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

[ZaZara]

First time reading through this. There is an update on the Collier County fb page identifying him as "Harmless" aka "Denim" Collier County Sheriff's Office

In one of the remarks it is said that in 2017 he was called Denim because when he first got on trail he didn't know much about hiking and was wearing denim jeans.

IMHO the Mostly Harmless from Norway (2009) is an experienced hiker and a different person.

 

[Bethan]

?? I don't see a post. Something went wrong?

Sorry.....deleted.

 

[Bit of hope]

First time reading through this. There is an update on the Collier County fb page identifying him as "Harmless" aka "Denim" Collier County Sheriff's Office

Thank you for your reminder. We are already aware of this and on to it. I hope we can find his real name or Social Media will lead back to friends or family starting to wonder how he is doing.

 

[Satchie]

Thanks. I haven't see the programme.

It was originally a book by Jon Krakauer, he was able to trace McCandlesses wanderings thru the western US during the 2 years before his death. He had stopped communicating with his family, but they hadn't filed a missing person's report. It's on many high school/college reading lists, it really speaks to the craving many young people have to be free, and is quite poignant if you can empathize with him (some people just criticize him as naive). Fabulous film version, as well.

ETA I can't help but assume someone is going to write this man's story, as well, since the book Wild, about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, was also a huge success.

 

[moonriverfarm]

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

 

[dotr]

Seem to recall a similar thread..
Aug 10 2018 rbbm.
ID of man found dead in Big Cypress Preserve still unclear after hikers send photos, tips

"Photo of a hiker who went by trail names "Denim" and "Mostly Harmless." He was found dead in Big Cypress National Preserve July 23. Investigators do not know his real name.(Photo: CCSO)"

"The Collier County Sheriff's Office on Friday confirmed the person found in Big Cypress July 23 went by the trail names "Denim" and "Mostly Harmless." He might have died just a few days before he was found, the Sheriff's Office stated.

Two men hiking an area of Big Cypress about 5 miles north of Interstate 75's mile marker 63 found him inside a tent.

"Investigators think the man has ties to New York state and Louisiana. He might have worked in the technology industry."
What we need most from the public is info on the name of the hiker known as Denim and Mostly Harmless so that his family can be notified and lay their loved one to rest," the post reads.

Anyone with information about the hiker is asked to call the non-emergency line of the Sheriff's Office at 239-252-9300."

 

[dotr]

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

Unidentified, decomposed body found in Florida woods; Some think he's a Baton Rouge native
"The man is believed to be between 35 and 50 years old, 5’8” and weighed only 83 pounds.

In numerous Facebook threads, other hikers said they saw a man matching the likeness up and down the eastern United States. One person suggested they had a conversation about the man being a native of Baton Rouge."
"People wrote in addition to having been told he was born in Baton Rouge he also told stories about him most recently living in the New York area where he was a programmer before he decided to start hiking."
rbbm.

 

[booghawk]

Make sure you check for threads before starting a new one

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

 

[booghawk]

Update:

 

[carbuff]

A couple of articles about the latest update:


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

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

 

[tarabull]

Hiker found dead in Florida could be from New York

 

[Bethan]

Hiker found dead in Florida could be from New York

Unfortunately I can’t access this from the UK.

Can you tell me why they think this please?

 

[Nancy Drew RN]

Unfortunately I can’t access this from the UK.

Can you tell me why they think this please?

"They believe he had ties to New York and Louisiana and may have worked in the tech industry.

Investigators think his hike began somewhere in New York.

That information was given by other hikers who encountered the man on various trails this summer"
​

I wish they would circulate the photos of him with less of a beard/towards the start of his hike--I imagine they might be closer to how people in his past life knew him. My suspicion is that if he's been without a phone, etc., this whole time, although his loved ones may have grown concerned, they are probably not in regular contact, and he's not yet been reported missing.

 

[marylandmissing]

"They believe he had ties to New York and Louisiana and may have worked in the tech industry.

Investigators think his hike began somewhere in New York.

That information was given by other hikers who encountered the man on various trails this summer"
​

I wish they would circulate the photos of him with less of a beard/towards the start of his hike--I imagine they might be closer to how people in his past life knew him. My suspicion is that if he's been without a phone, etc., this whole time, although his loved ones may have grown concerned, they are probably not in regular contact, and he's not yet been reported missing.

 

[LibbyinTexas]

He used the name Ben Bilemy to sign into some hostels -- seems like it could be an anagram or have some meaning to him --- Bile ( maybe he had end stage cancer since he weighed 83 lbs) or something that meant something to him in that name. A google search yields nothing of a last name Bilemy. My Bile ... ???

 

[marylandmissing]

I read one another page that he also had a nickname name Rouge and he had gone to Naples to find a woman name Liz...Also read he is originally from Baton Rouge...A lot of people who set out to thru-hike did for specific reasons...Some just finished college and wanted to spend some time being wild and free before settling down in the work world, others just divorced, mid-life and realizing you aren't going to have kids/get married, death of a loved one, retirement, PTSD, recovering from addictions, terminal illness, mental illness, etc...

Few things I think might be able to help identify him:
(1) It says he did jobs along the trail for money...Day Labor places require ID...
(2) It says he was from Baton Rouge and was a computer programmer working in NYC and living in NJ...He probably has a linkedin account somewhere...
(3) He gave the alias Ben Bilemy...Alias are usually very closely related to the person...His first name likely was Ben or his fathers/brothers and I'm betting his last name is probably close to Bilemy...Maybe Bellamy or something ending in my...
(4) Find out who Liz is...Sounds like he went to Florida for a love interest there name Liz...

 

[marylandmissing]

Also meant to add another way if someone wants to help is Meetup.com...I run a hiking group in Maryland on Meetup and I can tell you long distance hikers train like crazy through there...If he lived in NYC he probably was in a Meetup group there...Actually a lot of hikers first start in Meetup...I'd check all the NY area hiking groups in Meetup...

 

[jinger]

If he had cancer wouldn't the autopsy have revealed that? I think he was just dropping weight because he wasn't keeping up with the calories he was blowing through doing all that hiking! Has the cause of death been revealed? Was it dehydration?

 

[carbuff]

There are a lot of terminal illnesses that are difficult to diagnose even when you're alive (most lymphomas and leukemias, for example) and non-terminal conditions that can be fatal if not treated (diabetes comes to mind; I don't know whether that leaves traces an autopsy could detect).

 

[RickshawFan]

The tent and boots are not cheap. Cant tell if the poles are due to lack of info on model.

The poles are Walmart. "Outdoor Products" is a Walmart brand.