Identified! FL - Big Cypress Natl Preserve, Male Hiker, Denim & “Mostly Harmless” July 2018 - Vance Rodriguez #2

[Ursamajr]

The first question:
How much does his particular tent weigh? I can't find this specification online. It would seem an important specification to include since hikers are usually planning how much weight they want to carry. Does anyone have this in their notes or are they able to find it?

The tent seems to weigh 48.6 ounces - not the lightest for backpacking.

Brooks Range Foray Review

 

[j_in_c]

The tent seems to weigh 48.6 ounces - not the lightest for backpacking.

Brooks Range Foray Review

Whoa - 3 lbs you think is *not light* for a backpacking tent?? Before the "go light" craze I regularly backpacked with a high end 2 person tent that weighed +7lbs. Even my bivvy sack is 1.5 lbs. Brooks is fairly high end gear and I would argue this is a very light tent.

 

[Ursamajr]

Whoa - 3 lbs you think is *not light* for a backpacking tent?? Before the "go light" craze I regularly backpacked with a high end 2 person tent that weighed +7lbs. Even my bivvy sack is 1.5 lbs. Brooks is fairly high end gear and I would argue this is a very light tent.

7lbs seems....excessive to me but that was your personal preference. Since it is now after the "go light craze", this tent is no longer considered to be light. What can I tell ya?

 

[Narkj]

Wondered about the photos myself. He clearly didn't care whether people took his picture and that would seem to eliminate any "wanted man" theory.

 

[Narkj]

For every theory, there seems to be an explanation that contradicts it.

I know there's a couple missing months in the timeline, between the spring Florida photo and the summer discovery of his body. Does anyone think he really hiked down to Key West and back, spent time with a sister, or just lived and milled around Big Cypress, steadily losing weight?

 

[Ursamajr]

For every theory, there seems to be an explanation that contradicts it.

I know there's a couple missing months in the timeline, between the spring Florida photo and the summer discovery of his body. Does anyone think he really hiked down to Key West and back, spent time with a sister, or just lived and milled around Big Cypress, steadily losing weight?

It may be a silly way to think but I still feel like the visit to his sister (if there was going to be one) would have been a surprise to her. It's not abnormal to go "no contact" with parents or siblings when the family situation was abusive. Maybe he was trying to make amends? Maybe the trip was spur of the moment and a way for him to come to peace before reconnecting with her?

I know this is all out there speculation. I've been trying to make sense of a situation where there is actually a sibling yet no one reporting him missing when he didn't arrive. It would have had to be a surprise and also a situation where no contact was normal.

 

[carbuff]

Wondered about the photos myself. He clearly didn't care whether people took his picture and that would seem to eliminate any "wanted man" theory.

Maybe not, depending where he was from and what the crime was. If it wasn't a high-profile thing (skipped out of town after being caught cooking the books, for a completely made-up instance) and he had indeed lost weight, he might the figured that the risk of a photo getting back to anybody who might recognize him was small, while avoiding photos would attract attention.

 

[Valiant]

It may be a silly way to think but I still feel like the visit to his sister (if there was going to be one) would have been a surprise to her. It's not abnormal to go "no contact" with parents or siblings when the family situation was abusive. Maybe he was trying to make amends? Maybe the trip was spur of the moment and a way for him to come to peace before reconnecting with her?

I know this is all out there speculation. I've been trying to make sense of a situation where there is actually a sibling yet no one reporting him missing when he didn't arrive. It would have had to be a surprise and also a situation where no contact was normal.

One possible example, and I can't take credit as someone else posted this theory, what if his visit was to his sister's grave and there was no live relative expecting him?

 

[JBmom]

I have paid $50 twice to promote a tweet about the case. The tweet's gotten about 300 RT.

I will RT the link if you PM it to me (if that is allowed).

 

[neesaki]

I think there has to be more information that no one has come forward with. I really do. Jmo

 

[carbuff]

I think there has to be more information that no one has come forward with. I really do. Jmo

You're almost certainly right. So many of our cases seem to be that the people who are looking for someone just haven't made connections or seen information about the unidentified person, or they don't even know their loved one is missing.

 

[Owutatangledweb]

I just checked the comments on the original picture. Someone (I'm guessing one of us, hi!) asked about the man's identity. The Church replied, "I'm trying to get with someone who holds a key to the Church to let me in to get the log book this week, then go thru our records from 2017....A lady emailed me months ago and I've been working on it since. Now that there's new info, I need to go back thru the logs and recheck things"

That was me! I'm the lady!! Crossed fingers and bated breath over here.

Sounds to me like they didn't give the list to LE. Why is SHE checking it due to new information? I guess they don't have to turn it over for privacy reasons for others on the list because there is no criminal investigation; but Does anyone know for sure whether LE is aware of this church and this picture?

 

[Owutatangledweb]

A few more less circulated images...and one I analyzed awhile back, noting some distinguishing features. FWIW
View attachment 224159 View attachment 224160 View attachment 224161
View attachment 224162

Does LE have these pictures?

 

[MadMcGoo]

I hate when I miss notifications! So forgive me as this will be a lengthy post, I’m sure of it.

I have a couple of questions that I've been trying to find info on here by scrolling through the old posts and using the search mechanisms and have not been successful so far. Maybe someone here could help me...

The first question:
How much does his particular tent weigh? I can't find this specification online. It would seem an important specification to include since hikers are usually planning how much weight they want to carry. Does anyone have this in their notes or are they able to find it?

The second question:
The blue/grey bandanna attached to his pack on his left side, trailing down the front.. Does anyone see that bandanna in any pictures that were taken north of Springer Mountain, Georgia? I don't see it but I cropped my photos so much. Maybe someone else does see it.

Thank you in advance for any help with these.

Question 1: Already answered but I had this reply “quoted” so... it’s around 2-10 pounds. (I think! Good Lord, I’ve forgotten since quoting these messages! )

I don’t recall seeing the winter gear in any other pictures. Didn’t one person say he refused to have his winter gear mailed and was hauling it through Florida summertime?

I know there has been speculation, posts about his pack and that it wasn’t recovered but I asked Collier County specifically about the pack and they said they did recover it.

there is a chance they have not revealed 100 percent of the stuff they found or info about his body. If someone knows him, truly, there could be some clue about him that only they know, that would make Collier County know for certain it was legit.

(Forgetting why I quoted this) YES! I agree, CCSO must have found something they are holding close to their vests. One prime example - the Lake George, NY connection. I’d never seen or heard of that until they released it...

The other thing I cant find any info on... the fire that happened at the shelter in Big Cypress near Nobles Camp and at about the same time as Ben's passing... does anyone else remember that from thread 1 or CCSO information. I have stayed away from all Social Media and other sleuthing sites on this case so it had to be a legit source... CCSO, podcast, newspaper...

Any early participants here that remember that fire? I dont think we gave it much thought at the time, but maybe someone else did.
ETA: Maybe it was in the podcast... I will listen again.

I don’t recall a “major disaster”-type fire but I do remember reading that there was a small campfire near where Denim’s tent was, but it was “overgrown with weeds and grass”, insinuating that it had not been lit/used for a period of time. Not sure if that answers your question.

Has anyone else wondered why he was so willing to be photographed along the trail if his identity was to be such a secret? Starting to make me think he was someone who literally had no family or acquaintances to miss him and report him missing, which is making it so difficult to figure out “who” he really was. These comments aren’t meant to be derogatory, it just makes me wonder...

The lady who took the photograph and worked at the store where he stopped mentioned that he initially was hesitant but said it didn’t take much convincing in order for him to let her photograph him. It seemed to me that, at the time and in tradition, she was wanting the photo as a keepsake...for the business and to capture one of the many faces to grace the trail

I do remember a campsite fire coming up relatively early in discussion of this case, but not much about it – I don't think there was any inference by LE that it was pertinent. It would take poring over thread 1 to find out if there's anything more than just a brief report that it happened, or who reported it
.

(forgot why I quoted...too lazy to erase...)

Whoa - 3 lbs you think is *not light* for a backpacking tent?? Before the "go light" craze I regularly backpacked with a high end 2 person tent that weighed +7lbs. Even my bivvy sack is 1.5 lbs. Brooks is fairly high end gear and I would argue this is a very light tent.

FWIW, I agree! Very light! Then again, I’ve never spent a year on the AT!

Wondered about the photos myself. He clearly didn't care whether people took his picture and that would seem to eliminate any "wanted man" theory.

(see above...?....I’m so bad at this)

For every theory, there seems to be an explanation that contradicts it.

I know there's a couple missing months in the timeline, between the spring Florida photo and the summer discovery of his body. Does anyone think he really hiked down to Key West and back, spent time with a sister, or just lived and milled around Big Cypress, steadily losing weight?

I’d love to learn what occurred during those missing weeks! Even though I’d almost bet it would break my heart.

It may be a silly way to think but I still feel like the visit to his sister (if there was going to be one) would have been a surprise to her. It's not abnormal to go "no contact" with parents or siblings when the family situation was abusive. Maybe he was trying to make amends? Maybe the trip was spur of the moment and a way for him to come to peace before reconnecting with her?

I know this is all out there speculation. I've been trying to make sense of a situation where there is actually a sibling yet no one reporting him missing when he didn't arrive. It would have had to be a surprise and also a situation where no contact was normal.

(sorry...I’ll probably remember why this was quoted eventually) I do think he visited or intended to visit a sister or relative... I just don’t think that person is or was living at the time... Something about him gives me the impression that it would have been difficult for him to tell a lie. Even if it was to a stranger.

Does LE have these pictures?

Good question... I assumed they did, but now I’m not sure! I have been in contact with them though about a possible match, so I’ll figure out where I found these and forward them to CCSO if need be! Thanks for asking, because I have always assumed...

 

[Melt71]

I have been in contact with them though about a possible match, so I’ll figure out where I found these and forward them to CCSO if need be! Thanks for asking, because I have always assumed...

@MadMcGoo do you know if they are looking at something like DDP? We could probably raise the funds just off this thread!

 

[MadMcGoo]

@MadMcGoo do you know if they are looking at something like DDP? We could probably raise the funds just off this thread!

I know! I’m positive it would only take a matter of hours to raise funds for him! I honestly haven’t seen much talk about it other than the typical “they should do DNA!” comments on Facebook. I just realized that it’s coming up on 18 months!! Wow. Seems like yesterday...

 

[WildhorseC]

It may be a silly way to think but I still feel like the visit to his sister (if there was going to be one) would have been a surprise to her. It's not abnormal to go "no contact" with parents or siblings when the family situation was abusive. Maybe he was trying to make amends? Maybe the trip was spur of the moment and a way for him to come to peace before reconnecting with her?

I know this is all out there speculation. I've been trying to make sense of a situation where there is actually a sibling yet no one reporting him missing when he didn't arrive. It would have had to be a surprise and also a situation where no contact was normal.

I’m new to this so forgive me if I did this wrong but I was also thinking it could be along the lines of my family. I have 9 siblings & we are not close. We’ve all grown up and most moved away. If I left to surprise my sibling w/a visit & didn't make it I doubt anyone from my family would report it because we don’t speak often. My mom would of course be calling my husband but we don’t know that he has any parents still living. My husband & kids of course would notice & report it but if he isn’t married or have children old enough to know somethings wrong & report it then who would? His employer if he had one would just assume he decided to quit but you’d think his roommate or whoever he was renting from would notice & possibly report it but maybe he owned a home but seems like the mail would be piling up along with utilities being shut off but would they report it? Probably not. It’s hard to imagine someone could get lost in today’s technology but it seems it’s easier than we thought

 

[neesaki]

I assume we have no idea why they think there could be a Lake George, NY connection? I did look into the boat accident there. Found the guys FB page and no resemblance. Actually he was from Brooklyn but the accident happened at Lake George. Did someone mention rabbit holes?

 

[Onaliv]

I assume we have no idea why they think there could be a Lake George, NY connection? I did look into the boat accident there. Found the guys FB page and no resemblance. Actually he was from Brooklyn but the accident happened at Lake George. Did someone mention rabbit holes?

There’s so many prior comments but if memory is correct the sheriff’s dept added that as a possible tip, and I think from someone’s recollections if talking with him while hiking

 

[Gardener1850]

The other thing I cant find any info on... the fire that happened at the shelter in Big Cypress near Nobles Camp and at about the same time as Ben's passing... does anyone else remember that from thread 1 or CCSO information. I have stayed away from all Social Media and other sleuthing sites on this case so it had to be a legit source... CCSO, podcast, newspaper...

Any early participants here that remember that fire? I dont think we gave it much thought at the time, but maybe someone else did.

ETA: Maybe it was in the podcast... I will listen again.

BBM. I believe the fire you are thinking of actually happened a few months before in March 2018. This is a news article about the fire: Big Cypress wildfire 25 percent contained
The way I am remembering it is that a hiking group social media page (Possibly the Florida Trail Association?) made a post about the trail being closed for the fire. A hiker commented on that post about the fire, asking if anyone had seen "Mostly Harmless" since the fire closed the trail. I seem to recall that the comment was before he was found deceased and unidentified. Others commented later with his unidentified flyer trying to figure out where and when he was seen on the Florida Trail. I can't find those comments now but it was brought up in the first thread.

Early on in the case some people thought he might have got caught at the campground during the fire and died as a result of being trapped there (from smoke inhalation), but later we found out he died only a day or so before being found and cause of death was starvation. The fire was cleared and trail reopened months before he was found. It's unclear to me if he was hiking and camping in Big Cypress National Park (BCNP) from March until July or if he passed through BCNP earlier, made it to Key West and was on his way back north when he died. If he made it to Key West, no one has reported meeting him there.

The last reported sightings of him that we found were from March 2018. Which could mean he was camping out in BCNP for 4-5 months before he died. Perhaps he was sick and unable to hike very far for those months and perhaps that is when he dropped weight? If no one met him from April to July, and he was too weak to hike out on his own, then he may have never had an opportunity to ask someone for help getting out of the campsite and to a doctor before he died. MOO.