Reporter Jake Allen with the Naples Daily News contributed to this report. On July 23, 2018, two day hikers in Big Cypress National Preserve discovered the body of a hiker whose identity would confound investigators for years to come. The Collier County Sheriff's Office credited its detectives, tips from the public and DNA technology with identifying Rodriguez. Investigators do not know his real name. Mostly Harmless poses for a photo along the Appalachian Trail. Photo of hiking poles belonging to a man whose body was found in Big Cypress National Preserve July 23. Detectives believe Mostly Harmless, who previously went by the trail name Denim, was also using an alias of Ben Bilemy. The story of the unidentified hiker was aired on the sheriff's office's podcast. In Rodriguez's case, the Collier County Sheriff's Office sent Othram skeletal remains for the company to do another analysis of genetic information. Mostly Harmless’ story was covered by news outlets across the country and Facebook groups with thousands of members popped up with the purpose of combing through clues to try and identify him. A former coworker of Rodriguez saw his photo online and reached out to the sheriff’s office, solving the case. 14 Aug 2018: Hiker found dead went by 'Denim' and 'Mostly Harmless' on the trail, but investigators don't know his real name-- Warning: there is a thumbnail of and a link to a flyer that creates a composite using post-mortem photos, if that sort of thing bothers you. Deceased hiker 'Mostly Harmless' has been identified after two years. Timeline: Deceased hiker 'Mostly Harmless' has been identified after two years. He’s pictured wearing his Brookes Range jacket and the hiking poles he was found with. Composite photo of a man whose body was found in Big Cypress National Preserve July 23. A man was convinced the hiker had played in a hardcore punk rock band in New Orleans. He was identified when a previous coworker recognized photos of him in December 2020, with his identity being released in January 2021. More:Deceased hiker 'Mostly Harmless' has been identified after two years. “Mostly Harmless” has been formally identified as Vance Rodriguez. He was found dead in Big Cypress National Preserve on July 23. Detectives believe Mostly Harmless, who previously went by the trail name Denim, was also using an alias of Ben Bilemy. Another hiker met Mostly Harmless, who he knew as Denim, at a shelter at Springer Mountain. The identity of "Mostly Harmless" was ultimately confirmed this month after a former co-worker of Rodriguez saw a photo of the unknown hiker and reached out to the Sheriff's Office. The family agreed to provide a DNA sample for comparison and a positive identification was made, according to the sheriff’s office. 'Mostly Harmless' is identified: After more than two years, the hiker is identified as Vance Rodriguez. Mostly Harmless was 1st viewed in the woods in the spring of 2017 around New York’s Harriman State Park and he continued southbound down Appalachian Path, Pinhoti and Florida trails. The man known as "Mostly Harmless" is pictured. Thanks all. Show full articles without "Continue Reading" button for {0} hours. Previous coverage: New forensic genealogy technique could be key in solving case of unidentified deceased hiker, Read more: CCSO shares alias of hiker who died in Big Cypress National Preserve, Related: Collier detective: Tips will be 'crucial' to identifying hiker found dead in Big Cypress five months ago. With that test result and the information collected by the sheriff's office, Rodriguez was identified. It was only 4 months before he would be discovered deceased. Photo of a tent belonging to a man whose body was found in Big Cypress National Preserve July 23. The group, called “Unidentified male hiker Ben Bilemy 2018,” is one of several that was dedicated to discovering Mostly Harmless’s identity, including Reddit pages and online sleuthing forums. "Although an autopsy did not indicate foul play in his death, our detectives worked tirelessly to identify him," the Collier County Sheriff's Office wrote in a Facebook post. A hiker who was found dead in a tent in Florida was identified two years later as a New York man who was originally from Lafayette. We interviewed the hikers, pieced together a timeline and looked into dozens of tips submitted by members of the public. Generally Harmless had also advised at least one particular hiker he was from Baton Rouge. Photo of hiking boots belonging to a man whose body was found in Big Cypress National Preserve July 23. The Collier County Sheriff's Office, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office and Othram worked together to test a familial DNA sample to positively identify Rodriguez. Photo of a hiker who went by trail names "Denim" and "Mostly Harmless." When Rodriguez's family was identified, they provided a DNA sample. His trail name began as Denim, but later turned into… He emancipated at 17 with the consent of his parents, according to Lafayette Parish court records. This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: 'Mostly Harmless,' hiker found dead in Florida, identified two years later, from Lafayette, Like us on Facebook to see similar stories, US Coronavirus: Covid-19 cases have declined sharply. Photo of a hiker who went by trail names "Denim" and "Mostly Harmless." Rodriguez was born in 1976 and from Lafayette Parish in Louisiana. Someone else met Mostly Harmless on the FT, near Paisley, Florida. Rodriguez appears to have died of natural causes, according to investigators. The IT worker who lived in New York had set out to hike the Appalachian Trail in 2017, according to the sheriff's office. Collier County officials began searching for information regarding the death of this John Doe. He was found dead in Big Cypress National Preserve on July 23. More: 'I'm going to keep fighting for what's right': Investigator on a mission to solve cold cases. 'Mostly Harmless,' hiker found dead in Florida, identified two years later, from Lafayette, Best & Worst Refinance Mortgage Companies of 2021, © Courtesy of the Collier County Sheriff's Office, © Courtesy of the Collier County Sheriff's Office. He went by the trail names "Denim" and "Mostly Harmless.". But the attention on the case brought forward tips and the former colleagues reached out to the Collier County Sheriff's Office. Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. Mostly Harmless was well known to hikers on the trail, many of whom shared food or resources with him on his journey. Think of how many other people and other cases could benefit from from such a method.". Rodriguez spent several months hiking south toward Florida and only used paper maps. He was found dead in Big Cypress National Preserve on July 23. Mostly Harmless was in good spirits at this time, and he seemed to be enjoying his hike. 'Mostly Harmless' Identified as Vance Rodriguez . Photos; Flyers to Share; Contact Information; Timeline Map; 08 July, 2020July 17, 2020. Who is Denim/Mostly Harmless? Rodriguez lived and labored there for lots of decades. Vance John "Vaejor" Rodriguez, previously known as "Mostly Harmless", Denim, and Ben Bilemy was an American hiker whose body was found on July 23, 2018 in Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida, then remained unidentified for two years. The man, who went by trail names "Denim" and "Mostly Harmless,” was an IT worker in New York with roots in Louisiana. December 4, 2017 – Blue Ridge, GA. A comment on the Mountain Crossings post said that Mostly Harmless had made it to Springer. "I'm very happy that he got his name back," Mittleman said. If you hike the Appalachian Trail (AT) someone will give you a trail name. The tips kept coming in. Rodriguez was born in February 1976. Detectives even have clear photos of him along the way. "To be able to give someone a name back, reconnect them with the family that's a key objective for us.". Mostly Harmless poses for a photo along the Appalachian Trail. The department worked with Othram, which assists law enforcement agencies to generate new leads from DNA evidence, said Othram founder David Mittleman. This is the "unsettling truth", the last paragraph, we all been so Twitter'ed everyone needs to look for more - > Yet it’s hard not to look at this story with anything but sadness. His name was Vance Rodriguez. Facebook groups popped up with the purpose of combing through clues to identify him. Update 1/12/2020 at 11:28a: Today, Sheriff Kevin Rambosk is pleased to announce that after more than two years, thanks to the great work of our detectives, tips from the public and the use of DNA technology, we now know the identity of the deceased hiker who went by the trail name Mostly Harmless. Contact Ashley White at adwhite@theadvertiser.com or on Twitter @AshleyyDi. Here's a timeline of the case, New forensic genealogy technique could be key in solving case of unidentified deceased hiker, CCSO shares alias of hiker who died in Big Cypress National Preserve, Collier detective: Tips will be 'crucial' to identifying hiker found dead in Big Cypress five months ago, ID of man found dead in Big Cypress Preserve still unclear after hikers send photos, tips, From true crime to arts, Collier residents emcee podcasts to followers of niche topics. Previous coverage:Deceased hiker, known as 'Mostly Harmless,' identified after more than two years. Rodriguez reached Southwest Florida by April 2018, the last time a witness reported seeing him on the trail, according to the sheriff’s office. The mystery of the hiker known only by his trail name, "Mostly Harmless," has finally been solved - and he's connected to Lafayette. Show full articles without "Continue Reading" button for {0} hours. He eventually moved to Baton Rouge, where he worked at Shoppers Choice, and then moved to New York in 2013, Wired magazine reported. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office then enlisted the help of the Lafayette Parish County Sheriff’s Office in contacting Rodriguez’s family in Louisiana. A picture was taken of Mostly Harmless at Mountain Crossings. He attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Investigators do not know his real name. More: ID of man found dead in Big Cypress Preserve still unclear after hikers send photos, tips, Read more: From true crime to arts, Collier residents emcee podcasts to followers of niche topics. Photo of a hiker who went by trail names "Denim" and "Mostly Harmless." Here's a timeline of the case. Mostly Harmless takes in the view in this Facebook photo taken by a fellow thru-hiker. Investigators do not know his real name. Using their KinSNP relationship testing technology, Othram was able to determine they were related. Within minutes, fellow thru hikers had sent dozens of photos of Mostly Harmless and reported meeting him along the trail. Vance Rodriguez was found by two hikers on July 23, 2018, inside a tent deep within Big Cypress National Preserve. When the department posted a composite photo to Facebook, fellow hikers sent in dozens of photos and reported meeting him. He hopes that law enforcement will turn to forensic genealogy as another tool to identify people. Othram looks at tens of hundreds to thousands of hundreds of DNA markers (whereas traditional DNA testing looks at 20 markers) to identify a source of DNA through distant relatives. "I particularly love working on these cases, in which there's an unidentified person because in many cases there's no other way to get their name back," Mittleman said. The company was trying to identify the nearest living relatives or learn anything about the man. In 2018, the body of a hiker was found at the Big Cypress National Preserve. "The bigger thing here is that it doesn't have to be just him. The coworker provided the agency with Rodriguez’s name and photos. Detectives found hiking gear, two notebooks and about $3,640 in his tent, about 5 miles north of Interstate 75 in Collier County. “Mostly Harmless,” a hiker found in the Big Cypress National Preserve has been identified after two years of speculation about who the man could be. "What we learned early on was that he was likely Cajun.". “We want to thank the community for their interest and for circulating the information that eventually reached the right person.”, This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Deceased hiker, known as 'Mostly Harmless,' identified after more than two years, Like us on Facebook to see similar stories, US Coronavirus: Covid-19 cases have declined sharply. He was known by the trail names “Denim” and “Mostly Harmless”. Mittleman said the identification wasn't a lucky accident and that it's a "glimpse of the future." Rodriguez was born in 1976 and was an IT worker in New York with roots in Louisiana. > The unsettling truth about the ‘Mostly Harmless’ hiker. “We are glad to have solved this case,” said Collier Detective David Hurm. One Louisiana woman sent me a photograph of her brother, who bore an uncanny resemblance to the missing man, and told me she suspected Mostly Harmless was the illegitimate son of her drug-dealing uncle. The mysterious hiker who went by the moniker ‘Mostly Harmless’ and was found dead inside a tent in a Florida campground two years ago has finally been identified.. For years Collier County detectives and amateur internet sleuths have tried to crack the case of the hiker found in his yellow tent at Big Cypress National Preserve on July 23, 2018, emaciated and weighing just 83 pounds. He interacted with others along the Appalachian and Florida trails and detectives even had clear photos of him along the way, but Rodriguez did not have a cellphone, credit cards or any form of identification.

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