Identified! FL - Big Cypress Natl Preserve, Male Hiker, Denim & “Mostly Harmless” July 2018 - Vance Rodriguez #2

[inmyhumbleopinion]

Another thought. His trail seems to start in New York near Bear Mountain in the spring of 2017. That’s only about 30 miles from Sing Sing prison in Ossining, NY. Has it been mentioned before that he could have been someone recently released from prison?

As I understand, they have Denim/MH’s fingerprints and ran them through various databases, but they were unable to find a match. So I don’t believe he had ever been arrested.

There stil is a small chance that he was on the lam, but if so, LE must not have been able to collect fingerprints, IMO.

 

[Narkj]

Thoughts from a LE friend.
1. He could be Canadian or have parents in another country, a possible reason why he hasn't been reported.
2. If he truly owned a business or worked for one, someone, somewhere would have had to react. It would result in an action.
3. Aliases are often very similar to the real names, at least in law enforcement circles.
4. If he was on the run, he would not be letting people take his pictures and would most likely not be hiking any trails.
5. LE friend says there are real mysteries here. Why no phone? Why no ID?

 

[amytothekate]

Thoughts from a LE friend.
1. He could be Canadian or have parents in another country, a possible reason why he hasn't been reported.
2. If he truly owned a business or worked for one, someone, somewhere would have had to react. It would result in an action.
3. Aliases are often very similar to the real names, at least in law enforcement circles.
4. If he was on the run, he would not be letting people take his pictures and would most likely not be hiking any trails.
5. LE friend says there are real mysteries here. Why no phone? Why no ID?

Thanks for hitting up your LE friend and providing this feedback!

He told other hikers that he had recently quit his job, which (if true) would address point two. Regarding point five, he told a trail angel he didn't have a phone because he "wanted to disconnect".

 

[Narkj]

As a reporter, I can say the ability to search for people outside of the U.S. is dismal. Searching for missing persons internationally is also very difficult.

My thought with an alias is that it's often a character from a piece of fiction.

 

[Eevee Pie]

Bilemy Ben reminds me, uncomfortably, like the creepy serial killer’s alias in Silence of the Lambs: Billy Rubin (symbolizing bilirubin). Bilemy Ben -> Bile My Ben. Eesh.

 

[Laughing]

Okay, instead of Lemy, how about Lamy, New Mexico? You can still catch the SuperChief there.

I like the Turkish phrase idea, and a third Bellamy Brother. Did any hikers report him singing???

 

[janewall]

Thank you @Laughing for a bit of comic relief!

 

[Laughing]

Thank you @Laughing for a bit of comic relief!

Yeah, sometimes ya' gotta laugh to keep from crying, right? At least in my part of this planet....

 

[Classito]

Clay Epperly-Never found-Ruled deceased-Possible he was not in cave?



Keystone Mine owners are "hoping for a miracle" in McDowell County

Clay Epperly Websleuths link
WV - WV - Clay Epperly, 30, Keystone, 29 Aug 2016

 

[Owutatangledweb]

Clay Epperly-Never found-Ruled deceased-Possible he was not in cave?

View attachment 179525

Keystone Mine owners are "hoping for a miracle" in McDowell County

Clay Epperly Websleuths link
WV - WV - Clay Epperly, 30, Keystone, 29 Aug 2016

WOW!

 

[proctorelites]

@Classito i tried to give a good side by side of the 2 bc out of all the ppl suggested this one looks the most facially similar at 1st glance IMO. Good find. I wonder would his family even have DNA in the system at all? Did Clay Epperly have fingerprints n the system? Idk that its the same person * Clay has a scar on his chin that I don't see in MH. Edit to add Eyes are shaped differently & nose is different a bit IMO

 

[Classito]

Clay is not in the system (NAMUS) or any other database that I could find. He is assumed dead and no one looking for him

 

[proctorelites]

Clay is not in the system (NAMUS) or any other database that I could find. He is assumed dead and no one looking for him

This is exactly the kind of mp I believe we are looking for MOO of course. I imagine as a family you'd to have real conviction in the friends & LE story to blv he is in that mine and sure go ahead & seal it up just to be sure nobody else goes in we accept he passed away in the mine. That is a tragedy I cannot begin to fathom.

 

[janewall]

The scar on Clay Epperly's chin looks pretty pronounced. That and his eyes being set differently, and seeming to be darker, lead me to think this is not the same individual, but at first glance the resemblance is striking.

I agree that this is the kind of MP we are looking for to match MH - a person who is assumed dead, but in reality survived some accident but possibly was in a fugue state afterwards, or else was in full possession of his faculties and memory but was seeking an opportunity to disappear.

 

[Gardener1850]

Has anyone suggested John Adam Hyde? He doesn't seem to be in any missing person databases. His thread: AL - AL - John Hyde, 39, Montevallo, 4 May 2017

Our Missing Hearts

 

[j_in_c]

Has anyone suggested John Adam Hyde? He doesn't seem to be in any missing person databases. His thread: AL - AL - John Hyde, 39, Montevallo, 4 May 2017

I sure wish we had a photo of him smiling to compare! I think everyone on here has done a good job of compiling tidbits of information from the hikers who crossed paths with him. I hadn't seen any mention of being a recently former smoker? That could be something mentioned as someone is getting into shape.

 

[Gardener1850]

I sure wish we had a photo of him smiling to compare! I think everyone on here has done a good job of compiling tidbits of information from the hikers who crossed paths with him. I hadn't seen any mention of being a recently former smoker? That could be something mentioned as someone is getting into shape.

I can't find any other photos than the three on that page. The smoker thing does make it seem less likely to be him. Not only the idea he had to have walked away from his life and given up smoking when he started hiking but also our unidentified hiker had fairly white teeth in excellent condition. I don't know any smokers or former smokers with excellent teeth. JMO.

ETA: Charley project has one additional photo but no teeth showing there either:
John Adam Hyde – The Charley Project

 

[proctorelites]

It just hit me. Has the idea been tossed around that he could be assumed a victim of 9/11?

 

[bears10]

What would you guess his ethnicity to be? Do you think he appears to be Turkish in descent? I can't really tell at all.

I just stumbled on this thread so I didn’t know anything about a Turkish phrase until I read a few posts down from yours. I was actually trying to read all of the posts in this thread before commenting to ask if anyone mentioned him having an accent.

Because my initial reaction when I saw his picture was how much he reminds me of a former coworker of mine who is Turkish. I’ve worked closely with quite a few Turkish people and for some reason he struck me as Turkish.

 

[UnlicensedPI]

From my understanding, Turks are usually darker in complexion and brown eyed. Our guy has a light-medium complexion and fair hair/eyes. It's not impossible, but I don't think he "looks Turkish." It would be really interesting to see a breakdown of his ethnicity.

I do, however, think he looks like Timothy Olyphant