The podcast confirmed many of the hypotheses I made in my prior post. In addition, seeing the color photos of the journal and full autopsy report reminded me of some thoughts that have been rattling around in my brain for a while.
1. There's a photo of MH with palm trees and scrub brush (idk if this is a real term, but it's what we called it in SW FL) in the background. He's relatively clean shaven and of a healthy weight. Does anyone know when that photo was taken? I've not seen a consistent date, but think it may help line some movements up, as he's sporting some serious mutton chops when he's found. Where did he shave? More importantly
why did he shave?
2. The notebooks are pristine: no food/grease stains, no water damage, no dirt smears (at least majorly visible). Some of the ripped out pages have some yellow staining. I'd hazard he had them packed in ziplock or covered by something waterproof.
3. I don't know that I'd agree 100% that the notebooks were written "while hiking", but certainly agree that they were written after his arrival in Florida. Could have been at a public library, hostel, whatever. Considering the uniformity of the script, I think they were written while stationary for a significant amount of time, rather than on a train, bus, or in a car. I'd also wager he wrote on a hard surface...because think about squatting/reclining/contorting yourself in a tent to write sophisticated content with this degree of penmanship. Is there consistent access to picnic tables along the FT?
4. I'd bet my last dollar that those are Wal-Mart notebooks and were purchased not long before his death. Had he hiked the middle section of the Florida Trail, he wouldn't have had great access to Wal-Mart (up by Sebring, maybe?). But if we throw a stop in Sarasota/Ft. Meyers/Naples into the mix, then bingo.
5. I'm going to get my mother, a recently retired physician, to take a more focused look at the autopsy report. I gave her a verbal read out, and she agreed that something seems off. I think it would be good to know if "abundant" feces means "impacted," as that in conjunction with the empty stomach are red flags. Also...how was he bathing? Stagnant water and amoebic dysentery go hand in hand...and you can absolutely suffer from diarrhea and fecal impaction simultaneously.
6. Something still nags me about his jacket. Probably because I listened to the latest CaseFile podcast episode in which Japanese investigators trace a perpetrator's sweatshirt down to the individual sale lot throughout SE Asia. The BR jacket had a limited run and was sold by only a handful of stores.
7. I'm going to assume he's a US citizen, since his prints would be on file if he was on a work visa or had permanent residency via a green card. He might have voted...and likely in NY state. We're about to have another election, and voter rolls are routinely purged following non-renewal of registration. Perhaps the 2020 presidential election will indeed be kind to us in some way.
8. No idea about his sexual orientation. I am, however, a queer person who has lived in NYC and know that many people sharply cordon off their professional and personal lives. I know in other cases people have made Tinder/Grindr profiles that function as missing persons posters, but do not know the ethics/legality of this practice. Perhaps someone--regardless of gender or sexuality--may have previously swiped right on MH.
9. How did he get from Brooklyn to Bear Mountain. Was he dropped off by ride share? Did he take the train? Bike? Could LE look through Uber/Lyft public data to determine if anyone made a long trip from Brooklyn to Bear Mountain?
10. Tin foil thought #1: if we throw out the Louisiana connection, might he be from an isolated community? I remember wanting to comment on this last year when someone mentioned Mennonite or Amish....and
Sarasota is absolutely a destination for these groups. It is common to pass families in traditional clothes biking on three-wheelers out to the beach.
11. Tin foil thought #2: if not Amish/Mennonite, what about one of the Orthodox Jewish communities (Williamsburg Brooklyn) or Scientology (Clearwater). I know several people who have been shunned from both of these groups...and there's no going back for either.
That's it for now...sorry about the length and thanks for slogging through if you made it this far!
