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

[Ursamajr]

I agree. I’ve mentioned it earlier and it just seems a more likely scenario that he decided to get rid of it himself imo. The strange thing is that the cover belonging to his backpack was found at his camping site. I hope his pack is still out there and that someone finds it.

I hope this is the likely scenario. I figure the chances of finding it are much better that the odds of it being stolen by a person who may be ashamed or scared to return it.

 

[Muffin0326]

I’m not sure if it did before, but his NamUs page now mentions that he “did not appear to be in good health”.

Given he weighed a mere 83lbs, I guess that’s a fair statement. I was just wondering if there were other factors that made him look “ill”, because I don’t remember reading that sentence before.

His pack being missing bothers me a lot as well.. I’ve read hikers stating online that it would have been extremely hot to hike during that time of year, so I cannot imagine a lot hikers being out there. Since he had only been deceased a couple of days when he was found that means that either someone stumbled across him after he’d just passed away (I’m not sure how likely that scenario is because if the weather was that hot, I don’t think a lot of people would have been hiking and surely no one would have wanted to carry another heavy pack alongside their own; not to mention that they stumbled across a dead body and never contacted law enforcement) OR someone stole his pack while he lay dying in his tent and that thought just makes me sick.

Regardless of my own disgust by the idea of stealing from someone who was in need of help/had just passed away, it seems weird to me that someone would steal his entire pack instead of just taking his wallet or the money inside of it.

Actually Several people who encountered him on the trails and had travels with him said that he had mentioned that he had health issues and that he want to the hike while he still could. They said he had mentioned an ex girlfriend once but didn't appear to married and he also claimed he had a sister somewhere in Florida. My best guess, is he had no particular family or close friend ties so he sold his belongings and fulfilled his dream to the end.

 

[Classito]

In rereading some of the comments from the FB pages, it seems that no one that knew/met Harmless are the ones to give him the name Denim. He is the one that told them he went by the name Denim and the reason.

"what if it’s Denham instead of Denim? It’s pronounced EXACTLY the same and there are lots of Denhams in Louisiana"
"he got that trail name because when he began his trex on the AT...he was wearing denim jeans.."
"Thanks. You mean you know that for a fact? I saw that you knew him..."
"that was the story he repeatedly shared with those that asked... however the two spellings makes me wonder if perhaps it is a clue...hard to believe that his soul lies in limbo...

 

[appaloosa1224]

I'm a lurker, but this case has stuck with me. I decided to look at old missing persons cases, just in case this guy went missing voluntarily when he was much younger and came across Michael Austin Davis, who went missing from Jacksonville in 2007. Seems like an apparent suicide, but maybe he decided to abandon his old life instead? I see enough similarities that I thought he should be considered, if he has not already been.

Missing Person Case

 

[Owutatangledweb]

Another WOW!

 

[LeenC]

I'm a lurker, but this case has stuck with me. I decided to look at old missing persons cases, just in case this guy went missing voluntarily when he was much younger and came across Michael Austin Davis, who went missing from Jacksonville in 2007. Seems like an apparent suicide, but maybe he decided to abandon his old life instead? I see enough similarities that I thought he should be considered, if he has not already been.

Missing Person Case

View attachment 164734

Great find! And I think you’re right to look for missing persons way before 2018!

However, I don’t think Davis is our UID. Davis has a very noticeable scar on his right cheek all the way to the corner of his mouth which would have shown up during the autopsy.

 

[Classito]

Great find...

Have they finally released the autopsy? From what Collier County has shared that I have seen, we only knew that he did not have any tattoos. The question about scars was not asked nor shared in the FB post. Harmless's beard may have covered any scars, moles etc in that area.

Davis looks to have more noticeable dark hairs on his arms than Harmeless..But that could just be the lighting or something with the photos. Davis was suffering from depression and bought a shotgun at the pawn shop. He could have bought the gun for protection as I don't understand why he would pack a bag if he planned on suicide.

 

[Coffee56]

Think this one is too tall

https://www.google.com/amp/s/dpdbea...ical-missing-person-joseph-hopfenspirger/amp/

 

[appaloosa1224]

Great find! And I think you’re right to look for missing persons way before 2018!

However, I don’t think Davis is our UID. Davis has a very noticeable scar on his right cheek all the way to the corner of his mouth which would have shown up during the autopsy.

I saw this too, but lots of scars eventually fade, and it's been 11 years. Between the beard, age, and any decomposition it may have been unnoticeable. Especially since I couldn't find any real answers as to scars on Denim.

 

[LeenC]

I saw this too, but lots of scars eventually fade, and it's been 11 years. Between the beard, age, and any decomposition it may have been unnoticeable. Especially since I couldn't find any real answers as to scars on Denim.

According to LE he only has one scar: a very faint one on his stomach. Other than that, he has no scars or tattoos.

When you have a scar like that, there wouldn’t be any beard growth in that area. The skin is too hurt to produce any hair follicles. I also would be surprised if the coroner didn’t shave him to look for moles/scars/etc. But I guess you never know... Regardless, I just feel like they would have noticed a hairless area in his beard while examining him, even if it was covered by surrounding hair.
The scar seems too severe to be one that would completely fade over time and he was found relatively fast after he died so I don’t think he would have been that severly decomposed. As I mentioned above, they were still able to tell he had a faint scar on his stomach so decomposition could not have been that bad.

I also cannot see anything resembling a scar in this beardless picture of him, though I admit it’s not the best picture to zoom in on.

ETA: comparing both pictures also shows that they have very differently shaped ears.

 

[Angleterre]

If that is him, he looks to have been a healthy weight at the time those photos were taken. If he was terminally ill that would have shown up at autopsy, and given his age range I'd suggest cancer if he was nearer 50 and maybe something like HIV or leukaemia if he was nearer the lower end of the range.

I wonder how long it would take for someone to go from a healthy weight to approaching skeletal, whether due to terminal illness or starvation.

My dad was diagnosed with cancer of the brain stem and in 5 weeks from diagnosis to death he went from app 85kg to 40kg
It was unbelievable how quickly he became skeletal and even if a healthy person didn’t eat but just had water for 5 weeks they wouldn’t lose this much weight so quickly. Apparently it’s to do with the toxins I was told but not being a medical person, I don’t know how accurate that is, albeit I spoke with a HO Forensic pathologist with my work and it was him that told me.

 

[Classito]

Looks like Joseph was arrested in 2017 a year after he went missing--Mugshot
JOSEPH HOPFENSPIRGER arrest 2017-12-09 01:14:00, Denton PD, Texas

 

[Owutatangledweb]

According to LE he only has one scar: a very faint one on his stomach. Other than that, he has no scars or tattoos.

When you have a scar like that, there wouldn’t be any beard growth in that area. The skin is too hurt to produce any hair follicles. I also would be surprised if the coroner didn’t shave him to look for moles/scars/etc. But I guess you never know... Regardless, I just feel like they would have noticed a hairless area in his beard while examining him, even if it was covered by surrounding hair.
The scar seems too severe to be one that would completely fade over time and he was found relatively fast after he died so I don’t think he would have been that severly decomposed. As I mentioned above, they were still able to tell he had a faint scar on his stomach so decomposition could not have been that bad.

I also cannot see anything resembling a scar in this beardless picture of him, though I admit it’s not the best picture to zoom in on.

ETA: comparing both pictures also shows that they have very differently shaped ears.

What's the big green thing on his cheek near his neck when you enlarge? Also the ears are more like the guy in coffee's post. He has attached earlobes.

 

[Classito]

Lloyd William Chamberlain IV
40 yrs old
5'8-5'10
Gray/partial gray hair (salt and pepper)
Hazel eyes

Merritt Island FL-Missing Feb 14, 2016



FB page Lloyd Chamberlain IV

"Mr. Lloyd William A. Chamberlain IV, a private commercial fisherman, left Port Canaveral the morning of February 14th, 2016 at approximately 1030 hours on his 17'06" SeaPro center console boat. After he failed to return home later that same evening family and friends responded to Port Canaveral where they located his black 09' Chevrolet pick-up truck and boat trailer in the parking lot. Subsequently, BCSO was notified and in turn Florida Fish & Wildlife Conversation (FWC) and the U.S. Coast Guard were notified about the overdue boater. Mr. Chamberlain IV's cellular telephone was successfully "pinged" at 2332 which showed his position to be 2.5 Nautical miles off shore from Indian Harbor Beach, Florida. Personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard, Port Canaveral station, sent a search and rescue boat which located Mr. Chamberlain IV's unoccupied boat was located at 0020 hours a couple miles further northwest of the "ping" location. The ensuing search conducted over the next four days by the U.S. Coast Guard in conjunction with FWC and BCSO met with negative results."
Missing Person Case

 

[Onaliv]

Lloyd William Chamberlain IV
40 yrs old
5'8-5'10
Gray/partial gray hair (salt and pepper)
Hazel eyes

Merritt Island FL-Missing Feb 14, 2016

View attachment 164890 View attachment 164891 View attachment 164892 View attachment 164893

FB page Lloyd Chamberlain IV

"Mr. Lloyd William A. Chamberlain IV, a private commercial fisherman, left Port Canaveral the morning of February 14th, 2016 at approximately 1030 hours on his 17'06" SeaPro center console boat. After he failed to return home later that same evening family and friends responded to Port Canaveral where they located his black 09' Chevrolet pick-up truck and boat trailer in the parking lot. Subsequently, BCSO was notified and in turn Florida Fish & Wildlife Conversation (FWC) and the U.S. Coast Guard were notified about the overdue boater. Mr. Chamberlain IV's cellular telephone was successfully "pinged" at 2332 which showed his position to be 2.5 Nautical miles off shore from Indian Harbor Beach, Florida. Personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard, Port Canaveral station, sent a search and rescue boat which located Mr. Chamberlain IV's unoccupied boat was located at 0020 hours a couple miles further northwest of the "ping" location. The ensuing search conducted over the next four days by the U.S. Coast Guard in conjunction with FWC and BCSO met with negative results."
Missing Person Case

Seems like his facial hair/beard was red, while the UID’s looked darker

 

[ilovepierre]

Surely if his pack was dumped on the trail, whoever fund it would have stepped up. Are we sure that the sheriff's office doesn't have it?

They've stated that they don't have his backpack.
His backpack wasn't listed as being found with him.
IMO, he disposed of it along the way.

JMO

 

[turanna25]

So.. i just finished rewatching the Lordan Arts youtube video on our Unidentified hiker. Regarding the backpack... how did he get all of the other things found with him at the camp site if he didn't have his back pack with him at the time he set up camp there? He had a tent, sleeping bag, two walking poles, water bottle, and one of those fuel cartridges for a sterno stove..

 

[Tssiemer]

Backpack stolen?

 

[Ursamajr]

Backpack stolen?

All that is known is that it was not with MH.

 

[K9Enzo]

I'm sure LE ran his finger prints through their system(s), collected dna and ran it through NamUs, with zero results.

This is a morbid question - but what happened to his remains?

I ran across a forum last week, now I can't find it. But I recall a hiker who claimed to have shared a camp site with MH. Said he was a very nice guy, they chatted for several hours that night. He talked about having an abusive father when he was a child. No mention of current family, children, spouse, etc. Then in the morning, they wished each other luck, went their separate ways. He was sad to see his remains were found.