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

[intrepidcat]

I think about this case a lot - I really hope someone recognises him soon.

 

[Bit of hope]

Interesting, BOH. I could not find anything else about him being missing. I went looking for more photos of Joe B and found one of him at a bar: Mehring's Bearings: The Last Night of Max Fish. | Adventure Sports Network

It appears he has a tattoo on his wrist. Also, it is difficult to tell eye color from photos, but I don't think his eye look blue in any of the photos I am finding.

If anyone can find something more official about Joe B being missing I will start a thread for him.

Thanks Gardener....it's safe to say that Joe is not our UID. Good to know.

 

[alreetlike]

I've not been around here much lately, but I started reading this thread yesterday and got totally sucked it, so I read every page. Like several others have said, I can't shake the feeling that he looks familiar somehow, though being in the UK and having only visited the US twice (and never hiked there) I can't imagine our paths have crossed.

There's just something about him though; his face was swimming in my mind all night.

 

[CptCari]

Might be a bit of a stretch but has anyone looked at this gentleman? Fits the time line, has blue, eyes, fits the height range, disappeared in the right timeframe, and is from NY.
MISSING PERSON • Jerry Furnia • Schuyler Falls, New York • 50 Years Old

MH doesn't wear glasses that I've seen, otherwise very interesting. Especially if the MP lost 50+ lbs. Did you report a possible match?

 

[dotr]

MH doesn't wear glasses that I've seen, otherwise very interesting. Especially if the MP lost 50+ lbs. Did you report a possible match?

Funny, first thing that came to mind about missing person Jerry, is Ben& Jerry's ice cream. imo.

 

[SugarQueen]

MH doesn't wear glasses that I've seen, otherwise very interesting. Especially if the MP lost 50+ lbs. Did you report a possible match?

I don’t usually post in here and have no idea how to submit it. Lol If you or someone feels it’s worth submitting please do. Thanks

 

[LeenC]

How about Elias Jean Pery Jr.?

Circumstances of Disappearance
On July 18, 2017, Pery telephoned his mother and told her he was going to move to Hoboken, NJ to reside with friends at an unknown location and to pursue a non-descript job in New York City. Not long afterwards, Pery allowed his cellphone to be disconnected and his email accounts to elapse as well. Pery did not file a forwarding address with the U.S. Post Office. Since his disappearance, Pery has made no attempt to contact any family members or friends.

It could be that this is how he broke ties with his family and friends. The move would have placed him in the area where MD started hiking. I'm not 100% sure of the timeline anymore so possibly people had already encountered MD on the hiking trail before Elias went missing. That being said, his namus file doesn't state when he was last "physically" seen.

But it's mainly the kindness in his eyes that grabs my attention the same way those of Mostly Harmless do. Judging from the attached photo on his namus file, Elias may have been younger than 31 when it was taken. When I try to picture him older, after having lost weight and with a beard, I can definitely see a resemblance. But maybe my eyes are tricking me because I just really want him to be identified. What do you think?

 

[SugarQueen]

How about Elias Jean Pery Jr.?



It could be that this is how he broke ties with his family and friends. The move would have placed him in the area where MD started hiking. I'm not 100% sure of the timeline anymore so possibly people had already encountered MD on the hiking trail before Elias went missing. That being said, his namus file doesn't state when he was last "physically" seen.

But it's mainly the kindness in his eyes that grabs my attention the same way those of Mostly Harmless do. Judging from the attached photo on his namus file, Elias may have been younger than 31 when it was taken. When I try to picture him older, after having lost weight and with a beard, I can definitely see a resemblance. But maybe my eyes are tricking me because I just really want him to be identified. What do you think?

MH has blue eyes, Elias has brown. I think we all just really, really, want him identified. It’s something about those eyes that pulled me in.

 

[LeenC]

Big Cypress John Doe Timeline​

NAMUS Link: Unidentified Person Case

April 2017 – He told people he started hiking in New York in April 2017. Possibly was wearing jeans when he started hiking which is where he said his trail name “Denim” came from.

June 2017 – He told people he met that he went for a 2 week hike on the Appalachian Trail (AT) in New York in June 2017.

June 2017 – Hiker (RS) met him on the AT in New York. He claimed he had been working for a big company and recently quit his job. He said he had been living in Bear Mountain Park, NY for 2 weeks before deciding to hike South on the AT. Google Maps

June or July 2017 – Hiker (CD) met him in New York at the visitor center in Unionville, NY (Date is my estimate based on map) Google Maps

June or July 2017 Hiker (WF8) posting on the Mountain Crossings Walasi-yi page claims to have met him in a church basement in Duncannon, PA. (Date is my estimate based on map). Google Maps

28 July 2017 – Hiker (IHTPT) claims to have met him on the AT at Raven Rock shelter in Maryland. AT shelters: RavenRock Raven Rock Shelter

Early Aug 2017 –Hiker (SMJ) claims to have seen him hiking somewhere near Shenandoah, VA with an older woman with grey dreads.

Oct 2017 – A hiker (HRH) posting on the Mountain Crossings at Walasi-yi page photo claims to have hiked with him for a week in Oct.

7th - 8th Oct 2017 – A hiker (KEV) met him in Virginia and knew him as Denim. KEV said his pack was 53 1/2 pounds in Damascus, VA -- she took a photo of it on the scales because it was so heavy she almost toppled over trying it on. KEV took a selfie and several other photos of him in Damascus. They had been stuck in Woodchuck’s Hostel in Damascus for 2 days due to a hurricane hitting the trail (Most likely was rain from Hurricane Nate: Hurricane Nate - Wikipedia ). Google Maps

7 Oct 2017 – He went out to eat at Damascus Pizza Co Bar and Grill with KEV and several other hikers.
Google Maps

Nov 2017 – Hiker (DB) met him at Trey Mountain shelter on the AT. He told DB he did IT work in NYC and was going to Florida. AT shelters: TrayMtn Tray Mountain Shelter

2 Dec 2017 – Photo of “Denim” holding up maps posted to the “Mountain Crossings at Walasi-yi” Facebook page—Mountain Crossings is a store located in Blood Mountain in Georgia. He purchased maps to hike the Pinhoti Trail in Alabama and told the owner he was heading for Key West, Florida. Mountain Crossings at Walasi-yi

Dec 2017 - GoPro Video of him was taken by another hiker at the top of Springer Mountain: Collier County Sheriff's Office

Dec 2017 – Hiker (DBIH) claims he camped with him at Springer Mountain Shelter on the AT. They talked about Dr. Who, liking Sci-fi, working in IT and their fathers. DBIH claims he mentioned an ex-girlfriend and a sister but no names. AT shelters: Springer Springer Mountain Shelter

4 Dec 2017 – Hiker (MM) met him on Springer Mountain and posted about it to the Mountain Crossings facebook post on Dec 5th. MM took a photo of him with his poles in front of the bronze plaque on the summit at the end of the Appalachian Trail.

Mountain Crossings at Walasi-yi

(info about the plaque: https://www.atlantatrails.com/hiking-trails/springer-mountain-2-mile-hike/ )

29 Dec 2017 – Hikers HW and JC took a photo of him standing in front of a Nisan Frontier Truck on Salem Church Road—the first road crossing of the Pinhoti trail just South of the AL/GA State Line.

Google Maps

Florida National Scenic Trail - Big Cypress National Preserve (U.S. National Park Service)

FL - FL - Male, 35-50, BlueGrey Eyes, S&P Beard, Hiking Poles, Boots, Tent, Big Cypress Preserve, Jul2018

Jan 2018 – A hiker (PE) met him on the Pinhoti in January; he told PE he was only doing 10 miles a day.

24-25 Feb 2018 – A camper (BV) met him at Sand Pond Campground is in Pine Log State Forest, in Ebro, FL. He left from there headed for the FL trail. He told BV he had been staying with his sister in Sarasota or Ft. Myers, FL and started in that area. He also talked to BV about some health problems and needed/wanted to do this trip while he still could.

Google Maps

March 2018- A hiker (AK) met him on the Florida Trail near the Aucilla River section; he was heading South bound and said he planned on reaching the southern terminus sometime in July. He told AK that he had started on the FT in Blackwater. Florida Trail, Aucilla River | Florida Trail Hikes

March 2018 - A hiker (AL) met him in the Ocala National Forest. Google Maps

March 2018- A hiker (BW) saw him just 1 hour south of the 88 store. He was heading south bound on the FT, healthy and in good spirits. Google Maps

23 July 2018 The Unidentified man was found deceased in his tent in Big Cypress National Preserve at a remote campsite called Noble's Camp, approximately 5 miles north of Interstate 75.

Google Maps

Physical Description and Other Info​

35 to 50 years old

5-foot-8

a very lean 83 pounds

salt and pepper hair and beard

blue/gray eyes

his teeth were in excellent condition

He had no tattoos

Possible indistinct fine linear scar across abdomen. Very faint.

He died only a few days before he was found

There were no obvious injuries and the death does not appear suspicious from a criminal perspective

Clothing and Accessories:

Beige Shirt

Neon green (w/gray accents) Shorts

Gray Russell "Performance" Underwear size M

Columbia baseball hat, very dirty possibly gray and white

Yellow two man tent – Manufacturer: Brooks-Range Mountaineering, Model: Foray

Yellow sleeping bag

Two hiking poles, black and copper color. Brand "Outdoor Products"

One yellow and gray Isobutane 110 G fuel cartridge

Bluegreen Nalgene water bottle

black Salomon hiking boots

Aliases/Hiking Names Used: “Denim”,“Mostly Harmless” & “Ben Bilemy”

He used the alias "Ben Bilemy" to register at several hostels along his trek from New York to Florida on the AT and FT. He stayed at Hostels in VA, GA and FL.

May have ties to New York City, New York and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

May have worked in the tech industry.

Information from other Hikers who met him:

He claimed to have worked in the “tech world” for a decade prior to starting hiking.

Hiker (MJO) says he claimed he was only hiking about 10 miles a day.

Hiker (KEV) says he told her he was heavy body weight-wise when he first started hiking and had lost a lot of weight since then. Other hikers heard similar stories that he had lost weight. KEV also says she believes he paid for everything in cash. KEV says he told her he did not keep any social media accounts due to hackers and did not have a cell phone.

He was hiking the ECT, Eastern Continental Divide & and he decided to do it with no phone & no GPS

Known to be a very experienced hiker with very good quality equipment

He was working for food during the hike

He was said to be an extremely friendly but quiet guy

Source Post for above

Listed on the ECT Thru-Hike's website as part of the ECT class of 2018 as “Mostly Harmless”

Class of 2018 – Florida Trail Hikers Alliance

Source Links​

Collier County Sheriff Facebook posts:

Collier County Sheriff's Office

Collier County Sheriff's Office

Collier County Sheriff's Office

GoPro Video taken on Top of Springer Mountain: Collier County Sheriff's Office

Groups Where his Photo was posted:

Pinhoti Trail Alliance:
Pinhoti Trail Alliance Post

Mountain Crossings:
Mountain Crossings at Walasi-yi

Media Links:

Investigators want help identifying man found dead at preserve campsite

http://naplesherald.com/2018/08/03/...-identify-body-found-in-big-cypress-preserve/

Collier Sheriff's Office asks for help to identify man found dead in Big Cypress Preserve

Unidentified, decomposed body found in Florida woods; Some think he's a Baton Rouge native

Dead hiker may have ties to New York state

Who is 'Ben Bilemy?' Florida police try to uncover identity of mystery hiker found dead near Everglades

CCSO shares alias of hiker who died in Big Cypress National Preserve

ID of man found dead in Big Cypress Preserve still unclear after hikers send photos, tips

DO YOU KNOW THIS MAN? Collier Co. deputies need your help ID'ing man's body found

Hiker found dead in Florida could be from New York

Hiker found dead went by 'Denim' and 'Mostly Harmless' on the trail, but investigators don't know his real name

https://www.winknews.com/2018/08/23/collier-deputies-release-video-of-hiker-prior-to-death/

Quoting Gardener's amazing timeline. It makes it easier to look up missing persons.

 

[carbuff]

The Collier County sheriff's office has said several times that they've checked every possibility in Namus, so we need to be looking for people who are missing but not in the system.

 

[Bit of hope]

The Collier County sheriff's office has said several times that they've checked every possibility in Namus, so we need to be looking for people who are missing but not in the system.

That's why I'm checking every Facebook site (charity sites and that's tricky because lot's of time not up to date) Who is this nice person? Somebody wrote this already....waiting for Christmas....and your loved ones doesn't "call in"......maybe this will alarm a family member....

 

[LeenC]

The Collier County sheriff's office has said several times that they've checked every possibility in Namus, so we need to be looking for people who are missing but not in the system.

While that’s true, it doesn’t mean that they’re checking every update or new entry on Namus. I don’t think it’s a waste of time to go back from time to time to check if maybe new people have been reported missing or have been submitted to Namus.

If he has been hiking since early 2017, do you think he somehow kept in contact with his family during that time? We know he didn’t have a cellphone but maybe he called or sent postcards when he hit a town? The entire thing just bothers me. For if he kept in contact (no matter how sporadically) with anyone he knew, they should have realized something was wrong by now. The more I think about it, the more I fear he gradually cut his ties before he left. Which brings me to the next problem: if anyone would report him missing then what date of last contact would be entered? Would they even remember the exavt date? It could be that he hadn’t talked to his sister since 2016 or even before that. I think he will eventually be reported missing but that it could take a couple of years for that to actually happen. And if he’s reported, the date he “officially” went missing may be long before he actually started hiking...

 

[Classito]

Every possibility in Namus has not been checked. They can only auto compare if the DNA/Fingerprints/Dental are on file. Other than that they will have to do it manually for potentials that match height, weight, eye color etc...That will take a long time. As of now, they are only showing comparison/ruled out of two in Namus

Matt Greene-Avid Rock Climber/Hiker
Missing since July 17, 2013

What matches:

• Age: 39 (at time of missing)
• Height: Approximate 5'11
• Weight: 155
• Hair Color: Blonde/brown
• Eye Color: Blue
• Crease by eyebrow
• Teeth look good
• Ear seems to match
• Mole on bottom of neck (wrong side or image reversed?)

What doesn't match:

• Disappeared 4 years prior to being seen on AT
• Occupation-Math Teacher (if Harmless was truthful about past of being Tech)
• Wears glasses/contacts
• Mole on bottom of neck (wrong side or reversed photo?)

https://www.climbing.com/people/van...appearance-of-a-climber-in-the-sierra-nevada/

 

[LeenC]

Every possibility in Namus has not been checked. They can only auto compare if the DNA/Fingerprints/Dental are on file. Other than that they will have to do it manually for potentials that match height, weight, eye color etc...That will take a long time. As of now, they are only showing comparison/ruled out of two in Namus

Matt Greene-Avid Rock Climber/Hiker
Missing since July 17, 2013

What matches:

• Age: 39 (at time of missing)
• Height: Approximate 5'11
• Weight: 155
• Hair Color: Blonde/brown
• Eye Color: Blue
• Crease by eyebrow
• Teeth look good
• Ear seems to match
• Mole on bottom of neck (wrong side or image reversed?)

What doesn't match:

• Disappeared 4 years prior to being seen on AT
• Occupation-Math Teacher (if Harmless was truthful about past of being Tech)
• Wears glasses/contacts
• Mole on bottom of neck (wrong side or reversed photo?)

https://www.climbing.com/people/van...appearance-of-a-climber-in-the-sierra-nevada/

Great find!! I can definitely see a resemblance. The only thing that makes me think it’s not him is his thinning hair and receeding hairline. Judging from the pm picture of Mostly Harmless, he had a full head of hair and a ‘normal’ hairline even at his time of death.

 

[Classito]

Agreed LeenC...I think his eyes are too blue as compared to Harmless as well.

From the onset, I believe Collier LE have been able to rule out the posted potentials on the fb page so fast without DNA/Fingerprints/Dental because their is a specific mark/detail they are looking for. Someone earlier in the thread commented on Harmless's hands. I wonder if that could be the detail that will identify him...It looks like his middle finger has been injured and is the same size as his ring/index finger.



I noticed this when I was comparing missing person Robert Mayer-left hand, middle finger, top was chopped off so skin pulled and finger slightly shorter..has nail...

Some things about Mayer fit, such as

• disappeared from NY
• Left work early and left behind wallet and phone
• age
• hair color and hairline
• crease by brow
• circumstances and the ways and means to finance
• perfect looking teeth. He disappeared in 2013.

Things that did not fit

• height--seen listed as approximately 6', 6', and 6' to 6'1..so probably an estimated height
• eye color---seen his eyes listed as hazel, green, and brown..Not sure if anyone knows exactly what color they are

 

[MandiH82]

Wow, what an interesting case! I look forward to following along on this one. So much info, I share in the wonder of why he hasn’t been identified yet. So many good photos and interactions with people. He sure was a handsome dude. I think he looks like he’s on the younger end of that age range (maybe late 30’s or early 40’s). He looks extremely youthful, even with the graying hair. Resembles the type of men who start greying prematurely.

I also wonder why his NamUs profile pic hasn’t been updated to one of the real photos? The composite is clearly based on a post-mortem photo where his features are sunken due to his severe weight loss and most likely decomp (particularly his nose and cheeks). You’d think having a real living photo of him would be best for comparison. Especially to family members who aren’t seeing all these FB photos.

IMO, the closest thing to a match on this thread has been from LeenaC. However I think his tattoo rules him out. But that looks dang close!

I was looking around a bit on NamUs and came across David Chapman. He went missing in Connecticut on December 11th 2015 at the age of 31. He’s 5’8” like our John Doe and the picture on his NamUs page looks a lot like him imo. There’s not a lot of information about the circumstances of his disappearance (I don’t have a lot of time to dig deep right now) and Chapman is supposed to have a tattoo of the letter D on his forearm while there’s no mention of tattoos in our Doe’s description. But I can’t get around the resemblance. And imo the Doe’s description isn’t very elaborate anyway so maybe they just didn’t mention it, which I must admit would be weird... But who knows.

Missing Person Case

 

[moonriverfarm]

Thinking of this man constantly.

 

[Bit of hope]

What if this man lost a lot of weight and would grow a beard?

When People Go Missing, Legal Limitations Make It Hard for Friends, Family to Find Them

Part of the article written on November 2017:

Her younger brother, Karl Busch, a handyman by trade, wore his usual garb: frayed jeans, a baseball cap and goatee. He kept quiet, but seemed in good spirits despite a recent breakup.

That night, or sometime soon after—it’s unclear when, exactly—Busch took off with nothing but a knapsack and his white Ford Econoline. Few thought much of his departure at first, until a week passed. Then months.

But his sister wasn’t the only one trying to find him.

The Scaddens began getting calls from Aladdin Bail Bonds. Busch, who had two prior DUI convictions, got pinched with a third and sentenced to community service. But he stopped showing up, despite a $30,000 bounty to his name.

Over the next year, there were still some signs of life from Busch. Someone went back to his cottage a couple months after he went missing and took his computer and clothing. The following summer, in July of 2013, he closed the Bank of America account he shared with his father since his young adulthood.

“That was the last blip,” Scadden says. “After that, nothing.”

Hope Remains

Anneliese Scadden takes some measure of comfort knowing that her brother, who would be 51 years old by now, had the skills to survive on his own. He knew how to build things from scratch. He could repair cars, fix things around the house and had enough of a reputation in the South Bay to enjoy steady work by word-of-mouth referrals.

“He’s such a handyman,” Scadden says from a Campbell coffee shop on a recent fall morning. “He could live out in the mountains and get along just fine. One possibility we’ve considered is that he’s living on a ranch somewhere as a ranch hand.”

But there’s one detail about Busch’s disappearance that’s both agonizing and hopeful. Nobody ever found his van, which would have been flagged if it ever got towed or pulled over by police.

“That could mean he’s out there,” Scadden’s husband, Michael, suggests. “It at least means that he took the vehicle somewhere it wouldn’t be found, where nobody would report it as abandoned.”

Additional photo, no other info and I didn't find a missing persons file.

And stats
Born: 02-02-1966
Brown Hair, Blue eyes, 5’ 11”
Works as an independent handyman and skilled in construction.
Grew up in Morgan Hill CA and lived in Manteca, San Jose and Florida
Graduated from Live Oak in 1984
Owns a white Ford Econoline Van
Huge Sharks fan, Giants fan and likes to watch games in sports bars
Frequented The Box Seat Bar and Grill in Morgan Hill, CA

 

[carbuff]

You could be onto something here, BoH. Side by side with one of Mostly Harmless's early photos.

 

[waterfalllady]

You could be onto something here, BoH. Side by side with one of Mostly Harmless's early photos.

I saw a resemblence too, but I'm not great with faces.