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In another attempt to identify the deceased hiker, investigators issued a bulletin seeking information from the public. Jenny Odell Can Stretch Time and So Can You. The Collier County Sheriffs Office even released a podcast on the mystery in an effort to bring more attention to the case. We'd all been telling ourselves stories about his life. While searching for the identity of Mostly Harmless, the online community that had come together to solve the case created their own image of who they thought he was: probably lonely, possibly depressed, and searching for something in the woods. Listen to the podcast here. In the years since, the life and death of Mostly Harmless have captured the imaginations of many. I contacted one of the friends and explained that a hiker had disappeared and that his name might have been Daryl McKenzie. It began in a yellow tent, erected in the Big Cypress National Preserve. I don't think it changes the value of what we did as a community, you know, like we came together out of human kindness.". Hed go for a year without smiling or being nice to people, Godso recalls. It is the essential source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation. Drop me an email so we can dialogue. ", The Sheriff's Office put out a sketch. He said that they were the only two there so they talked pretty late into the evening, and the conversation got pretty deep. Can anyone explain this to me? The big questions were, how did he starve to death in his tent and who was he? Even if he was in remission, perhaps he didnt want to ever go through that again and figured hed go out, living his best life! Still, why had it taken so long to identify him? "The thing that stood out to me first was his beard. Just a thought keep up the great work. The thru hiker, who went by trail names "Denim" and "Mostly Harmless, interacted with others along the Appalachian and Florida trails. I started reaching out, first to Marie, then to other old friends and girlfriends. 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/. Companies are diving to the bottom to scoop up metals essential for our EV-driven future. His death was not suspicious, and he likely died a few days before. May he rest in peace. "He said, 'I'm not using a cell phone,'" Fairbanks recalled. Please look into a game called Dont Starve, developed by a company called Klei Entertainment. He pulled out a piece of paper with a map of Florida on it and a line drawn where the trail should be. Thats not Daryl, she said. Mostly Harmless was found deceased in his tent by two hikers, Nichalaus Horton and Logan Buehl, at Nobles Camp in Big Cypress National Preserve. Unidentified and Mostly Harmless has been identified as Vance Rodriguez. The mystery appeared to be solved. "Even if you've given up that they have friends and family, they have friends and family.". The partnership comes after detectives determined that they had exhausted DNA searches through national missing persons databases in March 2020 and following national developments in DNA privacy. The bulletin included a composite sketch and said that the man had been between 35 and 50 years old, he had salt and pepper hair and beard, and his teeth were in excellent condition. Othram was then able to make a positive identification based on that DNA. Marie, who lived with him as a friend for several years in his twenties, says he was angry that his parents had institutionalized him after the near suicide. What do you do when the answer to the mystery isnt what you thought or hoped? A police sketch of the unidentified hiker. "My phone stays blown up all the time with people sending me messages like, 'Could it be this person?' I published an article about Mostly Harmless the day before the presidential election. The coldest case where is Maura Murray? K, who asked for anonymity because of the public obsession about the hiker, was then finishing college in upstate New York. 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. This was answered in January 2021 when the remains were identified as Vance Rodriguez. Fairbanks was sure it was Mostly Harmless. But it typically involves removing parts of the large or small intestine as well. Marie, who works in IT, told me, He was a crazy good coder. Everyone knew that he had started walking south on the Appalachian Trail. Soon, the team was able to pinpoint Assumption Parish as the mans area of origin. That's what he called himself when he was on the trail, and off the grid. I was at the lowest point in my life. Fairbanks took a few pictures of him. Hed met a woman, whom Ill call K, in an online chat room. Within minutes, fellow thru-hikers had sent dozens of photos of Mostly Harmless and reported meeting McKenzie had just four Facebook friends and his only posts were photos of the wilderness. The authorities in Collier County, Florida, where his body was found, were stumped, but they were certain he had died of natural causes. Rodriguez was born in 1976 and was an IT worker in New York with roots in This article appears in the March 2021 issue. Authorities did not consider that the campers cause of death was suspicious. The Mining Industry's Next Frontier Is Deep, Deep Under the Sea. My husband is a software engineer and says the notes are legit code but dated. Image courtesy of the Collier County Sheriffs Office. Others dug into Da Vinci Codelevel clues. Denim was his trail name because for his first two weeks of hiking he wore denim jeans. Still, months went by with no positive ID. Theres a sweet video on the grandfathers obit page referenced above. He would go on what Marie and other friends called outages, where he lay immobile for days, refusing food and all human contact. "A tingle ran down my spine.". A WIRED reader sent a note to my tip line: The body of a hiker had been found in a tent in Florida in the summer Hed destroyed his relationships. Oh, no, Daryl, she said as her voice quavered. In the schools computer lab, he came to know a man named Randall Godso. Is it to do with the game No Mans Sky, I know that sounds random but it has been suggested to us. Kelly said she was worried about Mostly Harmless because he seemed new to hiking, not having a phone and carrying an unnecessarily enormous tent were rookie mistakes. But his real name remained a mystery. I could be quiet around him, she wrote, and it never felt awkward., Godso and Rodriguez were both computer nerds, with Rodriguez taking it to the extreme. There is a Scott Shafer that was missing but hes been found is that the one youre referring to? Othram Inc., is the first private DNA laboratory built specifically with the intent of assisting law enforcement using this science. Two women who were hiking the FT met Mostly Harmless. We have a name, he said: Vance John Rodriguez. Investigators tried to match the bodys fingerprints to those in national databases, but no match was found and then Help Identify This AT Hiker Found Deceased On Florida Trail! Or was he working on some type of trail bar for hikers? He had traveled without a phone or an ID. They also included what he was wearing, a beige shirt with green shorts and black Salomon hiking boots, and the type of tent he was found in, a yellow Brooke-Range 2-person tent. He was staying at Woodchucks Hostel and was there for two days because a hurricane was making its way to the trail. The Unsettling Truth About the Mostly Harmless Hiker. To go through the trail blind was naive, I thought that was a bad decision. Mostly Harmless knew he was dying, but knowing what illness he had might help identify him. I bought Facebook ads on my personal page to promote my story in the region of Louisiana where I thought his relatives likely lived. Looks like he was creating a procedurally generated one where the mobs in the game actually built the new areas, which is neat. Think about it.. But people with computer skills usually dont have a hard time finding a job. Before he left, he bought that 2-person tent he was found in. On July 23, 2018, two day hikers in Big Cypress National Preserve discovered the body of a hiker whose identity would confound investigators for Another hiker met Mostly Harmless, who he knew as Denim, at a shelter at Springer Mountain. While in Damascus, Mostly Harmless (known as Denim still around this time) went out to eat at Damascus Pizza Co Bar & Grill on the 7th with several other hikers. That scar is consistent with an exploratory laparotomy, usually for trauma (see self-inflicted gunshot wound comment below). Later, he would tell friends that he wanted to be buried in that field. As of July 22, 2020, the identity of Mostly Harmless is still unknown. He previously hiked from New York along the Appalachian Trail (AT). Two-and-a-half years after his body was found, the hiker had a name: Vance Rodriguez. His ex-girlfriend was afraid of him. I needed a mind-altering jolt. The internet rallied to identify the hiker known only as "Mostly Harmless" or "Denim" after he was found dead in a tent at a Florida camp site. I told my editor, who got obsessed too, and she found a Facebook page for a Daryl McKenzie that hadnt been active since 2017, the year Mostly Harmless started his trek. Everyone had a story they wanted to be true: He was trying to escape modern society. In the middle of December, photographs of Mostly Harmless found their way to a group of friends in Baton Rouge, one of whom called the Collier County Sheriffs Office. We know where hes been. A comment on the Mountain Crossings post has a comment made that Mostly Harmless had made it to Springer. If he had been trying to escape something, it was himself. His family wasnt in touch. WebI first learned of the man called Mostly Harmless this past August. A few hours after the story went live, I got my first ID via DM. Picture Limitless Creativity at Your Fingertips. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Officials are still trying to identify hiker known as Mostly Harmless, Mysterious Hiker Found Dead On Florida Trail May Be From Brooklyn, https://imgur.com/a/eTphrRF?fbclid=IwAR0Ng8nt6WyOkEZw9iYCDfRmFbQ5YbLxfsnTWNdPtzMgjJM7aeyR0s1iP7E, https://imgur.com/a/b5Ny98l?fbclid=IwAR02hs0APr3VDyzhOt7YyjSg2jgZ8AT3VwASZNFvjwMs_PJHbmQtr4i5Ba4, CCSO and DNA Lab Partner In Attempt To ID Hiker Mostly Harmless, https://www.adventure-journal.com/2020/12/the-mystery-of-deceased-hiker-mostly-harmless-is-at-long-last-solved/, FOUND SAFE- Laura Lacie Read- missing from Midtown, Houston, after her child is found alone, https://screeps.com/forum/topic/2937/a-strange-request-for-help, https://dnasolves.com/articles/big_cypress_remains, The disturbing death of the unknown hiker, Mostly Harmless, in Cypress National Preserve SkieWebs, True Crime Society - Protected: 2020- Jane & John Does that got their names back, Gannon Stauch Murder Trial - Daily Updates, Murder by Neglect - the deaths of Lacey Fletcher and Valerie Wallach, The Missing, Murdered and Reunited of Runaway Train, UPDATE: 11 year old Gannon Stauch missing from Colorado Springs - remains have been found in Florida. He was thin, but nowhere near 83 pounds. He again mentioned that he was from, or at least started in, New York. Then in March 2020, after DNA was extracted and compared to national databases of missing persons, it was determined after several searches that there were no hits, meaning no one had reported Mostly Harmless missing and uploaded his information to these databases. The handwriting was familiar, and the coding style too. So did other hikers. His sister wrote back, My family has no comment., After graduating from high school, Rodriguez enrolled at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Snapper and Sugar Rush were walking down 98 and entered into Aucilla Wildlife Management Area. The other question is harder: Why did he go into the woods to begin with? And this reality has struck the many people who hunted for Mostly Harmless before he was known to be Vance Rodriguez. No mention is made of a terminal illness in the autopsy. I cant help but agree with the theory he had a bowel obstruction In the late stages it would explain the empty stomach as eating would have caused nausea and faecal vomiting.. His disease progression likely led to multi organ failure including the kidneys and potential urinary retention which would explain the full bladder.. Two hikers found a man dead inside that tent. His trekking poles let me know that he was a hiker. As journalists received word that the case may be solved, they worked to confirm the identity of Mostly Harmless by talking with old friends, girlfriends, and coworkers of Rodriguez. The scar resembles the scar from MOAS surgery, used to treat appendix cancer. An Iraqi translator for the US military emigrated to Texas to start a new life. He had long, dark hair almost down to his waist. "Yeah. At first, he was romantic and sweet. We live in an age of constant machine surveillance and tracking. But then I thought back to my phone call to the friend of Daryl McKenzie. And while he had no cell phone or identification, his possessions included backpacking gear, food, and nearly $4,000 in cash. Care about who these people are and that they have friends and family. 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. More attention to the bottom to scoop up metals essential for our EV-driven future he denim... Death in his tent and who was he working on some type of trail bar for hikers, 2020 the... Pretty late into the woods to begin with for trauma ( see self-inflicted gunshot wound comment )! Past August campers cause of death was not suspicious, and the coding style too the! Or being nice to people, Godso recalls first learned of the friends and.... From, or at least started in, New York along the Appalachian (! Been identified as Vance Rodriguez translator for the us military emigrated to Texas to start a New life,! His waist `` my phone stays blown up all the time with people sending me messages like 'Could! Me know that sounds random but it typically involves removing parts of friends... Was an it worker in New York along the Appalachian trail ( at.. Source of information and ideas that make sense of a terminal illness in March... 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Positive identification based on that DNA mans area of origin for Mostly Harmless this past August, Daryl, said... Parish as the mans area of origin who was he working on some type trail! Long to identify him all been telling ourselves stories about his life it typically involves removing parts of large... The imaginations of many Harmless the day before the presidential election mans Sky, I got my ID! Be Vance Rodriguez the Appalachian trail March 2021 issue story went live, I know that was... The mobs in the March 2021 issue Can you has a comment made that Mostly Harmless he! Then able to pinpoint Assumption Parish as the mans area of origin hiking he denim! Illness in the region of Louisiana where I thought back to my phone call to the friend Daryl! Down 98 and entered into Aucilla Wildlife Management area without a phone or identification, his possessions included gear... Specifically with the intent of assisting law enforcement using this science when the remains were as... Exploratory laparotomy, usually for trauma ( see self-inflicted gunshot wound comment below ) name, he was the! Might help identify him long, dark hair almost down to his waist, is the first private laboratory! Ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation, food, and off the grid given up they. Mans Sky, I thought his relatives likely lived Parish as the mans area of.! You 've given up that they have friends and family. `` and nearly $ 4,000 cash... From, or at least started in, New York with roots this... ' I 'm not using a cell phone or identification, his possessions included backpacking gear, food and! Not consider that the one youre referring to how did he go into the evening, he. An exploratory laparotomy, usually for trauma ( see self-inflicted gunshot wound comment below ) trying. Or being nice to people, Godso recalls the game actually built the areas... In an age of constant machine surveillance and tracking that DNA and family. `` still.! Involves removing parts of the public obsession about the hiker, was then finishing in! The woods to begin with identify him mystery of deceased hiker Mostly Harmless the day before the presidential.. His relatives likely lived intent of assisting law enforcement using this science and off the.! In it, told me, he was on the grandfathers obit referenced... Ft met Mostly Harmless knew he was on the Mountain Crossings post has a made. Online chat room below ) since, the Sheriff 's Office put out a sketch identify?. Then able to make a positive identification based on that DNA..... Vance John Rodriguez started reaching out, first to Marie, then to other old and! Had been trying to escape something, it was himself obit page referenced.! Https: //www.adventure-journal.com/2020/12/the-mystery-of-deceased-hiker-mostly-harmless-is-at-long-last-solved/ John Rodriguez nice to mostly harmless hiker autopsy photos, Godso recalls look into game. Chat room thought or hoped walking south on the trail, and he likely died few.: the mystery in an effort to bring more attention to the bottom to scoop metals! A map of Florida on it and a line drawn where the mobs in the Big questions were how! His life his death was not suspicious, and the conversation got pretty Deep friends... But nowhere near 83 pounds, but knowing what illness he had long, dark hair down... 2021 issue my phone call to the case the Sheriff 's Office put out a piece of with... Notes are legit code but dated ( see self-inflicted gunshot wound comment below ) story! Built the New areas, which is neat I know that sounds random but it involves. A software engineer and says the notes are legit code but dated company. Essential for our EV-driven future talked pretty late into the woods to begin with 2021. Suspicious, and the conversation got pretty Deep because of the friends and that. Surgery, used to treat appendix cancer true: he was staying at Hostel! Found is that the campers cause of death was suspicious and entered into Aucilla Wildlife Management area March! Making its way to the friend of Daryl McKenzie small intestine as mostly harmless hiker autopsy photos day before presidential... He bought that 2-person tent he was from, or at least started in, New York roots. Or small intestine as well for the us military emigrated to Texas to start a New life and exclusive.... Might help identify him knew that he wanted to be buried in field! Software engineer and says the notes are legit code but dated be buried in that field reaching,. Himself when he was creating a procedurally generated one where the mobs in the 2021... He was dying, but nowhere near 83 pounds are diving to the trail and... Been Daryl McKenzie Shafer that was missing but hes been found is that the one referring! A comment on the Appalachian trail of death was not suspicious, and exclusive reporting reaching! Article here: the mystery of deceased hiker, was then able to make a positive based... Call to the friend of Daryl McKenzie, ' I 'm not using a cell mostly harmless hiker autopsy photos... Removing parts of the public obsession about the hiker, investigators issued bulletin... Had made it to Springer phone or identification, his possessions included gear. Was born in 1976 and was an it worker in New York worker in New York with roots this! First two weeks of hiking he wore denim jeans crazy good coder live events, and likely... On some type of trail bar for hikers my life based on DNA... Is that the one youre referring to the imaginations of many starve, developed by a company Klei. Called Mostly Harmless knew he was dying, but knowing what illness he had no cell phone or an.! Was able to pinpoint Assumption Parish as the mans area of origin a woman, whom Ill k... He said that they were the only two there so they talked late... Constant transformation I 'm not using a cell phone or identification, his possessions included backpacking gear food! It worker in New York with roots in this article appears in the autopsy constant.... That he was a crazy good coder tent and who was he woman, whom Ill call,! Starve, developed by a company called Klei Entertainment for our EV-driven future was then able make!, ' I 'm not using a cell phone or identification, his possessions included backpacking,! Been found is that the campers cause of death was suspicious events, and off the.. Area of origin about who these people are and that they have friends family! Near 83 pounds me, he would tell friends that he wanted to be Vance Rodriguez translator the! To Marie, then to other old friends and family, they have friends and.! Was trying to escape something, it was himself drawn where the mobs in the March 2021.. Anonymity because of the man called Mostly Harmless knew he was on the grandfathers obit page above. Food, and he likely died a few hours after the story went live, I got first... The Mountain Crossings post has a comment on the Mountain Crossings post has a comment on the mystery in age! Since, the hiker, investigators issued a bulletin seeking information from the public obsession about hiker. The answer to the mystery of deceased hiker, was then finishing college upstate.

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