Alright. So I kept having ideas pop into my head and figured it'd be good to get them all out in one go. So here we go. Disclaimer: I know I'm making some leaps here. These are my opinions based on what I know of the case and the gut feeling conclusions I draw from the clues.
Family
Health
The Hike
TL;DR: IMO, Ben's dad was in the military. His mom is likely dead. He grew up comfortably middle/upper middle class, but obviously moved around a lot early on. He is an only child. He may have broken up with a long-term girlfriend prior to leaving for the thru-hike. He had every intention of returning to his "real life" after the hike. His death was tragic and accidental.
Family
- Mother & Father: He said he did not have contact with his family because his dad was abusive. This suggests to me that either his parents are still married, or his mother is dead. If they're alive and still married, I wonder if they're a part of a religion or culture where women have less agency or power. Maybe fundamentalist LDS, or fringe sect of Christianity. If we're going by what's more likely, I think she's probably dead. It's hard for me to believe that he could still be unidentified if his mother is alive and capable of looking for him.
- Mother's background: I remember reading somewhere that he spoke creole french with someone along the trail, attributing his fluency to his mother. I know that he told someone that he was born in Baton Rouge. This leads me to believe that his mother was from Baton Rouge and his dad was not. I think that his dad probably met and married his mom, they had Ben, then they left the state shortly after. There are a few military bases around Baton Rouge - any opinions on whether Ben may have been an army brat? It might explain the lack of an accent, comfort with being a nomad, and how he hasn't been identified yet (no one from his childhood recognizing him)
- Sister in FL: I don't believe he has a sister in FL. As others have pointed out, what we know about the timeline and his hiking progress doesn't align with a stay in Sarasota. That, and I think she would've reported him missing by now if this was truly the case. I believe he may have said this to the hiker as a way to excuse himself from being around anyone for too long. Kinda like a "hey, I have an early morning tomorrow at work, I gotta turn in..." type thing. If this is the case, I also wonder if the "I can only hike 10 miles a day" was another way to excuse himself from joining a group or spending too much time with others. This type of personality works with the things we know about his interests and hobbies. They're interests are things that can be enjoyed alone, which lends credence to my army brat theory as well.
Health
- Death: I think he truly just didn't know how emaciated he was and starved by accident. I know that sounds absolutely crazy, but hear me out. On the show Alone, I remember there was a contestant named Dave Nessia. For those unfamiliar with the show, the premise is that contestants have to survive in the wilderness alone. Anyway, Dave was really knowledgeable on survival, very upbeat and chipper. Near the end of his run on the show, he talked about his caloric intake. It was...like, nothing. He was starting to look skeletal, but was absolutely convinced that he was thriving and doing awesome. Eventually the producers had to step in and pull him out. He was PISSED because, in his head, he was doing great and could've won the whole thing. Fast forward to the follow-up reunion thing, he admitted that he didn't have any idea how absolutely skeletal he looked by the end. (Link: So how is Dave Nessia doing? ) So my point: while this story is anecdotal, I think the idea that he "accidentally" starved isn't as far fetched as some might think. Add to this the fact that Ben was a rookie, and I think it's even more plausible.
- Teeth: I've seen it stated that he had "good" teeth. I can also tell by some of the photos that he had straight, pretty white teeth. The autopsy stated there was some grinding but the teeth were in generally good condition. This leads me to believe that he grew up relatively comfortable and was well cared for. If he was "off the grid" as others suspect, he probably wouldn't have had access to braces (straight teeth) nor routine dental care (good condition). Teeth grinding is common, but it might indicate anxiety.
- Career: I think he had to have been in IT as his career. The posts I've seen reviewing the screeps codes suggest that he was likely advanced when it comes to coding, but wasn't perhaps as familiar with the specifics of the game itself. In a reddit post in the screeps subreddit, one user notes that Ben's code unnecessarily identifies the number of power units needed once he gains access to a room. The user also stated that it was clear that Ben knew what he was doing when it came to coding, but wasn't as familiar with the ins-and-outs of the game. Maybe he picked up the game to keep his coding skills "fresh" while off work, or maybe to just entertain himself.
- Residence: People mention that he said he lived in NY prior to setting off on his hike. I'm from Upstate NY, and I know when I tell people who live elsewhere in the country that I'm from NY, they automatically assume NYC. I wonder how often this detail has been muddied or complicated when retelling encounters with Ben. FWIW though, I think it's probably likely he worked in NYC just based on his job. If he told people he was "from NY", he could've been talking about his career or where he grew up. For the latter, it's possible that he could be referring to upstate NY and people could've conflated the two.
- Ex Girlfriend: I believe this to be true. This detail was given to the same individual he told about his abusive father. The fact that he mentioned her makes me believe that it was either a significant relationship or it ended recently. During a conversation so deep, I find it hard to believe that he would bring someone up that he didn't care about or that was in his life many years ago. Perhaps they broke up before he decided to leave, or his decision to leave was influenced by a break-up. The ex GF may not even know he's missing if they ended on bad terms, which would explain why no one reported him.
The Hike
- Appalachian Trail Thru-hike Registration: AT asks thru hikers to voluntarily register to help them determine the amount of wear and tear to expect on the trails in a given year. I tried looking in the WayBackMachine for their 2017 registry, but didn't have any luck. I'm wondering if someone more savvy than me could try to find this information online. Thru-Hiking
TL;DR: IMO, Ben's dad was in the military. His mom is likely dead. He grew up comfortably middle/upper middle class, but obviously moved around a lot early on. He is an only child. He may have broken up with a long-term girlfriend prior to leaving for the thru-hike. He had every intention of returning to his "real life" after the hike. His death was tragic and accidental.
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