He told friends over the years that his father had deeply hurt him, but no one I spoke with seems to be clear exactly how. This was answered in January 2021 when the remains were identified as Vance Rodriguez. All attempts to identify the man came to nothing. Had he been terminally ill, the pathologist would surely have found out. I and others worked to confirm his identity, with the first press story about Rodriguez appearing in late December in Adventure Journal. A man was able to disappear in no small part because no one was looking for him. "As soon as I saw the pictures I knew immediately it's like, 'Oh, that's Vance!'" Maybe Rodriguezs story is similar to Codys. And, of course, people thought they knew who he was. And then he went into the woods and became Mostly Harmless. Mostly Harmless was officially identified today as Vance John Rodriguez, two and a half years after his body was found in a tent in a Florida national park. A camper at Pine Log State Forest said she met Mostly Harmless at the Sand Pond Campground. Poor soul RIP. Did he mention Dont Starve? Become a member of StrangeOutdoors.com for exclusive content, See the latest Exclusive members-only articles on StrangeOutdoors.com, https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/51453, http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/3343umfl.html, https://truecrimesociety.com/2019/08/22/unidentified-and-mostly-harmless/, https://patch.com/new-york/brooklyn/can-police-podcast-help-id-mysterious-appalachian-hiker, https://unidentified.wikia.org/wiki/Ben_Bilemy, https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/cyj27g/unidentified_hiker_mostly_harmless/, https://www.colliersheriff.org/news/sworn-statement#ad-image-0, https://www.facebook.com/colliersheriff/posts/3207390245987402, https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/vance-rodriguez-idd-as-mostly-harmless-hiker-found-dead, Tagged: The disturbing death of the hiker Mostly Harmless, denim death cypress national preserve, Ben bilemy death cypress national preserve, mostly harmless identity, mostly harmless death, Vance Rodriguez identified as Mostly Harmless, Mostly harmless hiker identity, Vance Rodriguez is denim and mostly harmless, StrangeOutdoors.com Terms of use/Cookie notice/Privacy Policy, Sign Up for a one-off fee to read many exclusive member-only articles, The puzzling disappearance of Saeed Emadi at Strawberry point, The strange hiking death of Jason Chase in New Zealand's Tamaki Reserve, The disturbing death of the unknown hiker, Mostly Harmless, in Cypress National Preserve, Exclusive members-only articles on StrangeOutdoors.com, The disturbing death of the hiker Mostly Harmless, Ben bilemy death cypress national preserve, Vance Rodriguez identified as Mostly Harmless, Vance Rodriguez is denim and mostly harmless, The mysterious disappearance and death of Nicola Bulley in Lancashire, The strange disappearance of the YouTube Survivalist Finn Creaney in the Scottish Highlands, The shocking disappearance of Theresa Ann Bier, The strange disappearance of Daniel Robinson from Buckeye in Arizona, The bizarre deaths of the Gerrish family in Devils Gulch, The strange death of Lucas Renoud at the Hrisson waterfalls in the Jura Mountains, The disturbing disappearance of Daylenn Pua from Hawaiis Stairway To Heaven walkway, The puzzling disappearance of ex-paratrooper Gilbert Gilman from Olympic National Park, The Dead man who saved Brandon Day and Gina Allen on Mount San Jacinto, The strange disappearance and death of Geoff Hague in the Great Smoky Mountains, The weird disappearance of Garrett Bardsley from Cuberant Lake in Utah, The bizarre death of Cullen Finnerty in the Michigan wilderness, The puzzling disappearance of Barbara Bolick from the Bitterroot Mountains, The strange disappearance of Mike Hearon from the Great Smoky Mountains, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) report June 2021, The bizarre disappearance and death of Adrienne Quintal in Michigan, The strange disappearance of Fern Baird from the Prairie Peak Trail in Idaho, The strange deaths of David Horesay and Frederick Hardisty in the Northwest Territories, The disappearance of Steven Kubacki in the Lake Michigan Triangle, The lucky survival story of Chris Staff in the White Mountains - hallucinations, bugs and hunger, Mysterious UFO phenomena begins to be acknowledged officially by the US Military, The mysterious disappearance of Michael Bryson from the Hobo Campground in Oregon. It the name is what I read on Facebook , I found the obituary of his grandfather who recently passed away. She should take her time and call me back whenever, if she even wanted to. I asked her if she was disappointed that Rodriguez had such a dark side. He also told her that he had some health issues and needed/wanted to do the trip while he still could. There is at least one photo of the family at a table that I believe Vance is in (back, right). A couple of years ago an emaciated hiker was found dead in his tent in Southwest Florida. What's the difference? He had money, though, and he was just a few miles from a major highway. According to the Collier Countys Sheriffs Office, and as reported in Adventure Journal and Wired, Mostly Harmless has been identified as Vance Rodriguez, a tech worker from Brooklyn with roots in Louisiana. But I needed a roommate and we got along OK. Godso adds that he doesnt remember Rodriguez ever showing any interest in spending time in the wild. Fairbanks was sure it was Mostly Harmless. Hed go for a year without smiling or being nice to people, Godso recalls. Does anyone know if the notes about food towards the top of the notes list have to do with the game hes describing? -. The people on the trail didn't spend years with him to see how he handled ups and downs. It inspired a group that has committed itself to trying to solve other cold cases. He was trying to escape someone who wanted to hurt him. Especially, that you had to learn about it this way. The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our livesfrom culture to business, science to design. Care about who these people are and that they have friends and family. True. ", "He just had a really kind aura about him, and he was joking and laughing with me. Except he would always code everything the hardest way possible, kind of like you hired Rembrandt to paint your bathroom. According to the podcast, Mike Gormley, another trail angel, was the last known person to see Mostly Harmless. A few phone calls later and it was clear the lead was a red herring. We know what he looks like. Im not sure when. almost all gastric bypasses are done laparoscopically. She went through public records, including a government website called NamUs, a clearinghouse for missing and unidentified persons cases across the country. Rodriguez, according to his roommate, had cut off all contact with his family. He was smiling. Its just so strange with so many pictures of his face no one can ID him.. Like a name? They shared photos of him, created flyers, organized online groups to raise awareness of his story. The mystery of the identity of Mostly Harmless was finally solved in January 2021, thanks to a combination of DNA testing, crowdfunding, and public outreach. Sadly looks like his name is out all over the web on sites regarding MH. She is a trail angel- someone who helps thru-hikers by offering them showers and meals, or anything else they can for hikers. But then, as he lay bleeding to death, he decided to live. Outside was between the car and the building., According to Godso, Rodriguez didnt graduate. Still, months went by with no positive ID. He must have been smart. According to friends who saw the photographs of him on the trail, he looked healthier than ever. There was nothing there that gave us a hint at the time. Mostly Harmless was found deceased in his tent by two hikers, Nichalaus Horton and Logan Buehl, at Nobles Camp in Big Cypress National Preserve. Some caught him on video. I cant wait to see what they could be. Which can be lonely when you share a 500-square-foot apartment, she says. But I was committed to solving the case with others because it would be a great way to prove that people can do great things together.. The ears. Police were able to confirm that he had also used the alias Ben Bilemy to register at several hostels whilst hiking. There have been rumors about his name circulating for the last few weeks, but this is the first official confirmation I've seen. To go through the trail blind was naive, I thought that was a bad decision. Self inflicted gunshot doesnt sound happy. He may have been born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana but no one mentioned a strong accent. She burst into tears. My concern is all of the people who will see this and rush to stalk family members. The autopsy would have found out. He was personable when you first met him, but after spending more time with him in an intimate way his personality completely changed. In the end, everythingeven the meaning of everythingchanged. But this one seemed real. A police sketch of the unidentified hiker. What kind of surgery would leave that long linear abdominal scar? A man was harmed and maybe harmful. They said he was doing the trails without the GPS or even a detailed map so they exchanged trail information- making sure to go into greater detail than usual to help him out the best they could. His name shouldnt even be on this page. "And I said, 'What do you mean, you're not using a cell phone?' Submissions should outline a mystery and provide a link to a more detailed review of the case such as a Wiki article or news report. How sure are you that its the same guy? We have a name, he said: Vance John Rodriguez. Or was he working on some type of trail bar for hikers? You can read the article here: The Mystery of Deceased Hiker Mostly Harmless Is At Long Last Solved https://www.adventure-journal.com/2020/12/the-mystery-of-deceased-hiker-mostly-harmless-is-at-long-last-solved/. Sheriff's detectives searched databases using his face and fingerprints: nothing. "I saw a man walking on the side of the road," said Kelly Fairbanks, a so-called "trail angel" offering help to weary hikers. 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