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

[GatorFL]

Since he appears to have used the same alias all the way through, I would argue that he could always prove he did that to authorities and use the excuses that he didn't know it was not proper or that he didn't want people around him to realize who he was. He could even use that in court. He could even reproduce the signature. Personally, I'm guessing he's used that signature other places before he hit the trails.

I actually think the signature I saw looked forced-almost to the point where it looked like he was signing a different name and corrected himself mid signature.

 

[EricaJ4u2]

I actually think the signature I saw looked forced-almost to the point where it looked like he was signing a different name and corrected himself mid signature.
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Yep. Forced as if its a circumstance that matters too much. Credit card slips are easy to sign but I forget how to do it if its a new driver's license, legal paperwork, etc.

 

[branmuffin]

I actually think the signature I saw looked forced-almost to the point where it looked like he was signing a different name and corrected himself mid signature.
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Yes, like a name that's starts with an "N" like Nathan since he started at the top of the letter before coming back up whereas on the last name the 'b' he formed started at the bottom right. That's an unusual way to write a letter in cursive of the same letter as a capital.

 

[branmuffin]

What if he didn't even spend that much time at Nobles Camp and he got lost sometime after Apr 13, 2018 for a considerable time then crawled himself to Nobles Camp eventually near the end? Guess I'm saying I think there are still plausible reasons why everything happened without assuming he meant to kill himself in the most painful slow death way.

Yes, I am disturbed by the comments that suggest MH is the architect of his own misfortune. Since no one on here has ever starved to the extent they have cachexia, I can't see how they can interpret his ending up dying in a remote camp during the off season of hiking.

 

[gfinale]

Yes, like a name that's starts with an "N" like Nathan since he started at the top of the letter before coming back up whereas on the last name the 'b' he formed started at the bottom right. That's an unusual way to write a letter in cursive of the same letter as a capital.

I get what you mean about the top hook on the first B but I'm not trying to say it's his real name. I'm saying he's used that signature before. Sure, he may have had a split second of confusion about whether to sign his real or fake name but once he kicked in, he made the 2 B's similar. And those B's are not usually a person's regular writing, they're signature, over the top B's. I would like to see all the Ben Bilemy signatures he did from the beginning of his hike until the last to see how consistent he was. My guess is very consistent because he used that signature even before hiking.

 

[GatorFL]

I get what you mean about the top hook on the first B but I'm not trying to say it's his real name. I'm saying he's used that signature before. Sure, he may have had a split second of confusion about whether to sign his real or fake name but once he kicked in, he made the 2 B's similar. And those B's are not usually a person's regular writing, they're signature, over the top B's. I would like to see all the Ben Bilemy signatures he did from the beginning of his hike until the last to see how consistent he was. My guess is very consistent because he used that signature even before hiking.

I gotta disagree with you on this one. It looks just the opposite, like he never signed it before and was actually signing with a different signature and corrected himself halfway through. Nothing smooth about this at all. Most signatures are smooth, whether they are neat, messy, scribbled, etc. They're all efficient. This isn't.

 

[branmuffin]

I gotta disagree with you on this one. It looks just the opposite, like he never signed it before and was actually signing with a different signature and corrected himself halfway through. Nothing smooth about this at all. Most signatures are smooth, whether they are neat, messy, scribbled, etc. They're all efficient. This isn't.

I agree. I said much earlier in the thread that he was in autopilot or something when he started writing his signature and for a brief moment was going to write his real name but recovered quickly and made the letter into a kind of deformed 'b'.

 

[gfinale]

I gotta disagree with you on this one. It looks just the opposite, like he never signed it before and was actually signing with a different signature and corrected himself halfway through. Nothing smooth about this at all. Most signatures are smooth, whether they are neat, messy, scribbled, etc. They're all efficient. This isn't.

I value your opinion and I am not that knowledgeable about signatures BUT I guarantee this. He did not normally write his capital B's that way. Those are for his signatures. So, it is probably the case that either his first or last name started with B such that he'd used them in his real signatures before OR he practiced part or all of that Ben Bilemy signature for fake signing. If it's the former and his first name started with something other than B such as Nathan then his last name probably starts with B

 

[Ryan2020]

Random thought, could he have possibly recently changed his legal name to ben bilemy ? that could explain why there is no record on databases why it was like he was unsure writing his signature, would CCSO of still picked up on it if he had legally changed his name ?

 

[K9Enzo]

I've always wondered if he ever rented a bear canister in required hiking locations. I have rented them and they always want a credit card on file. I guess in case it's not returned.

 

[j_in_c]

I've always wondered if he ever rented a bear canister in required hiking locations. I have rented them and they always want a credit card on file. I guess in case it's not returned.

I haven't seen bear canisters used much at all outside California, where they are required in most areas. I am sure others on here could speak to the full AT, I live near one section of the AT on which I've seen plenty of bears and there are no requirements for using canisters!

 

[K9Enzo]

I haven't seen bear canisters used much at all outside California, where they are required in most areas. I am sure others on here could speak to the full AT, I live near one section of the AT on which I've seen plenty of bears and there are no requirements for using canisters!

I have rented them when hiking in certain areas of the Adirondack's. Rangers will stop hikers on occasion to spot check if they have one, issue a ticket if not. When there was possible ties to him and NY, specifically the Lake George area, that's what made me think of it. Although, I don't think Lake George turned out to be a solid lead. IMO

 

[GatorFL]

They are required on the FT around Central FL. We don't have much of a bear population south of there and they are not required. Like the detective told me MH did not do things by the book.

 

[gfinale]

I greatly appreciate the timeline and photo timeline provided in this forum. I've found a couple of things that could make them better. Some of the dates don't match between the two and some listed on one are not on the other. A few links to pics and such are not working. In the photo timeline, it says he was at Aucilla, Monticello, FL in March but I have seen somewhere else and documented February 22, 2018 – Snapper and Sugar Rush - Monticello, FL. Only, Monticello would be after Sand Pond which the regular timeline says was Feb 24-25. The timelines and dates are mixed up in some places. I would suggest we need to work hard to get these timelines and witness accounts with the proper dates, complete info and in sync in order to figure out anything from them. Otherwise, we could be basing our ideas on incorrect information.

 

[gfinale]

There is a pic of MH in Mountain Home hostel, Front Royal, VA, at a table leaning over and reading a rather thick book that appears to have handwriting in it. By the corner of the book and glass, there is a squarish object sticking out from under the book. What is it? Could it be money? Could it be a phone? Can anyone make it out? What is tucked up under his cap at the front? Money? Also in some photos including this one, he is wearing a watch yet I never heard about him being found with a watch. Mind you, I haven't heard if he was found with the wallet he had along the way either!

 

[GatorFL]

I know the person who got the case file I will ask them about the watch.

 

[GatorFL]

I haven't seen bear canisters used much at all outside California, where they are required in most areas. I am sure others on here could speak to the full AT, I live near one section of the AT on which I've seen plenty of bears and there are no requirements for using canisters!

Near Springer Mountain the camps used to have pulley lines but the bears figured out how to chew through them and steal food. I think at least one bear was culled there, because of this. IIRC, they have a bear locker at the campsite now, and I think they also require bear canisters.

A family member is going to see Turtletown Falls in TN, not too far from the AT tomorrow. He said his group is going armed. The rangers relocate nuisance bears to this area and they can get pretty aggressive. I was there a couple years ago it's a neat waterfall.

Like I have been saying, MH was pretty lucky, resourceful, brave, etc in his journey. I am kind of amazed he made it as far as he did!

 

[gfinale]

I agree. I said much earlier in the thread that he was in autopilot or something when he started writing his signature and for a brief moment was going to write his real name but recovered quickly and made the letter into a kind of deformed 'b'.

I have looked at a form where he printed Ben Bilemy and Denim. The 2 B's and D all start at the top hooking down then coming back up. The only one that doesn't seem to do that is the second B in the signature but Ben ends the "n" at the bottom so he's already there to do the next B in a signature way. That isn't necessarily odd. In the printing his letters are all consistent. So, no, I still disagree with you two on the signature. Firstly, he's consistent in his printing which means it's highly likely to be his regular printing. He prints his B's similar to the signature but more embellished as one would expect. That hook on the first signature B is how he does his capitals B and D so I haven't then heard a reason showing he made a mistake between real and alias or hadn't used that Ben Bilemy signature in the past, even before the hiking.

 

[gfinale]

I know the person who got the case file I will ask them about the watch.

In every single picture where I can see his left wrist,he's wearing the watch. How about the wallet too?

 

[moonriverfarm]

I think because of his emaciation the watch would have fallen off. It is probably inventoried with the contents of the tent.