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

Status
Not open for further replies.
An unidentified 2017 AT Hiker has died on the Florida Trail


Post #3

I met Denim early in his journey the morning of July 28th In Maryland at Raven Rock Shelter. We conversed for about 20 minutes or so before heading our separate ways. I noted that he was new to backpacking but was very much enjoying the experience. I also estimated that his pack was very heavy at what I guessed was 50-60 lbs.
He started hiking in June in New York, so he would have passed through pretty much the entire bubble between NY and PA. It is likely that hundreds of 2017 NOBOs met him in passing. Hopefully somewhere along the way someone remembers a bit of personal information that will help lead to his identification.
 
I keep coming back to this guy... Does anyone else see a resemblance?
Missing Person Case
I couldn't find a WS page for him, unfortunately.

Adam Christopher Patterson, 30 yrs old (2015)
5' 8" 145 lbs. Blue Eyes, Dark Brown Hair
Nov. 10, 2015 His water taxi washed up without him in it @ Kennebunk ME.
View attachment 143392 View attachment 143393

Great find! Though, I don’t think it’s him. Their noses aren’t similar and the circumstances of his disappearance make it more likely that he drowned, unfortunately.

I’ve found some other possible matches but honestly doubt he’s one of them:

1) KENNETH LEE VEACH, disappeared in November 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada after telling his ex-girlfriend he was going camping

Original


Missing Person Case

2) Russell Edward Jones, disappeared in February 2015 in Columbus, Ohio. His friends say it’s likely he’s living outdoors. He’s supposed to have an older female golden retriever with him, but if she may have died since then.

Original


Missing Person Case

3) Bradford Mosby Broach, disappeared in August 2016 in Girdwood, Alaska. He went missing after he went on a hike in Alaska and failed to board his flight back home to Texas. I know it’s more likely he never made it out of Alaska, but still suggesting him because obviously he travelled around to go hiking.

Original


Missing Person Case

4) Paul J Knight Jr, disappeared in July 2017 in Welling Oklahoma. Not much is known about his disappearance. This is a big man, which could correlate with our Doe telling people he used to be overweight.

Original


Missing Person Case

5) Kris Fowler, disappeared in July 2016 and was last seen hiking in White Pass, Washington. He is too tall, so that probably rules him out. But I still wanted to post him here because of his resemblance to JD and the fitting circumstances.

Original


Missing Person Case
 
More information from a hiker that knew him on the trail
" I loved him - he was so funny. I kept joking that I was going to just keep on hiking to Springer and hike out with him. I gave him my email just to keep in touch but he didn’t of course. But he told me he was in computer systems so that’s why he didn’t have social media or anything like that (because of hackers). How did you find out? Where in Florida. How the hell did he get to 83 pounds? I think he told me he was overweight when he started and i don’t think he intended to do a thru hike but just kept going."

Photo taken in Oct 2017 at Woodchuck's Hostel in Damascus VA
38763055_700893286943723_2258099371067310080_n.jpg

I wondered about that as well. What if before he started hiking he didn’t have a beard, but was also (slightly) overweight? It would alter his appearance a lot and in combination with the rough looking beard could make it more difficult for him to be identified by people who knew him before he started his hike.
 
I wondered about that as well. What if before he started hiking he didn’t have a beard, but was also (slightly) overweight? It would alter his appearance a lot and in combination with the rough looking beard could make it more difficult for him to be identified by people who knew him before he started his hike.

That's a very good point. If he just dropped out of his life, the people who knew him before might not even consider the possibility. "He looks like John who worked in the QA group, but John could barely walk to the cafeteria for lunch."
 
Google Image Result for https://d3926qxcw0e1bh.cloudfront.net/post_photos/d9/65/d965a19e9e7bc42ea71a5bf5eaef646a.jpeg.200x200.jpeg
Here’s a different photo of Adam Patterson that is very similar IMO.

Look at this article: Missing Portland water taxi found damaged on beach in Kennebunk
When you read about the circumstances of his disappearance, it’s very suspicious. He had been living on a boat because of marriage problems and then goes out at 3am into rough seas on an unsinkable (foam-filled) boat as an experienced captain. It looks to me a lot like someone who wanted to stage a disappearance.
 
Are there any photos of the UID without the hat? I bumped a few NY missing men this morning and one I'm still mulling over is Matthew Mcintosh: NY - NY - Matthew McIntosh, 32, Tonawanda, 25 April 2017

Matthew_McIntosh_1493316325686_9311668_ver1.0.png


He's listed as 5'10" but the 2 inch difference doesn't bother me much. The bald head and weight (210 lbs) are hard to see past but his nose looks very close to me as well as general eyebrow shape and ear shape-- trying to imagine if he lost a ton of weight. The time frame matches up too-- missing since April 2017. If he spent a few months homeless before beginning the hike in June, he might have dropped quite a bit of weight before starting out. The above is the only photo of Matthew though and there doesn't seem to be any more info on him. I reversed the above image to compare with one where the UID was facing the same way:


I know it's hardly scientific but I think the earfolds look the same, but John Doe's obviously have no fat left on them... Ok, it's probably not him, but if anyone thinks I'm not crazy (lol) and would like to send it in please go ahead. I'm going back to working on the timeline now. I should be able to finish and post it later tonight.
 

Attachments

  • Untitled.png
    Untitled.png
    675.4 KB · Views: 83
Are there any photos of the UID without the hat? I bumped a few NY missing men this morning and one I'm still mulling over is Matthew Mcintosh: NY - NY - Matthew McIntosh, 32, Tonawanda, 25 April 2017

Matthew_McIntosh_1493316325686_9311668_ver1.0.png


He's listed as 5'10" but the 2 inch difference doesn't bother me much. The bald head and weight (210 lbs) are hard to see past but his nose looks very close to me as well as general eyebrow shape and ear shape-- trying to imagine if he lost a ton of weight. The time frame matches up too-- missing since April 2017. If he spent a few months homeless before beginning the hike in June, he might have dropped quite a bit of weight before starting out. The above is the only photo of Matthew though and there doesn't seem to be any more info on him. I reversed the above image to compare with one where the UID was facing the same way:


I know it's hardly scientific but I think the earfolds look the same, but John Doe's obviously have no fat left on them... Ok, it's probably not him, but if anyone thinks I'm not crazy (lol) and would like to send it in please go ahead. I'm going back to working on the timeline now. I should be able to finish and post it later tonight.

I dunno. I'm not seeing the nose match--it looks very different to me. But I'm not great with faces.

It's certainly possible.
 
I have to keep reminding myself why we are trying to ID him. He seems so full of life with such spirit. His eyes just twinkle. I have to say this one bothers me more than any other. He didn’t go unnoticed on the trail. I can’t imagine he did off the trail either.
 
I have to keep reminding myself why we are trying to ID him. He seems so full of life with such spirit. His eyes just twinkle. I have to say this one bothers me more than any other. He didn’t go unnoticed on the trail. I can’t imagine he did off the trail either.
Visually, Coffee, you absolutely have the most compelling case. Incredible likeness between the two.
 
View attachment 143463
This is Adam Patterson's missing poster picture with the UID PM sketch superimposed.
What do you all think?
PS...Adam Patterson had a great sense of humor apparently. He stole a Zamboni from the Civic Center.

Imo he looks like the post-mortem sketch, but he looks nothing like Mostly Harmless. Their noses are completely different. The height of their cheekbones isn’t the same either. Patterson’s hairline is different as well, it recedes more at the sides. Patterson’s mouth is wider and his forehead is higher. And he has more wrinkles than MH. He has scars while our Doe has none (except a vague one on his stomach which is one Patterson didn’t have). Then there are the circumstances. It’s possible he staged his death of course, but it’s just way way more likely he was lost at sea. His boat washed ashore, damaged. Let’s not forget he wasn’t just on a lake or river, but the actual ocean.
The only picture where I can maybe see it, is the one where he is wearing sunglasses which cover half of his face... Don’t get me wrong, they certainly look alike but because we have actual pictures of our John Doe, a resemblance isn’t enough. I feel like we should find a picture of someone and literally see the same man (same bonestructure, nose, hair, eyes) as the one in pictures taken by other hikers. And that’s not a feeling I have with Patterson. But then again, I seem to be in the minority here so perhaps I am completely wrong ;) In any case, it can’t hurt to submit him!
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
69
Guests online
655
Total visitors
724

Forum statistics

Threads
589,921
Messages
17,927,691
Members
228,002
Latest member
zipperoni
Back
Top