Identified! FL - Big Cypress Natl Preserve, Male hiker, "Denim" & "Mostly Harmless", Jul 2018 - Vance Rodriguez

[Laura Avery]

Another Rule out

EDIT...Ignore me I already posted he was but for some reason there has been an update to his profile and I can't see any difference?

 

[GatorFL]

Another Rule out

EDIT...Ignore me I already posted he was but for some reason there has been an update to his profile and I can't see any difference?

Who was ruled out?

 

[iamnotagolem]

It’s good the information is reaching the hiking community but he was not a hiker. He started his journey in jeans.

Like others have mentioned the key to figuring out who he is, is getting the story into his circle of life.

I always feel like everyone knows about all these cases because they seem to be all over the media. But I am interested in them so I click on them, I read them, I look for more information. I’ve mentioned missing persons cases time and time again and no one ever knows anything about the case.

In one case that I followed I ended up working in the criminal justice system shortly after the kidnapper was sent to prison. I mentioned it at work and only or person was familiar with the case and new far less details than I did, he was one of the investigators.

So just because there are hundreds on websleuths and Reddit and Facebook interested in solving this case, it’s unlikely that anyone who know him has heard of it.

 

[K9Enzo]

IMO, his face being recognized and pics being gathered, along with his timeline across several states, started with the hiking community. His info circulated quickly amongst them after the CCSO sketch and info was released. I believe they did a tremendous amount of work up front for LE but of course they could only take it so far. His story needs to go beyond them to the general public. IMO

 

[SugarQueen]

The hiking community did an amazing job!!
Now the big question is how to get his info to the public?? I think places near Bear Mtn/ Harriman would be a good start. Assuming what MH told people is true, he started his hike in that area. I just don’t see him traveling too far to get to that area and start a hike. Keeping in mind he wasn’t a hiker.

 

[Pseudonymph]

My sister, who knows I like true crime, sent me the Wired article and said hey, have you heard about this one? She had no idea I was following it and she had never heard of it. So I do think that article will get it out there.

 

[GatorFL]

It’s good the information is reaching the hiking community but he was not a hiker. He started his journey in jeans.

Like others have mentioned the key to figuring out who he is, is getting the story into his circle of life.

I always feel like everyone knows about all these cases because they seem to be all over the media. But I am interested in them so I click on them, I read them, I look for more information. I’ve mentioned missing persons cases time and time again and no one ever knows anything about the case.

In one case that I followed I ended up working in the criminal justice system shortly after the kidnapper was sent to prison. I mentioned it at work and only or person was familiar with the case and new far less details than I did, he was one of the investigators.

So just because there are hundreds on websleuths and Reddit and Facebook interested in solving this case, it’s unlikely that anyone who know him has heard of it.

I disagree with your first sentence. By the time he died he was without a doubt among the most experienced hikers in the entire country. You're blanketing his entire time on the trail as an amateur and that is flat out wrong.

I do agree that in today's society, people are bombarded with news and information and so certain noteworthy events fall through the cracks. I am not surprised MH is largely unknown. Case in point, I traveled last week to hike a section the Rockies. In the limited time I had to look at the news I followed a football game (Go Gators) and nothing else. I flew back today into the remnants of Hurricane Eta and I just heard this evening Alex Trebek died. Neither were expected. I would counter argue the amount of coverage, publicity and community feedback CCSO has gotten on MH is well beyond the norm.

 

[TobyWong*]

My sister, who knows I like true crime, sent me the Wired article and said hey, have you heard about this one? She had no idea I was following it and she had never heard of it. So I do think that article will get it out there.

Or there's me who is on websleuths everyday the moment I have down time even for a few minutes and always wanted to be a hiker but work life has triumphs over so its just day hikes in my state. My mom sent me the wired article cause it mentioned websleuths and I am now hooked on this case. I read all the threads and have gone down all the rabbit holes all weekend I don't know what else I can do but tell everyone I talk to about mostly harmless. Of course no ones heard about the case. I want to know this guys story of why he came to be on that journey
Eta spelling correction

 

[lonewanderer]

I came across an interesting book written in 2019.

For obvious reasons, it is not the man we are looking for. The author's biography is extremely interesting though....

Biography
Derick Lugo had never hiked or camped a day in his life. This Brooklyn born, NYC urbanite hopped a train to Georgia, grabbed a taxi at the station, and told the cab driver to drop him off at the beginning of the Appalachian Trail. Then he did as he has always done — put one foot in front of the other and never looked back.

After hiking for over 2,000 miles, he now feels invincible and plans to cross the Sahara barefoot. (Not really, but when an ambitious spirit is successful, it will strive for even greater accomplishments.)

The Unlikely Thru-Hiker is his debut memoir.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Unlikely-Thru-Hiker-Appalachian-Trail-Journey-ebook/dp/B07X42SQZ4

 

[acutename]

I came across an interesting book written in 2019.

For obvious reasons, it is not the man we are looking for. The author's biography is extremely interesting though....

Biography
Derick Lugo had never hiked or camped a day in his life. This Brooklyn born, NYC urbanite hopped a train to Georgia, grabbed a taxi at the station, and told the cab driver to drop him off at the beginning of the Appalachian Trail. Then he did as he has always done — put one foot in front of the other and never looked back.

After hiking for over 2,000 miles, he now feels invincible and plans to cross the Sahara barefoot. (Not really, but when an ambitious spirit is successful, it will strive for even greater accomplishments.)

The Unlikely Thru-Hiker is his debut memoir.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Unlikely-Thru-Hiker-Appalachian-Trail-Journey-ebook/dp/B07X42SQZ4

Bill Bryson started this genre.

If we had something like a national medical database, the scar and the perfect dentition and the approximate age would probably narrow down this person's identity,
but we would all have no privacy FWIW. He has medical records somewhere.

 

[MichelleBlue]

Not sure if this has been shared here before.. it is NOT MH & has no real connection to him other than IMO I think MH has a similar story that is yet untold.

Hiker slowly starves as he treks Colorado’s backcountry – The Denver Post

 

[Auntie_Seagull]

Not sure if this has been shared here before.. it is NOT MH & has no real connection to him other than IMO I think MH has a similar story that is yet untold.

Hiker slowly starves as he treks Colorado’s backcountry – The Denver Post

Well, Mostly Harmless set his last camp very near the Florida trail and the civilisation, he had food in his tent and stool in his big intestine, so it doesn't seem he starved himself to death on purpose. I fail to see any similarities, with the exception of death by starvation.

 

[Hoss569]

IMO, his face being recognized and pics being gathered, along with his timeline across several states, started with the hiking community. His info circulated quickly amongst them after the CCSO sketch and info was released. I believe they did a tremendous amount of work up front for LE but of course they could only take it so far. His story needs to go beyond them to the general public. IMO

It's interesting how he was so recognizable by the hiking community, and some barely had any time with him, and he is not recognizable to the general public....

 

[SugarQueen]

It's interesting how he was so recognizable by the hiking community, and some barely had any time with him, and he is not recognizable to the general public....

His info hasn’t really reached the general public. Read the last few pages, that exactly what we have been talking about.

 

[Laughing]

It's interesting how he was so recognizable by the hiking community, and some barely had any time with him, and he is not recognizable to the general public....

IMHO:

People who met 'Mostly Harmless' recognize 'Mostly Harmless.'

People who knew 'John Doe' don't recognize 'Mostly Harmless.'

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[BEN8000]

I'm so glad his signature is in this thread... I was dreading having to look for it.

I used to read a lot about signatures. I fully believe that our handwriting says a lot about what is going on in the brain. I mean, it is the brain that controls what our hands do. And I agree about that "y". The bottom of the B not being closed has meaning, in my opinion.

I was staring more at the signature. Do you think it could be Riley as a last name? It almost seems like he was writing in auto-pilot and then became conscious about his signature in the middle of writing the last name. Like Ril...and then it gets wonky.

 

[GatorFL]

I was staring more at the signature. Do you think it could be Riley as a last name? It almost seems like he was writing in auto-pilot and then became conscious about his signature in the middle of writing the last name. Like Ril...and then it gets wonky.

Yes, the signature looks very unnatural and strained. It's been covered here in the past.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

People who knew 'John Doe' don't recognize 'Mostly Harmless.'

Quote RSBM.

Is your theory that he didn't know many people and kept mostly to himself or that his appearance changed enough that he's difficult to recognize?

 

[Coffee56]

There is an interesting post on MH’s unidentified FB page. I’m hesitant to share because that page isn’t particularly reliable. I did find the info within the post interesting but not sure how valid it is. The timeframe is way off and I’m not sure why someone would remember someone’s birthday that “came through” many years ago. Info within contains name, DOB, some info on a sister, and a little back ground. I’ll be diving in. I have a screen shot and link if anyone is interested in joining me down the rabbit hole.

 

[GatorFL]

There is an interesting post on MH’s unidentified FB page. I’m hesitant to share because that page isn’t particularly reliable. I did find the info within the post interesting but not sure how valid it is. The timeframe is way off and I’m not sure why someone would remember someone’s birthday that “came through” many years ago. Info within contains name, DOB, some info on a sister, and a little back ground. I’ll be diving in. I have a screen shot and link if anyone is interested in joining me down the rabbit hole.

FB is off limits here. Regardless, that isn't MH. Too old and doesn't look like him.