he was seen way more on the AT than the other 2 trails? If so, does him purchasing good hiking gear and possibly his first tent account for that or does it imply he was tucking away from people more, possibly wanting less interaction than he had encountered but accepted?

I wanted to address the church thing. He was staying in the basement of a church known to provide shelter for hikers. He wasn't worshiping at the church. It's my impression anyone passing through is welcome to stay, regardless of their religious preferences. I can't imagine anyone forgoing shelter because it's in a church...A lot of churches along the trail provide food, shelter, etc. to hikers. I really can't see any hikers who need those things passing it up because it comes from a church.

 

[Laughing]

I was thinking exactly the same thing. It's unusual for an individual with first name and surname beginning with the same letter to have such a vastly different formation of the letter in their signature. It almost seems he was going to write another letter and then wrote a strange B in the first name.

It seems that when he was printing his alias he wrote the letters very similarly but the actual writing of a signature caused a hitch and he almost started writing something else.


RSBM

People can be born in a state or city and not have the stereotypical accent, whether that's Brooklyn or Boston. I've met people from rural Maine where I struggle to understand what they're saying yet meet people born and bred in South Carolina who sound like someone from Toronto to me.

BBM

Yes! Look for that initial downstroke on his uppercase Bs, both printed & cursive. Unusual contrast in styles! Most people would either have the downstroke on both or on neither. Compare Ben Bilemy in printing to the signature -- his initial downstroke pattern changes. Uppercase B's are uniformly open at the bottom as is the D, interesting.

Not into forensic handwriting analysis, but my Master's thesis (education) is about handwriting & letter formation.

Also enough linguistics to know that people who grow up in the US tend to have much more of their mother's regional accent. If Mystery Dad is from Louisiana while Mom is from the Midwest -- kids may have no discernible accent.

Now, could be able to code-switch into dialect, matching another person's speech patterns.

JMHO YMMV LRR