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

[inmyhumbleopinion]

I just went through hundreds of comments looking for the person’s comment but no luck. I have a feeling the Sheriff’s person either hid or deleted said comment. Darn

That would be my guess also.

Hopefully, we are getting close!

 

[HelenaRigby]

The Collier Co Sheriff’s office is asking for a commenter to get back to them about their information, but I can’t see the original comment that would have triggered this request...did anybody catch anything?

I just seen it earlier on and searched for posts by that person. This case seems to have picked up momentum again these last couple of days.

 

[dotr]

Lost track of the comment everyone is looking for, was it something about getting nursed back to health by a sister in Florida?
Complete speculation, imo.

 

[SugarQueen]

Lost track of the comment everyone is looking for, was it something about getting nursed back to health by a sister in Florida?
Complete speculation, imo.

We can’t see the original post. All we can see is LE asking the person to contact them regarding something seen on fb.

 

[SugarQueen]

I hope the next few days yields something significant.

 

[muggles63]

We can’t see the original post. All we can see is LE asking the person to contact them regarding something seen on fb.

He has responded

 

[HelenaRigby]

Lost track of the comment everyone is looking for, was it something about getting nursed back to health by a sister in Florida?
Complete speculation, imo.

I remember seeing that comment yesterday I think it was but am not sure who made it.

 

[carbuff]

There are lots of leads to follow there. Seems like several more people have said they travelled with him for at least part of the time.

 

[Suglo]

He has responded

The person just responded again. There must be some sort of mix up as he says he called the sheriffs office who told him they didn’t post and that they don’t communicate that way.

 

[Gardener1850]

The person just responded again. There must be some sort of mix up as he says he called the sheriffs office who told him they didn’t post and that they don’t communicate that way.

Perhaps he called the wrong number?

 

[Suglo]

Perhaps he called the wrong number?

That or the person who answered the phone is new and not in the loop about this case.

 

[SugarQueen]

Yep, he’s dealing with the same kind of crazy I did when I called.

 

[SugarQueen]

I was told that is the dispatch number and they used that because it is manned 24/7. They said there is a very high turnover rate, and some new employees.
Basically the folks answering the phone are not in the loop.

ETA: It was soooo frustrating!!

 

[Laughing]

I know this is iffy at best, but perhaps a qualified hypnotist for re-interviewing the hikers who knew out Denim/MH, for any additional information?

JMHO YMMV LRR

ETS: I can spell standard English, usually.

 

[EllieGato]

Sorry! I think you are referring to a different comment...
The one I saw refererred to a period of convalescence with a family member in Central Florida before returning to the trail...this would match up with the gap in sightings in the south.

It was here.
Eucalyptuz... can can you give us the short paraphrase explanation for this?

Hey y'all! Been doing weekend warrior stuff. I'll have to truly catch up again later.

 

[ilovepierre]

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?

SBM.
I believe MH was suffering from a terminal illness and that’s why he lost so much weight.
Cancer, maybe?

Edit: it’s also quite possible he contracted dysentery and he lost the weight from dehydration caused by that.

IMO

 

[inmyhumbleopinion]

Collier County Sheriff’s Office posted this yesterday morning (I didn’t notice it until now):

“[CSH (original asker)], we have no confirmed information of where he is from. We believe he started his hike in NY. Thanks.”
Collier County Sheriff's Office

To give the comment context, the original commenter posted (paraphrasing) she saw information about Mostly Harmless having a possible connection to Lake George, NY and wanted to know whether the information was legitimate. She also wrote how many tech companies there were in the area.

I realize it has not been confirmed that he was from the area, but reading MSM articles from the last couple of days, I did get the impression he had at least spent some time in the area (i.e., working or going to school).

Now I’m confused.

 

[SugarQueen]

I think they are just putting out whatever they get from hikers that’s sounds like a possibility. People who met him on the earlier parts of his hike are trying to remember what he said a year before.

 

[Gardener1850]

Collier County Sheriff’s Office posted this yesterday morning (I didn’t notice it until now):

“[CSH (original asker)], we have no confirmed information of where he is from. We believe he started his hike in NY. Thanks.”
Collier County Sheriff's Office

To give the comment context, the original commenter posted (paraphrasing) she saw information about Mostly Harmless having a possible connection to Lake George, NY and wanted to know whether the information was legitimate. She also wrote how many tech companies there were in the area.

I realize it has not been confirmed that he was from the area, but reading MSM articles from the last couple of days, I did get the impression he had at least spent some time in the area (i.e., working or going to school).

Now I’m confused.

I think the CCSO is clarifying that it is not CONFIRMED he was from that area. He may have told someone he was from Lake George and he told lots of stories about working in the "tech industry" in NY but that may not be the truth. Or the person who thinks they met him could be remembering incorrectly on the Lake George detail. Or perhaps they didn't even really meet him--perhaps they met someone who looked like him or with the same trail name (Denim is a somewhat common one and there are a couple Denims every year). Look at how many suggestions there have been on this thread and how many of us feel he has a familiar face.

There are a handful of hikers who have photos they took with Denim (he used Denim on the AT and had that trail name longer than Mostly Harmless). Those who have photos I take to be the most credible and I 100% believe they met him (JV and MJO are two commenting in the CCSO posts who each hiked with him for weeks and have photos with him but never got his real name). However, not everyone has the best memories. Some hikers say they met him in NY (and I believe they are sincere-- at least the hikers who met him in Unionville seem to be certain it was him) but the earliest photos we have are of Denim hiking the AT in VA around August 2017. We don't have any pictures of him when he started out and was supposedly wearing jeans. He very well may have hiked through NY, NJ, PA, MD and WV without meeting anyone who took his photo in June and July of 2017. But it's not confirmed he came from NY. I think that is why the CCSO is posting that-- he may be from Lake George but they want all possible leads if someone has different info. MOO.

 

[EllieGato]

So am I understanding correctly that the comment about a period of convalescence came only from another hiker interaction, not from the 'sister'?