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

[wary]

Really wanting that dna. If MH was an only child & his parents were only children and deceased, what are the odds we’ll ever know who he was? What’s the closest you could ascertain in that kind of a scenario @othram? Or anyone else who is savvy with familial dna? Curious!

You’d have him as a possibility—someone who was missing. He might be the only one of the possibilities who was missing. Then there’s photographs of him, or dentist’s records.

 

[Canaille]

I certainly did not forget him. Following this case through other channels.
BTW I came across this missing man, age would be way off, but the interesting thing is he was living from a trust fund (and kind of resembles Mostly Harmless, maybe ears are standing out much more)

Dean Merlin Lewis – The Charley Project

Lewis was last seen on September 25, 2003, entering Hamlin Beach State Park in New York, driving his 1987 Volkswagen van. A photograph of the van is posted with this case summary. Lewis, who is from San Francisco, California, was traveling the east coast at the time of his disappearance. He stayed in campgrounds in state parks. He has never been heard from again.

On September 29, his van was found abandoned at Hamlin Beach State Park; the park authorities contacted police and reported Lewis's disappearance at this time.

Lewis enjoys doing extensive traveling and has lived in his van, which has a kitchen and sleeping area, for months at a time. He relies on a trust fund to support himself. His family says he kept to himself but it is uncharacteristic for him not to contact them for this long a time. His case remains unsolved.

• Missing Since 09/25/2003
• Missing From Hamlin Beach State Park, New York
• Date of Birth 02/18/1961 (59)
• Age42 years old
• Height and Weight 6'1, 175 pounds
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, blue eyes. Lewis wore his hair in a ponytail when he was last seen. He wears eyeglasses (he could have lasered his eyes)

View attachment 266717View attachment 266718

I see a resemblance, but it’s my opinion that MH was much younger.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

OK, here's another. The age is within range and the date and location last seen might fit for MH. This picture from the Post shows a striking similarity IMO. But for this to really fit there would have to have been an extensive tattoo removal during the missing years.

https://nypost.com/2012/07/24/nypd-daily-blotter-3658/View attachment 127834

Nathan Adams - New York Missing Person Directory


Facial/case ID
Public viewable
Nathan Adams

Missing
Last seen alive: July 12, 2012

Circumstances: Last Seen leaving his Edison Avenue Bronx Home on 7/12/12
First Name: Nathan
Last Name: Adams
Details
Age When Last Known Alive: 34
Race: White
Ethnicity: Other
Sex: Male
Height: 70.0
Weight: 160.0
Location
City: Bronx
State: New York
County: Bronx
Appearance
Hair: Blond/Strawberry
Head Hair: Blond Hair
Eye: Blue
Scars And Marks: Have scars on his chest
Tattoos: -Octopus Tattoo on Entire back (stretches to arm and leg)
-'Don't Tread on me' on his abdomen

 

[branmuffin]

OK, here's another. The age is within range and the date and location last seen might fit for MH. This picture from the Post shows a striking similarity IMO. But for this to really fit there would have to have been an extensive tattoo removal during the missing years.

Even with tattoo removal there is always vestigial evidence of the tattoo. A huge back tattoo of an octopus would probably still be evident, especially since MH underwent a full body xray. He also seems too tall. Not sure if this guy was in the military but if he was his fingerprints would be on file. Not much to find on him.

 

[Canaille]

OK, here's another. The age is within range and the date and location last seen might fit for MH. This picture from the Post shows a striking similarity IMO. But for this to really fit there would have to have been an extensive tattoo removal during the missing years.

I think MH hair color was darker. But without looking at pics of MH, I seem to remember him looking like he had a little bit of reddish in his facial hair. Y’all have done a pretty darn good job lately of finding some that have resemblance to him, in my opinion.

 

[Melt71]

Should be very soon, the data is coming off the DNA sequencer now. Next steps are building a kit and starting the genealogical search!

Great update, thanks!

 

[Bit of hope]

Should be very soon, the data is coming off the DNA sequencer now. Next steps are building a kit and starting the genealogical search!

Good luck! Fingers crossed.

 

[Bit of hope]

Knowing the movie plot of Soylent Green... well, it’s just sounding a bit creepy isn’t it.

OT It's creepy indeed. IMO everybody should watch this "cult" movie....although already dated, the message is still very strong, even today or should I say especially nowadays as Mother Earth is fighting back.

 

[MadMcGoo]

I know back in the beginning of this I found a young woman on one of the hiker blogs who was hiking very near Denim during the same time, and she had to leave the trail suddenly because she became very ill due to (I think) some sort of bacteria. Of course I can’t find the information now, but I’m fairly certain I mentioned it here. Seems like it was somewhere further south that she became ill.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

OK, here's another. The age is within range and the date and location last seen might fit for MH. This picture from the Post shows a striking similarity IMO. But for this to really fit there would have to have been an extensive tattoo removal during the missing years.

My apologies to everyone for posting this potentially misleading suggestion. Unfortunately it appears that NA is deceased. I can't explain why he is still being listed as missing on that NY missing persons web site. It may not be a reliable source. Notably he was not listed in NAMUS.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

I know back in the beginning of this I found a young woman on one of the hiker blogs who was hiking very near Denim during the same time, and she had to leave the trail suddenly because she became very ill due to (I think) some sort of bacteria. Of course I can’t find the information now, but I’m fairly certain I mentioned it here. Seems like it was somewhere further south that she became ill.

I think you might be referring to this AT journal post from mid-October 2017. This was near the NC/TN section of the AT. No bacteria, but it does mention a hiatus due to norovirus.
Rolling Thunder's 2017 Appalachian Trail Journal : Day 144: A low point to start, a high point to finish : Trail Journals, Backpacking and Hiking Journals

 

[MadMcGoo]

I think you might be referring to this AT journal post from mid-October 2017. This was near the NC/TN section of the AT. No bacteria, but it does mention a hiatus due to norovirus.
Rolling Thunder's 2017 Appalachian Trail Journal : Day 144: A low point to start, a high point to finish : Trail Journals, Backpacking and Hiking Journals

I’m fairly certain it was a female. That’s about the only detail I remember. I’ve read so many!

 

[MadMcGoo]

There was an update on the Unidentified Male Hiker Facebook page a little while ago. Says Othram announced that DNA testing is complete and they’ve moved onto the genealogy research phase. I’m not sure who runs that page and I didn’t see anything recent on Othram’s page, so I’m not sure of the source. For some reason I thought this was old news.

 

[Kudzu]

There was an update on the Unidentified Male Hiker Facebook page a little while ago. Says Othram announced that DNA testing is complete and they’ve moved onto the genealogy research phase. I’m not sure who runs that page and I didn’t see anything recent on Othram’s page, so I’m not sure of the source. For some reason I thought this was old news.

Othram posted it here Sunday. Post #323.

 

[MadMcGoo]

Othram posted it here Sunday. Post #323.

Thank you! I thought I’d already seen it somewhere.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

Unfortunate news from the other end of the AT this week: according to a Baxter State Park news release, a male hiker was found dead on the summit of Mt. Katahdin Thursday morning. One person on SM suggested it was due to hypothermia, but that is just speculation and it is clearly too soon to know the actual circumstances. Another hiker there died Wednesday. The news release doesn't say anything more about that, but it may have been a 75 year old gentleman who was rescued earlier and was in critical condition following a fall. News

 

[Curious_in_NC]

Unfortunate news from the other end of the AT this week: according to a Baxter State Park news release, a male hiker was found dead on the summit of Mt. Katahdin Thursday morning. One person on SM suggested it was due to hypothermia, but that is just speculation and it is clearly too soon to know the actual circumstances. Another hiker there died Wednesday. The news release doesn't say anything more about that, but it may have been a 75 year old gentleman who was rescued earlier and was in critical condition following a fall. News

Follow up - the first hiker, the 75 year old, was identified as a well known New England journalist. Veteran Massachusetts journalist dies after 50-foot fall on Katahdin
No word yet on the second hiker found on the summit, other than he was a "young male hiker". Baxter Officials: Two Mount Katahdin Hiker Deaths In Two Days

I had a personal interest in this as a friend's son was through hiking the AT and was in Maine, but seems now to be temporarily off the trail. My hunch is this second hiker, the one found on the summit, was unlikely to be a through hiker, and more likely was a day hiker caught out in the elements over night. MOO

 

[K9Enzo]

IMO, the sad reality is, some hikers find themselves unprepared for the environment they are in, especially if weather changes drastically. Then you have sudden medical emergencies or a lone hiker who suddenly blew a knee, as an example, with no ER communication device.

Mother Nature is beautiful but can be very unforgiving.

SAR is busy, especially during peak seasons.

IMO

 

[JudgeJoe]

AT is like no other trail I’ve ever been on. I’ve hiked steeper, higher altitude, extreme heat, less populated trails that are so much easier. AT left me feeling like a total wuss. The trail surface is so constantly uneven- embedded rocks & roots are unrelenting. This single difference is what makes the trail tougher; your foot is rarely coming down on an even surface. Add to that the weight of your pack & the increased constant torque of your ankles, knees & hips and fatigue, injury & accidents are almost inevitable. At first I thought it was just my aging bod & diminished fitness level. But along the way you meet other experienced hikers who’ve done Pacific Crest, Continental Divide, international treks, etc. And so many concur AT is butt-kicking tougher. IMO, little training/prep can prepare your joints/ tendons/ ligaments for that constantly jagged surface. Imo, jmo, etc.

 

[zinnia2020]

Well there was no decomp so we know he starved. Question is why.

In a recent Trace Evidence Podcast episode, it discussed the Ft Meyers 8.

According to that episode, a medical examiner claimed “In Florida, the climate can reduce someone to a skeleton in a matter of weeks”.

Just made me wonder if he was that thin because of exposure, or at some point dropped down to that thin before he died.

Where may I find the Trace Evidence Podcast?