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

[Cruithne]

I keep thinking back to the fact that there were no fingerprints on file for him. Almost everyone I know has been fingerprinted at one time or another. Apologies if this has already been discussed, but there are Amish communities in Wisconsin and New York, two of the states he claimed to be from at various times. I don't think the Amish specifically reject fingerprinting of their children, but given their general rejection of modern technology, perhaps few of them have been fingerprinted.

If MH is Amish, that might explain why his fingerprints are not on file. Also, it might explain why people who knew him growing up have not heard about his death, since they would not see the online posts about him. Perhaps he left the community at some point to live in the outside world and became a computer programmer. Would it be worthwhile to ask around the Amish communities in Wisconsin and New York?

 

[Laughing]

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?

Just that we often don't know co-worker very well.

Decades ago I worked for state government. Hundreds of people worked in the building, and there were several agencies housed in the building.

I might know of "Jim from Legal Services" or "Beth from IT" and never know that person's surname, where they lived, their interests, anything.

Appearance could easily be a factor. We don't seem to have images of Denim/MH in Business Casual or Professional Dress!

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[K9Enzo]

His fingerprints not being on file for LE’s search tells me the following:

-he’s never been arrested for a crime
-he’s never been in the military
-he’s never been a federal employee

Feel free to add...

IMO

 

[acutename]

I have been reading all the old posts- #1-#3, during which I was unaware of this unidentified person.

When people were posting and contacting, did anyone post info at REIs? Esp ones in
Brooklyn, NYC, NJ? Campmore? Other camping stores? Possible he got his pack or other equipment there? Of course lots of purchases are online but the way MH bought his tent makes me think that he might have spoken to some one about equipment before he left. I am also confused about him hiking around in NY and then deciding to go south on the AT. Most analytical people plan an AT hike with a lot of concern about going S or N based on timing and weather. The early NY info makes me think he might have been testing equipment? Or did he come to the idea that he should just start putting one foot in front of the other and head south? Now with COVID, less people in stores.... so maybe another dead end...

 

[branmuffin]

I keep thinking back to the fact that there were no fingerprints on file for him. Almost everyone I know has been fingerprinted at one time or another. Apologies if this has already been discussed, but there are Amish communities in Wisconsin and New York, two of the states he claimed to be from at various times. I don't think the Amish specifically reject fingerprinting of their children, but given their general rejection of modern technology, perhaps few of them have been fingerprinted.

If MH is Amish, that might explain why his fingerprints are not on file. Also, it might explain why people who knew him growing up have not heard about his death, since they would not see the online posts about him. Perhaps he left the community at some point to live in the outside world and became a computer programmer. Would it be worthwhile to ask around the Amish communities in Wisconsin and New York?

I don't think it's that unusual for some people to have no fingerprints on file. In the US the most obvious reasons for fingerprinting are a criminal record or being arrested for a crime regardless of whether you are convicted, a military or law enforcement position, or working for a government entity. There are some large corporations that also request fingerprints on file.

If you are a funeral director, a talent agent, a priest or a truck driver you are required to provide prints. All those positions have had situations where an individual has taken advantage of their position.

In Canada, where I live, we do not require fingerprints for obtaining a Canadian passport unless you are a landed immigrant seeking citizenship. If you are applying for a passport to work outside the country, you may be required to provide fingerprints to the country you are going to. We don't need them for driver's licenses either.

If you are looking to adopt outside of Canada, fingerprints are also required to do a criminal background check.

So, if you live in a small town and work locally for a small company, have never been arrested, have never owned a passport or traveled outside the country there's a good chance you don't have fingerprints on file.

 

[Mind your biscuits]

His fingerprints not being on file for LE’s search tells me the following:

-he’s never been arrested for a crime
-he’s never been in the military
-he’s never been a federal employee

Feel free to add...

IMO

Hasn't applied for a passport recently.
Hasn't applied for a green card or citizenship recently.
Hasn't been through an airport.
Moo

 

[Kaydence]

Hasn't applied for a passport recently.
Hasn't applied for a green card or citizenship recently.
Hasn't been through an airport.
Moo

I've never been fingerprinted at an airport. I travel (before COVID) 2-3 times a month for work.

 

[Cruithne]

It's not so much that fingerprints are required, just that there are so many opportunities for them to be taken. I must have had them taken dozens of times throughout my life, and I have never been arrested, never been in the military, and never been a government employee.

 

[GatorFL]

His fingerprints not being on file for LE’s search tells me the following:

-he’s never been arrested for a crime
-he’s never been in the military
-he’s never been a federal employee

Feel free to add...

IMO

No Federal background check
No concealed weapons permit

 

[GatorFL]

Hasn't applied for a passport recently.
Hasn't applied for a green card or citizenship recently.
Hasn't been through an airport.
Moo

I've never been fingerprinted at an airport. I travel (before COVID) 2-3 times a month for work.

Agreed. I've traveled via air to many states for 30 years and also to 3 states since COVID, no fingerprints. Same thing internationally, never any fingerprints.

 

[GatorFL]

It's not so much that fingerprints are required, just that there are so many opportunities for them to be taken. I must have had them taken dozens of times throughout my life, and I have never been arrested, never been in the military, and never been a government employee.

There are a lot of Does out there though. Annandale Jane Doe, Mary Anderson, etc. Lots of us are never fingerprinted.

 

[GatorFL]

I keep thinking back to the fact that there were no fingerprints on file for him. Almost everyone I know has been fingerprinted at one time or another. Apologies if this has already been discussed, but there are Amish communities in Wisconsin and New York, two of the states he claimed to be from at various times. I don't think the Amish specifically reject fingerprinting of their children, but given their general rejection of modern technology, perhaps few of them have been fingerprinted.

If MH is Amish, that might explain why his fingerprints are not on file. Also, it might explain why people who knew him growing up have not heard about his death, since they would not see the online posts about him. Perhaps he left the community at some point to live in the outside world and became a computer programmer. Would it be worthwhile to ask around the Amish communities in Wisconsin and New York?

Plenty of Amish are fingerprinted. Those communities are like any other, some people are bad apples and get arrested.

 

[lonewanderer]

Hasn't applied for a passport recently.
Hasn't applied for a green card or citizenship recently.
Hasn't been through an airport.
Moo

Big question is though; have these leads been followed up on? The case wasn’t classified as murder or homicide, so I question the depth of the resources that have been used by officials to identify him.

 

[wary]

His fingerprints not being on file for LE’s search tells me the following:

-he’s never been arrested for a crime
-he’s never been in the military
-he’s never been a federal employee

Feel free to add...

IMO

Here’s a question. Does anyone know what happens when you’re fingerprinted for a background check? Do they just check for a possible criminal record, or does it go into the general records where it could be used to identify you, if something like this happened? (I’m thinking of things like teaching credential requirements and such.)

 

[Distantobserver]

I have been reading all the old posts- #1-#3, during which I was unaware of this unidentified person.

When people were posting and contacting, did anyone post info at REIs? Esp ones in
Brooklyn, NYC, NJ? Campmore? Other camping stores? Possible he got his pack or other equipment there? Of course lots of purchases are online but the way MH bought his tent makes me think that he might have spoken to some one about equipment before he left. I am also confused about him hiking around in NY and then deciding to go south on the AT. Most analytical people plan an AT hike with a lot of concern about going S or N based on timing and weather. The early NY info makes me think he might have been testing equipment? Or did he come to the idea that he should just start putting one foot in front of the other and head south? Now with COVID, less people in stores.... so maybe another dead end...

I think this would be a long shot. Credit card records probably don't go back that far or require very specific information to access. If an rei employee recognized him as a customer, what date was he in the store? If you could narrow it down to a one month time period and a particular store, how would you go through all the transactions and narrow it down? I may be missing something here, but I think it would take laser like specificity for this angle to work.

 

[branmuffin]

Agreed. I've traveled via air to many states for 30 years and also to 3 states since COVID, no fingerprints. Same thing internationally, never any fingerprints.

I don't think you get fingerprinted for domestic flights but I get fingerprinted when I travel to Panama. I've traveled to many countries and Panama is the first one that always asks for fingerprints.

 

[acutename]

I think this would be a long shot. Credit card records probably don't go back that far or require very specific information to access. If an rei employee recognized him as a customer, what date was he in the store? If you could narrow it down to a one month time period and a particular store, how would you go through all the transactions and narrow it down? I may be missing something here, but I think it would take laser like specificity for this angle to work.

yes... you're probably right- even if some one from a store recognized him, that does not give us a name. I had also been thinking that programmers sometimes have a series of well paid temporary jobs for different places and he might have worked from home or worked in a data center at off hours so he might not have had the typical interactions with coworkers in an office who would have seen him daily.

 

[branmuffin]

Here’s a question. Does anyone know what happens when you’re fingerprinted for a background check? Do they just check for a possible criminal record, or does it go into the general records where it could be used to identify you, if something like this happened? (I’m thinking of things like teaching credential requirements and such.)

Here's a link regarding how long the Canadian government keeps fingerprints on file.

How long will you keep my fingerprints and photo (biometrics)?

I found this link regarding the warehousing of fingerprints in the US, where the FBI mixes civilian prints unrelated to crimes with those of criminals.

FBI Combines Civil and Criminal Fingerprints into One Fully Searchable Database

 

[Cruithne]

He was found with two notepads containing what is described as "computer code". It would be interesting to see what it was he was working on. They might contain some clues about what kind of work he did previously.

 

[branmuffin]

He was found with two notepads containing what is described as "computer code". It would be interesting to see what it was he was working on. They might contain some clues about what kind of work he did previously.

There's lots of information regarding his notepads on these threads. A journalist and also poster here on WS, NarkJ has written a magazine article about MH. It's posted a bit up thread. He did a lot of investigation with gamers regarding the notes. Lots of posts regarding the notes.