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

[K9Enzo]

That sketch of the robber does resemble our hiker, IMO. I agree with you, possible but not likely.

Is this the crime the detective mentioned them not being able to rule him out of in the podcast?

 

[EllieGato]

That sketch of the robber does resemble our hiker, IMO. I agree with you, possible but not likely.

Is this the crime the detective mentioned them not being able to rule him out of in the podcast?

Maybe. I dont know. I did put them in touch pretty early on. I suggested to O'Dowd that he take MH's pictures to the people who were robbed and ask them. He said he would. I haven't exactly called back for a follow up.

It's tough putting out tips and not knowing what they lead to. I have made 3 calls total about MH's case.

 

[K9Enzo]

Very true. LE will look into credible tips, then move on. The person who called in the tip usually doesn't get a follow-up. Inquiring minds want to know

 

[inmyhumbleopinion]

The theory that he learned he had a terminal illness and cashed out his assets before hitting the trail makes a lot of sense.

After @Gardener1850 posted a photo of Denim from Mountain Crossings‘ Instagram, I looked at their other posts:
Mountain Crossings (@mountaincrossings) • Instagram photos and videos

I went as far back as December, 2017 and did not see a single person (male or female) who appeared as thin as one would at 5’8” and 83 lbs.
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

In all of the photos that I’ve seen so far of Denim, he looks to be in good health. As I understand, it isn’t uncommon for through hikers to lose significant amounts of weight. In Denim’s case, though, it just seems so extreme. There are several pictures of him at the link below:
Collier County Sheriff's Office

So unless he had an eating disorder, which I don’t believe we have seen any evidence of, my best guess is he suffered from a serious illness.

One of the possibilities I’ve considered is AIDS. Could it be that he shared the diagnosis with family, only to be ostracized over it?

 

[Gardener1850]

After @Gardener1850 posted a photo of Denim from Mountain Crossings‘ Instagram, I looked at their other posts:
Mountain Crossings (@mountaincrossings) • Instagram photos and videos

I went as far back as December, 2017 and did not see a single person (male or female) who appeared as thin as one would at 5’8” and 83 lbs.
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

In all of the photos that I’ve seen so far of Denim, he looks to be in good health. As I understand, it isn’t uncommon for through hikers to lose significant amounts of weight. In Denim’s case, though, it just seems so extreme. There are several pictures of him at the link below:
Collier County Sheriff's Office

So unless he had an eating disorder, which I don’t believe we have seen any evidence of, my best guess is he suffered from a serious illness.

One of the possibilities I’ve considered is AIDS. Could it be that he shared the diagnosis with family, only to be ostracized over it?

I need to listen to the podcast again but the impression I got when I listened the first time is that the coroner said he died from extreme malnutrition-- he starved to death. They discussed a bit how this really didn't make sense that he starved to death because he had money and he was only 5 miles from an interstate rest area with vending machines. My personal theory is that he didn't have any sort of terminal illness but he might have gotten a simple flu-like virus and perhaps was too weak to hike out of where he was camping. If no one came by his tent during the time when he was sick, and he didn't have food with him, he would have starved to death. It might be as simple as that.

The Florida heat was also brutal during the period of time that he was found and not many hikers were out on the trail. The hikers who found him arrived at his campsite exhausted themselves, from their description of the hike, and in need of water. When they saw his tent they were at first disappointed that someone else already had the campsite because they didn't want to walk anymore that day. I think that even though he was in good shape from hiking the AT, even healthy people can be weakened by a fever such that they would not be able to hike 5 miles. He had no cell phone to call for help.

MOO.

 

[Ursamajr]

As of early this morning, a fellow hiker who had hiked with and took some of the pictures of MH posted them again on the specific Brooklyn subreddit asking again for info. A fair amount of the people had not seen or heard of him previously. Fingers crossed. If there are updates I will post here.

 

[K9Enzo]

Regarding an illness. I thought of Lou Gergich's disease. I know of someone, healthy, active, who was diagnosed and gone within 8 months. His weight at death was shocking. Probably around 100 pounds.

Then, I thought of a parasite from drinking contaminated water. Having extreme diarrhea/vomiting while out hiking alone, followed by dehydration would be awful & deadly.

But who really knows. The final autopsy report will be interesting, assuming they release the details of it.

 

[EllieGato]

Crohn's Disease, another wasting disease. Acquainted with someone who's dad died from it. In just a short amount of time he lost over 80 pounds. He had previously lost even more. Then he got a bowel obstruction but didn't seek medical attention in a timely manner. He said he would go to the ER in the morning if things hadn't turned around by then, but he died that night, at home.

Wasting diseases like Crohn's can hold in remission for a while, but under stress they will get you. Hiking may start out being a relief from such stress, but without making it back to the comforts of the modern world eventually, it would become stressful.

Too much trail mix can take a toll on your gut as well.

Also his eyes in the last pictures look like a person with pernicious anemia. Also a myriad of causes.

Big MOO.

 

[EllieGato]

Truthfully, I'll be disappointed if we find out he died of heat stroke and never know why he got so skinny.

 

[Legally Bland]

Seeing as people are being proactive on here I thought I'd email a Brooklyn game studio. Maybe they can tweet it.

 

[liona]

Can somebody explain to me how to link a news story? I seen this on my local news today and they think he has ties to Warren county, NY.
Eta, it’s on WNYT.com

 

[EllieGato]

Can somebody explain to me how to link a news story? I seen this on my local news today and they think he has ties to Warren county, NY.
Eta, it’s on WNYT.com

Copy the address in the Google bar
Paste it to a post
It links aotomatically

 

[Coffee56]

Can somebody explain to me how to link a news story? I seen this on my local news today and they think he has ties to Warren county, NY.
Eta, it’s on WNYT.com

Hiker found dead in Florida may have Warren County ties

Copy your link, the chain link in the top of the reply box will bring up a box to paste the link.

 

[liona]

Double post deleted
Thank you guys for helping me figure it out. I shared it on my sm. From the first time I saw MH I thought he looked familiar and still can’t figure out why. Brain fog. But it may possibly be a passing while out hiking. I hope he’s identified and brought home.

 

[moonriverfarm]

I believe one of the podcasts reported there was food in the tent. And I also remember reading in a very early post that there was talk the tent may have been there two weeks (was mentioned it was there June 30). Maybe someone can confirm?

 

[inmyhumbleopinion]

Self-deleted

 

[EllieGato]

Double post deleted
Thank you guys for helping me figure it out. I shared it on my sm. From the first time I saw MH I thought he looked familiar and still can’t figure out why. Brain fog. But it may possibly be a passing while out hiking. I hope he’s identified and brought home.

Word spreads.

 

[inmyhumbleopinion]

It may be interesting to keep an eye on the comments on WNYT’s FB page:

WNYT NewsChannel 13

 

[liona]

Glens Falls police looking to ID man found dead at a hiking camp in Florida
Another local news station

 

[dotr]

d.