Mostly Harmless: The Unknown Hiker (IDENTIFIED DECEMBER 2020)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ก.ค. 2024
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If you believe to know the identity of John Doe, also known as Ben Bilemy, Mostly Harmless and Denim, you can contact the Collier County Sheriff's Office on 239-252-9300.
Sources:
appalachiantrail.org/home/com...
patch.com/new-york/brooklyn/c...
amp.naplesnews.com/amp/242455...
unidentified.wikia.org/wiki/B...
www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPer...
/ sworn-statement-episode-1 (The Sworn Statement Podcast)
Music credit:
Cause of Death OST - Hard Time
CO.AG Music - Father Marcus
CO.AG Music - Abandoned
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Video credit: videoblocks.com
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CASE UPDATE: Mostly Harmless/ Denim/ Ben Bilemy has been identified as 42-year-old Vance John Rodriguez from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. My thoughts are with his loved ones. May he rest in peace.
Great to hear.
Rest in peace. I hope this brings some comfort to his family and friends.
That’s… well, I won’t say good news, but I hope this gives this man’s family some closure.
I just found this out. Glad to hear they identified him, still a sad story tho. RIP Mr Vance...
At least this case resulted in an identity. May he be at peace.
He's the first John Doe I've seen with so many photos.
There's a child Jane Doe from Alabama with a couple photos believed to be the girl. That's a super tragic/spooky case. The photos are haunting.
Heather Walz What is the name of the case? I’d love to read about her and look into it. It sounds very interesting. Thank you!
@@darcylkc Opelika Baby Doe or Opelika Jane Doe. She was between 3-5 years of age and had a damaged left eye that would have probably left her blind in that eye.
Here’s the freaking nutty thing. My husband has a doppelgänger. He’s shorter my husband is 6ft1 but he has a twin. We have been freaking out all week about this. I sent one of the photos to my mom and she was like oh is that Jeff camping!? It’s the ball cap photo.
Have you heard of the El Dorado Jane Doe? Her killer is in jail for her murder but she is nameless today.
You know what's creepy? The composite sketch.
Camping, so easy a caveman can do it
The sketch was done postmortem. He was 83 lbs and dead. It's probably spot on.
@Dom Carfora Because when you die, your mouth opens. The sketch was done by the composite artist sketching his corpse or off a picture of his corpse.
@Dom Carfora thats probably exactly how his face looked when the forensic sketch artist sketched it. I think its intentional.
Yeah, couldn’t the sketch artist tried just a little bit to make it look like he wasn’t dead
He looked like a nice guy. If his loved ones don't find him, at least us, that watched this have thought about him.
nick wilson I always got the feeling (when I read about this case) that he had distanced himself from his relatives or something like that. For what reason, only he knew. But why haven’t they come forward now, because there must be someone who knows who he is at least? Maybe they feel guilt? So many questions arise...Someone he met on the trail recalled how he mentioned an abusive father in a conversation they had. A very haunting case.
Breaks your heart that he's been forgotten..... makes you think about all the other people out there.....
nick wilson - True but hey that’s more than most JD’s get so there is some solace there however slim.
nick wilson That’s a sweet thought! I hope his family finds him to bring him home.
What a nice thing to say and great way to think👍😊
I’m guessing his family thinks he doing his own thing not having any idea he’s deceased. Possibly he wasn’t good at keeping in touch with them. With all the pictures you’d think someone would’ve recognized him by now. I hope they find his family. Very sad.
That's what I thought too. They couldn't file a missing person's report if he left on his own and they'd have to have stumbled upon something like this to even be aware someone is looking for his people.... Not everyone has our viewing taste.
A hiker he met on trail mentioned how he had said in a conversation they had that his father was abusive. I think that may be a clue. Having dysfunctionality in the family is complicated.
I'm thinking schizophrenia
Schizophrenia or bipolar disorder 100%
Melissa thanks for the idea. You may be onto something. As I was reading your comment, I was thinking how I've Never met my brother in Law he's separated himself from the family completely and has no contact. My husband and I have been together nearly 15 years and I've never once seen him. Only pictures of when he was MUCH younger and a kid I'm guessing he's been out of contact with everyone for roughly 20 yrs. Last I heard about 10 yrs ago he was on the opposite coast around in Oregon. He would be in he early 50's as of now
It’s so sad that no one misses him or knows who he is or even knows why he died. Rest in peace, “Mostly Harmless” and may your true identity be established very soon.
He actually may be very missed. There could have been mental health issues at work that made him want to isolate himself. If your family knows you left of your own volition, they wouldn't be able to file a missing person's report.
I always thought that too when I hear about unidentified remains. It was incomprehensible to me; everyone has SOMEONE who missed them. But then I heard someone reference the fact that until recently, technology didn't allow for instant communication and access to information. Also, unfortunately, even today police don't always communicate with other jurisdictions.
I wonder if people do miss them and are looking for them, but those people simply don't connect with those who have them. With the mentally ill, as I believe this poor man was, or the homeless, or runaways, they can end up hundreds or thousands of miles away from people who know them.
who takes 3600 dollars hiking with them??
Scorch428 who introduces themselves as mostly harmless?? Creepy as fuck
@Aaron James Way to throw the race card, bigot.
I camped out with denim on the AT in maryland for a night. so crazy seeing this still
Woah what a tripp, what do you think happened?
Zac Trautman when was this? I thru hiked sobo in 2018. I don’t remember crossing paths with him but I just wonder how far apart we were
Oh wow, what was he like?
What was he like? Also how old did he seem to YOU? M.E report says 35-50, some say he looks older to them than others,
How sad. He was a handsome man. I’m just confused about the pictures other hikers took of him. Why would someone take pictures of someone they don’t know?
Werewolf O. London, Esq. yeah I know they didn’t know his background story; I guess I find it strange that quite a few fellow hikers felt inclined to take his photo...whatever the reason, he obviously left an impression upon those he came across.
Shared interests, especially in a small community, makes fast friends.
Erica85 Here is someone who trailed with him for a week. Not weird to take a photo then at all. www.reddit.com/r/AppalachianTrail/comments/94vdbf/help_identify_this_at_hiker_found_deceased_on/
Eden2089 thanks for the link! I thought his encounters with people were just passing by one another. I didn’t realize he had long conversations with some of them.
He was indeed a handsome man under that beard. Poor man I wonder what he was trying to escape. One wonders how people can go missing ...my elderly mom has an equally elderly friend who's adult son was heavily involved in drug use and sales. The woman, a teacher, kicked her son out of her home over thirty years ago because he was selling drugs from their home, refused to stop, refused treatment, etc.. This woman hasn't heard a word about her son in decades. His father, from whom his mother was long divorced, who he had last contacted passed away years ago. The woman has no interest in finding her son at all. i offered to search for him because the woman has breast cancer, is close to 90 and is probably not long for this world. My offer was declined. This womans son could be a John Doe, no one from his family would ever search for him. I imagine there are many unidentified dead due to circumstances like this, people missing but never reported as such. I personally can't imagine ever being so detached from my son but evidently it's not terribly uncommon but terrible none the less. I hope this hiker is identified and given the dignity of his real name.
This is one of my favorite cases because I find it so unsettling that we have so many clues and photos but no one seems to know him. No employer, family, friend, it’s really disturbing. I check in on his case every few weeks to see if there’s any updates. One day there will be! He just has such a kind face.
any update? thanks
Kind face - yet not a kind man, apparently!
So bizarre that with so many photos of him, he still remains unidentified.
He's NOT exactly unidentified. The authorities simply don't know his 'legal' name nor his background. We KNOW the name he chose for himself (Ben Bilamy, which should be used here) and 2 nicknames. People knew him, have photos of him.
Seems hard to believe he's still unidentified when so many people interacted with him....and all the photos that were taken!
He may not have given them his real name! It appears that he have people limited information so UNLESS he gave them information that was truthful, there's no way to know his true identity at this point. You can interact with people but only provide them with limited or false information.
Can't they do DNA testing to see if he has any living relatives? I don't want to believe that no relative isn't concerned about him 😞
I just read about a body or rather parts of a body identified after 104 years via DNA matching with those Ancestry type databases. It was in Oregon and it was a fascinating read. I think it was on the Smithsonian magazine site if you’re interested in reading it. Great idea, Ms Kae!
Probably nobody cares enough 😭
They probably try to exhaust every other avenue to identify someone before DNA. Getting a DNA genealogy agency or forensic genealogist is likely expensive, so that wouldn't be their go to. Even just matching DNA, while probably not as expensive as hiring a forensic genealogist, still relies on having family members of the missing submit DNA to have on file. Maybe places like GEDmatch don't charge though? I'm really not sure, but it seems things like that usually come down to cost. I sure hope his family claims him one day, I'm sure they have to be missing him.
@Werewolf O. London, Esq. Why didn't the family want to know? 🤔
I'll have to look this case up 👍🏻
I remember reading that it’s something to do with Florida laws, as to why they can’t reverse engineer his DNA like they do in some cases.
May 'Mostly Harmless' be resting peacefully wherever his spirit is now. I pray that his identity is discovered soon and his family contacted.
I woke early this morning after dreaming of my dear friend, Steven who died suddenly earlier this year. We were big fans of the Hitchhiker 's Guide (he had passages read at his eulogy)and the phrase "Mostly Harmless" was an in joke between us. To then go straight to this video this morning and hear that phrase just brought back both happy memories and sadness that I'll never see him again. Sorry, this has nothing too do with this poor guy's death, I mean no disrespect, it's just one of those weird coincidences.
I like to believe that there are very few "coincidences".. Signs could be just that, signs.
@@ALittleOG There are 7.5 billion people in the world, and stuff happening all the time; it would be more incredible if a whole day went by when there were no coincidences at all.
That any of us existed in the first place is miracle enough. I hope your friend rests in peace and knowing they were loved.
Weird. The guy reminds me of someone I met at an REI garage sale in St Louis back in 2015. He was saving up money to do the Appalachian and Florida trail before he died of terminal kidney failure (or something of that sort). He was planning on doing it in a year or so. He hardly had any experience. Was around 5 8. Definitely for those descriptions. I recall his name being Ryan.
You could submit that as a tip.
@@jeremyud not much of a tip.
Hey it’s something anything can help
@@quickcar5255 the location he met him could possibly be helpful. Maybe the Brooklyn part wasn't true
Can you submit this as a tip, please?
Clicked so fast!
I keep checking for any updates to this case. I first heard about it from the LordanArts channel.
"Mostly Harmless", his nickname associated with those amazing books, leads me to believe he was definitely a fan.
I hope they do a DNA snapshot to find his family and give him back his name. This is one case that is constantly in the back of my head.
Thank you for covering it again. The attention keeps it out there in front of the publics eyes.💜
@Jade Ravenwolf I don't think so, sadly.
There's a facebook thread, I believe it's the police reaching out to hikers for any information and it's been implied that he did not wish to be found and that he had no kin / was estranged from them by choice and so it's been my feeling that it was more respectful for his identity not to made public
@@poeticsparrow any update on this?
I can't believe no one is missing him.
How do you know no one is missing him? Have you heard of last will and testaments? He might've told his family to leave it be.
Maybe there is someone and they don't know he's been found.
I'm sure someone does - but they don't know he's missing or realize he's dead. If he stopped contact with his family a long time ago, this is likely the case.
@@didi012578 What do last will and testaments have to do with anything? Unless you're suggestion with your constant "leave it be" comment that he committed suicide and wanted his family to not ask questions so they could still collect his life insurance...there is zero evidence that he committed suicide, by the way.
@@SpacePriestess
Exactly.
I have an older brother who calls himself "independent"...
I call it selfish...
I haven't seen him in 16 years... despite calling his number hundreds of times early on...
He may be dead.
I just don't know.
I care, but what can I do!!!
The thought of having an anonymous death is terrifyingly sad.
Eh, TBH I wouldn't give a rats @zz. I will be dead. I think u being terrified that after ur dead, people will not know u or not enough people will know u or mourn for u says soooo much about u.
@@janeydoe-nuts8663 Your comment says so much about you too lol, you're obviously not close to anyone.
True
Very sad indeed
Michael Longford, Yes it is terrifyingly sad that he had no one to miss him. X
What a sad case, I hope the authorities will find out who he is.
This reminds me of Chris McCandless of “Into the Wild”. He also died alone and from starvation.
There are a lot of Chris McCandless' that exist and have died.
Didi Cortez I agree
From the number of people who met him and interacted with him, there is no indication that he was mentally ill -- just a nice guy out hiking the trails. Nor is there any indication that he was inexperienced or ill-prepared like Chris McCandless. Plus he wasn't isolated in the middle of winter in Alaska -- he was on a trail that he could have walked out of, unless he was incapacitated, which would be my guess. I think something, either illness or injury, prevented him from being able to leave his tent. It's a shame. He seemed like a a nice decent guy
@@barbarazurek4648 I can understand that. Have told my wife, I'm not going to die in a hospital/hospice. When my time comes, I want to be left on the moors, sat against a tree.....
darcylkc that story fascinated me
You do such an amazing job at bringing unknown or little known cases to the forefront
This is not scary but sad… no one on the entire planet missed this guy 🐸☹️
Awwww....so very true. Sad indeed.
Right?! Heartbreaking. He looked like a sweet soul...
Sad Pepe he might have looked so different before going to the trail, he might have lost weight hiking and grew a beard, it’s sad
Yes, it’s sad. I believe he told someone he met that he was slightly overweight when he started his journey in N.Y state and thus he might have looked much different then. It doesn’t take nearly as much as most people think to end up in a similar situation.
Someone may miss him but just lost contact and never heard of his death.
This is one of the most curious cases. I feel particularly attached to him in some way, and I hope he is at peace.
It’s understandable that we may never fully understand his death but him remaining unidentified with so many pictures?? Very odd
Not odd at all. If his friends and family hadn't seen him in years, they likely didn't recognize him. Not everybody retains a resemblance to their younger selves as they age. For example, I have a friend, someone I've known since I was 11, who at age 40 looks absolutely nothing like he did at age 18, or even at 30. If I hadn't kept in touch with him all these years and saw him now after not seeing him for 20 years, I wouldn't know who he was.
@@SpacePriestess my guess is that this guy was a preppy yuppie in early adulthood and of course no one who knew him is recognizing this rugged hiker as him.
Mostly Harmless holds a place in my heart. I love the man without ever knowing him. I have followed this case for a while now. Denim seems like he was a great guy and I hope he didn’t suffer and chose to go out like he did because he was ill. And he was absolutely a seasoned hiker. Or he wouldn’t have made it as far as he had.
Poor guy. My feeling is that he was ill and went there to die. His hike was an extended one with seemingly no planned conclusion, unless.... He did get in fact get the conclusion he knew was coming in the end. 😔
But wouldn't an autopsy reveal any terminal disease?
- It's amazing he hasn't been identified, with all those pictures.
- It's also amazing the sister hasn't come forward, after her brother randomly disappeared. Unless she knew his plans (re: his illness) and is respecting them.
I'm wondering if his illness was something not easily seen, like early onset alzheimers or dementia. Maybe he had an episode and couldn't figure out how to get to where he could get help?
Jessica McGee I agree, I wondered about Early Onset Alzheimer's also.
It's very sad, hopefully it will be solved.
Hayley Longster no everyone watches the news or TH-cam and if he was mostly estranged from his family they might not know of his demise.
And why the autopsy didn’t discover any major illness in John Doe? He looks like a nice person and I hope that he won’t stay JD for ever. RIP Sir.
I’ve wondered the same. Also wouldn’t an autopsy reveal whether he had knee problems? Hmm
I think so too. Maybe he was in the sad situation of both being out of contact with family and suffering from terminal illness. Instead of wasting away in a hospital-either alone or surrounded by family members/relatives who didn’t care-he chose to ”vanish” and spend his last months in the wild.
This chick sounds like she could be That Chapter’s sister
Just waiting for her to say Tree!
@@emmysparkles1 On December twenty turd...😂 Mike is the best!
@@davidambrose9824
Tirty tree trees tried trolling tree trees.
Oxyrisen got to be, same crappy sounding not very bright uneducated kind of drone for sure
Mike (That Chapter) is Irish. This lass is Scottish. Cousins, mayhaps, but...
💕 >^. .^< 💕
So odd and chilling that so many hikers met him, there are so many pictures of him, and he obviously must have a job and family missing him, and yet not a single person can figure out who he is?
Maybe from their perspective, they think he abandoned them or something.
I find it odd too, especially since so many people he met liked him enough to take pictures and hike with him. Makes it weird to think there was nobody who would care about him. Maybe he cut ties with everyone he knew for some reason and therefore they aren't looking for him. And since he did not give people his real name, had no ID with him, etc. maybe he didn't want anyone to find him either.
@@blackk_rose_ It does seem that way, because who undertakes any kind of travel without their wallet/id?
If he was found within 2 days of death, why can’t they determine his cause of death more accurately
When someone dies of starvation, the body starts to break down and consume itself. The waste products from this process can start to destroy bone, cartilage and muscle, giving false positives during an autopsy for disease within the heart, stomach and lungs. Additionally, as he was most likely lying down for an extended period blood pressure would be quite low allowing those pesky waste products to concentrate in certain areas. It's interesting that his body was initially described as "twisted" that may indicate he died in convulsions, however, I don't know if that is one of the ways that a starvation victim eventually dies.
Check out the missing 411 cases from David Paulides.
@@disgruntledmum4916 informative and inciteful, although an autopsy should at least confirm the status of his knees.
@@disgruntledmum4916 actually, when you're die emancipated(starved), you decompose more slowly. The more fatty tissue (fat cells)you have, the faster the decay. Research it.
@@intotheabyssoftheunknown4479 emaciated*
Dang man that's really sad, he looks like a nice guy
heartman64 Ted Bundy "looked" like a nice guy too. You just never know
One possibility not touched on here is mental illness. He could have starved to death because of some delusion, a slow suicide, or any number of other issues with distorted thinking or emotion. I really feel for this guy, I hope whatever family and friends are out there can get some closure soon.
I'm wondering if he had like, early onset alzheimers or dementia. Perhaps he had an episode and couldn't figure out how to get help?
Mental illness was my first thought too. Self-neglect can become life threatening in people who are severely mentally ill sadly.
It's funny all the comments about no one missing him and how sad it is. Do you have any idea how many of us are out there? With no family and no friends.
"Funny comments". Keep reading. People are quite sympathetic. He has not the only "unknown".
What if he left to die on purpose and told his family to just leave it be?
Aurora Marie Almeara how does someone not have any family or friends ? Am just curious thats all
@@seemawati5501 friends move on to relationships, move away, become "too busy" and sometimes you just outgrow the each other. Mental illness, drug and alcohol abuse can also isolate individuals. I personally don't have parents and only a brother that is my family. When you get older people start to die so there's that too and many also have a problem with loneliness..
Seema Wati when I was 18-19 I was extremely lonely, literally the only person I spoke to was the psychiatrist I saw once a month. I had dropped out of my countries version of high school, didn’t have a job and lived alone. At that age I was developing the serious mental illness I’ve been diagnosed with, and I had to spend some time in a psych ward. It caused all my friends to abandon me and I wasn’t on good terms with my family. It can happen easier than you might think.
@@didi012578 HIGHLY unlikely that a family would just "leave it be" if one of their kids or nephews disappeared after going to hike the Trail, even if they were told to...that's not even probable and I'm not sure why you think this is the most likely scenario. Seems the LEAST likely, tbh.
He probably cut off contact with his friends and family, whether intentionally or unintentionally. It's easier to lose touch than you might think, especially if your family wasn't that close to begin with. After not talking for years, they likely don't even realize he's missing and don't recognize the photos of him (not everybody resembles their younger selves when they get older).
For those confused as to how someone could starve to death due to mental illness, please check out the documentary "God Knows Where I Am". It's a really interesting look at how people fall through the social cracks and a woman hid as homeless, starved herself to death surrounded by people who would have helped her if she'd reached out.
AmazonMandy Just tired to find it on youtube but it wasn’t uploaded. Watched the trailers.. what a sad story..
@@moviemad56 You're right about mental illness driving something like that, as well as that it takes a long time, but you are 100% wrong that it's painful. Talk to hospice nurses who have to stop giving patients food and water for various reasons - after a few days, people stop being hungry all together.
My great aunt ended up with an intestinal blockage that turned out to be cancer. She was old and decided she didn't want to risk anesthesia-induced dementia (it's a thing in elderly people), so she wanted to die naturally. She couldn't have food or even water due to the blockage, which meant she'd die of thirst or starvation (or a combination); she would wet her mouth with a foam toothbrush so she could talk, but otherwise, she was no longer uncomfortable after the first two days, and I know this because I visited her and had conversations with her. It took three weeks for her to die, but she was in no pain at any point.
@Anne Hedonia She probably had an IV feeding her fluids.
Very sad case. At first I thought he was on the run. But, having his picture taken so many times, I don't think so. There has to be a family missing this sweet soul.
The Appalachian trail is only 10 minutes from my house. I've only hiked a small part on it, but I'd love to do the entire thing. Anyway, I love your videos...it's very depressing that nobody missed this poor guy. This trail is very creepy due to the crimes and deaths that occur on it. Hope someone comes forward to claim this man as a loved one.
Please, take someone with you.
Same. I live near a stretch of it as well.
Please don’t do it alone though? Too many stories of disappearances and sadly, a lone woman is a target for predators.
BBelleLa with Ruger you’re never alone.
The thing is, when they did an autopsy, wouldnt they have known if he had a terminal illness? Cause thats what I thought.
It’s very difficult to pinpoint a specific illness in the case of starvation, as it results in multi system failure.
@@___LC___ I didn't know that, but it makes sense. At least they would be able to rule out something like cancer, though, right? Because that would still be in his body regardless.
The dark reality is... Dude was probably an outlaw. No phone, no IDs, cash money. It's almost like he didn't want to be tracked (no phone) or identified if his belongings were searched.
Thats interesting theory.
Thinking of my son and myself, we are the only ones we have. I hope someone can share and circulate this video and get it whoever might be concerned about him.
My first thought is sad, but maybe this was how he wanted things to be... A mystery to be solved. A story to be talked about. A continuous adventure. A conversation to carry out and surpass his passing. May his story reach far and wide.
Thank you for sharing this unique perspective. It's refreshing and incredibly optimistic. 🖖🍍
(Just want to add, as tone can be lost in text like this, my comment could easily be read as snarky or sarcastic. It's not. I really mean it in a positive sense. Thank you.)
The Hiker was working in IT and his name is Mr Rodriguez Found dead in his tent. RIP to the gentleman. May you be at peace. It took two years to find his identity. I'll never forget this story.
I’m leaning towards the “knees gave out” theory, based on what I’ve heard here.
Note to self: don’t hike the AT alone, or with bad knees.
I have chronic dislocation. My knee would not reset so I had to go to the ER. It's a structural defect with my patellas. But it doesn't say he had a dislocation.
If he had a terminal illness he may have been expecting to die. So maybe he was prepared for this exact outcome. If he had over $3k on him there had to be some reason why he didn't buy supplies. Maybe he didn't starve but wasted away from an illness. No one had seen him in awhile and he could have intentionally isolated himself.
It's always a bad idea to go hiking alone. Even people who are 100% physically fit and healthy, should have at least 1 hiking partner. And for those who insist on hikinh alone, always tell someone where you're going, where you plan to end up, when you are leaving, and when you plan on returning. That way, if something goes wrong, someone other than you, will know it, and can request help, when you may not be able to.
But if his knees gave out, why couldn't he have just crawled/dragged himself back to the trail? He was super close to it.
@@horsepanther perhaps he just wanted to pass away alone in a secluded place...
Wow I'm surprised I never heard of this case. That's ashame, I'm sure someone out there knows who he is and just thinks he still hiking
I so appreciate your (correct) pronunciation of "Appalachia". I grew up there and we used to say only people who lived east of the MIssissippi River knew how to pronounce it. Judging by your accent, I guess you are east of the Mississippi technically speaking! But I've rarely if ever heard British people pronounce it correctly. Well done!
I’ve been following this case from the very beginning. Thank you so much for bringing awareness to it! I can’t believe that he still hasn’t been identified.
Rest in peace. In reality he did what most of us want in life. Be truly free from all the complex world.
He found peace in his last days. Be free mostly harmless. Be free.
With all these pictures it should be possible to identify him.
Another classic but sad tale. I look forward to EVERY new posting. Well done as usual, and as always your voice and accent are a joy☺
Finally a new channel with fresh new cases ive never heard of before
My preference will be to choose a lonely spot, not hard where I live, and lay down in a snowbank in freezing temps. No fuss, no mess, go to sleep
I looked at the stars, and considered how awful it would be for a man to turn his face up to them as he froze to death, and see no help or pity in all the glittering multitude.
Wonderful video as always, thank you!
This made me wonder about something I’ve never thought about before - what happens when they find someone like this, with a bunch of cash, and they can’t find any relatives or friends? Does the police simply store the money forever just in case?
The creepiest thing to me is how there's so many pictures of him, even so much information of and about him compared to other John and Jane Doe's. Yet, he remains a mystery. His death is an early one so hopefully soon his real identity gets revealed.
When I die I would love to be out in the woods and my body never recovered. I would rather be an old fossil than an old mummy
You could still end up a mummy! Nature is crazy like that.
2021 UPDATE: Mostly Harmless has been *officially* identified as Vance John Rodriguez. He was born in Lafayette Parish, LA, but moved to Brooklyn NY to work in the tech sector. Collier County Sheriff's Office contacted Lafayette SO, who reached out to his family, who provided a DNA sample which was matched to Rodriguez. His death is not being treated as suspicious.
CCSO statement relating to the positive identification of Mostly Harmless:
fb.watch/2_wyiu97tz/
Terrific writeups on Rodriguez's life (TW: domestic abuse, child abuse, attempted suicide, and depression)
www.wired.com/story/unsettling-truth-mostly-harmless-hiker/
www.adventure-journal.com/2020/12/the-mystery-of-deceased-hiker-mostly-harmless-is-at-long-last-solved/
Rest in peace.
This one made me sadder than most. The fact that there were so many photos taken by people and so many met him but he still is nameless and unclaimed is so so sad. Rest in peace Mostly Harmless.
I certainly wonder why they didn’t determine more with lab tests. Being terminally ill and working for a lab for 15 years myself, I know a few tubes of blood will tell you if he had anything from cancer to a rare genetic disorder....and everything inbetween. An autopsy will show organ failure due to disease vs organ failure due to starvation. That amount of weight loss in such a short amount of time does lend itself to wasting disease. Wasting
disease is found in people w cancer and AIDS primarily, as well as other terminal diseases resulting in organ failure. It’s not simply weight loss, it’s muscle deterioration and the inability to put in muscle despite being active & hiking for hours a day. It may not be that loved ones don’t miss him. He could simply be a loner, a vagabond of sorts. Perhaps he has a history of going on lengthy, off grid adventures. His family and friends are used to it until he pops back into their life again. Especially if he told them he was hiking the Appalachian Trail… they wouldn’t expecting him for a long time. Still, so sad. Another adventurer recovered a day or two after he struggled for and finally died. Just like that young man that hiked to Alaska and successfully survived in Alaska...before getting trapped for an additional winter. Unprepared to be stuck another season, he didn’t have enough food for He struggled for months to survive after running out of food. He finally starved to death and died. Devastatingly sad, hunters found him the next day. AFTER MONTHS of holding on. His family adored him. They knew he was going to Alaska. They just didn’t know exactly how long he’d be gone.... and just like this poor man he had no cell phone. Poor man. Dying alone hungry , and in pain. I KNOW he was scared. Like I mentioned, I’m terminally ill. If he was, too, I truly hope that hike was on his bucket list and he cherished every moment of it. I hope he wanted to die out in the woods doing what he enjoyed. I hope he planned it this way. One thing I question, terminally ill people are on medication. Not necessarily to keep them alive, but prevent them from swelling up, throwing up, help them breath, prevent brain swelling, confusion, disorientation and going into a coma or simply pain medication. Medication he may have needed to hike that long. I find it odd that he had NONE with him. Even if he weren’t ill... for whatever reason he wore braces.
Thank you for sharing so much. God bless you
The fact he didnt have any ID which includes even a bank card is very odd.
Also, an autopsy should be able to establish a terminal illness, if it is as far progressed as he would have believed to come live it out in the wilderness!
Jane/John doe cases are so interesting. Thank you for covering them!
Hopefully "Mostly harmless" eventually gets his name back
It’s amazing there are so many witnesses and so very many photographs and still no ID. It makes me wonder just how much public outreach actually took place. Thank you, DC, for helping spread the word 👍🏻🤞🏻
This is my *New* favorite true crime channel. I cannot get enough! I love the narrators voice/accent.. Keep em coming and I'll be here giving a like ♡
ME. TOO!
Oh I started crying as soon as I heard he could have starved to death :( such an awful way to pass. I think they just need to use genealogy to find this poor guy's family.
@@YearsOVDecay1 no, they can run the dna through ancestry, etc. to look for relatives. How do you think they found the Zodiac killer?
@@outdooradventurer394 ted Cruz is the zodiac killer, duh
Makes me think of Fulton County Jane Doe. She was alive when they found her, badly beaten. So even with pictures and DNA, she still remains unidentified.
I've watched this so many times. Great episode
HEY! Glad to see you uploaded! Especially about the AT! It's practically in my backyard. ❤
Ur voice has a deep sense of thrill and suspense in itself.. 👌👌
Thanks for another great video! I've binged more or less everything while working :)
This guy has alot of similarities to Christopher McCandless(the Into the Wild-guy). Undernourished, somewhat unexperienced hiker, a pleasant air, to name a few. It's not unthinkable that mr Doe mistook some edible plant for a poisonous one.
What's meant with "kinda twisted" in this regard? That description matches the composite sketch, alot more than the actual pictures of the guy. And why did they need a composite at all?
Looking forward to your next one!
Really disturbing. All those very clear pics. All those aka's. All those people who met and talked with him! All that money! And yet he died completely alone and no one knows who he really is. How can this crap happen? It even happens in huge bustling metropolises! It's insane that you could live next door to someone for years and they could die in their home and NO ONE notices for months or even sometimes YEARS. So scary. We are afraid of being nosy or of having the wrong intensions. I'm guilty of hardly leaving my house much but I could make it to a few houses just to say hi and make sure people are ok. I want to do that. Take my dog out more too. I can't go very far....but what if my neighbor across the street needed help? These things really bring home another sorry state we are in. Besides global warming and government collapses. Thanks DC. Very important work.💔🤘🏼
This is such an addictive, binge-worthy TH-cam channel! The fascinating, obscure and frightening true crime stories are so well researched and narrated that being an insomniac is not so bad lol!!
😉😳💀👍🙈😬😂
I'm wondering if DNA genealogy might be able to identify him via his ancestry.
That's the most beautiful voice on TH-cam
Accent, too.
You should listen to Paranormal Scholar....
@@pattymedeiros8521 I do
@@pattymedeiros8521 try dead rabbit radio. Say I sent you
True, except for her mispronunciation of Appalachian. 😬 It made me cringe and shudder each time she said it.
I love your channel. I wish your video's were a bit longer, because the cases you showcase (for lack of a better word) are fascinating. I hope his family can be found. He deserves to be put to rest properly. But maybe he was trying to go off the grid, and didn't want to be found. Regardless, rest with angel's Mostly Harmless.
Can I just point out how awesome the hiking community is?
So many hikers that came across John Doe not only remembered him and his stories in detail, but provided dozens of pictures to aid in identifying him! I’ve never seen a John Doe case with this many pictures of the deceased while they were still alive!
I have faith that he’ll be identified one day thanks to the kindness of all the hikers that this poor man happened to meet before his passing. It gives me some comfort to know that he was smiling and surrounded by kind and caring strangers for weeks before he left.
May he rest in peace ❤️
Please use his name, okay? It's so disrespectful to call him John Doe instead of Ben Bilemy, or one of his two nicknames :(
Wonder if they've tried to identify him using DNA yet??
I certainly wonder why they didn’t determine more with lab tests. Being terminally ill and working for a lab for 15 years myself, I know a few tubes of blood will tell you if he had anything from cancer to a rare genetic disorder....and everything inbetween. An autopsy will show organ failure due to disease vs organ failure due to starvation. That amount of weight loss in such a short amount of time does lend itself to wasting disease. Wasting
disease is found in people w cancer and AIDS primarily, as well as other terminal diseases resulting in organ failure. It’s not simply weight loss, it’s muscle deterioration and the inability to put in muscle despite being active & hiking for hours a day. It may not be that loved ones don’t miss him. He could simply be a loner, a vagabond of sorts. Perhaps he has a history of going on lengthy, off grid adventures. His family and friends are used to it until he pops back into their life again. Especially if he told them he was hiking the Appalachian Trail… they wouldn’t expecting him for a long time. Still, so sad. Another adventurer recovered a day or two after he struggled for and finally died. Just like that young man that hiked to Alaska and successfully survived in Alaska...before getting trapped for an additional winter. Unprepared to be stuck another season, he didn’t have enough food for He struggled for months to survive after running out of food. He finally starved to death and died. Devastatingly sad, hunters found him the next day. AFTER MONTHS of holding on. His family adored him. They knew he was going to Alaska. They just didn’t know exactly how long he’d be gone.... and just like this poor man he had no cell phone. Poor man. Dying alone hungry , and in pain. I KNOW he was scared. Like I mentioned, I’m terminally ill. If he was, too, I truly hope that hike was on his bucket list and he cherished every moment of it. I hope he wanted to die out in the woods doing what he enjoyed. I hope he planned it this way. One thing I question, terminally ill people are on medication. Not necessarily to keep them alive, but prevent them from swelling up, throwing up, help them breath, prevent brain swelling, confusion, disorientation and going into a coma or simply pain medication. Medication he may have needed to hike that long. I find it odd that he had NONE with him. Even if he weren’t ill... for whatever reason he had leg braces?
@@natalierozean5989 I too was thinking of medical issues that could apply but it looks like this hiker stayed in good condition for a long time, which to me, somewhat negates the idea he was severely ill at the start. I wonder if he got lost long enough to starve? Probably not. The knee braces could simply be to stabilize old injuries or weak joints.
@@natalierozean5989 I'm so sorry for you being ill... I lost my dad to cancer last year. Praying for you to be ok ❤️
They are now, just reached the $5k goal to start genetic testing!!
@@annalisette5897 It seems that he couldn't have been lost, as he was at a designated resting/water spot right off the trail itself.
May his Harmless soul Rest In Peace! God Speed! 🙏♥️
Omg your timing!! I was just talking about this case yesterday!
You brought new life to a dead man. Thank you for this video, I had no idea about the poor guy, and now I do. Thanks to you.
Great video!
Judging by how he was starving I'd be willing to bet he had a stroke or something and he laid in that spot for days half alive till he finally died of malnutrition accompanied by dehydration.
More likely heart attack due to electrolyte imbalance.
nope. autopsy would show a stroke. Christy T is right.
This case is still so frustrating to me. So many people saw/talked to him, so many pictures taken of him, so many possible leads and just.... nothing. I hate to think he suffered a lonely & probably painful death out there but under the circumstances in which he was found, it's very likely he did. Just heartbreaking.
Amazing channel, excellent narration and love your accent, it's beautiful!
What a handsome man! I don't understand why he wasn't recognized sooner! But l am glad he has finally been identified & given his name back.
Rest In Peace Vance.
🌹😔🌹. 🐾🌈☮️🇨🇦
I did the entirety of the Appalachian Trail in 2016 Southbound. You almost only call people by their trail names. (mine being Megaman.) And chances are he was on the Florida Trail (not Florida “trails” as the video says.) since you can connect it from the Appalachian Trail and hike it down to Key West.
The Appalachian Trail is a very rocky trail. While my knees never hurt, most the old folk I met on trail had constant knee pains. I’m willing to bet the hunch about his knee issues was true. It wouldn’t surprise me either if depression could somehow be a factor. Many thru hikers have used trails as therapy from feeling as an outcast or misfit. But that is just my guess.
Whatever the case may be it is a sad story. It always hits me when another fellow hiker dies. It’s like having a family member die.
How sad. It's very possible his family had no idea he was even on the trail or he may have made up the stories about his family. If he was estranged from his family they wouldn't necessarily be looking for him. Either way it's a sad story and I hope they identify him.
I like your channel a lot, it’s got STYLE
Thank you for posting that. A fascinating story and a sad one.
I keep my fingers crossed all the time that eventually his sister will recognize him on the news/come forward to identify him
He was a friendly and nice person, he liked his job, his family, and he was well liked when he passed through my town and attended community meals and visited with us
To all the commenters saying things like "it's sad that nobody misses him" please know that every person who met him on the trail liked him and mourns his passing
could I ask when this was please
Its possible he had an illness and wanted to face it on his own terms. If his knees failed he could easily die from starvation. Dental records are normally a way of identification so that aspect makes no sense.
I wonder if there's some kind of national dental records database, like they have fingerprint and DNA databases. It seems like it would be an excellent aid to identifying Jane & John Does.
Just discovered this channel love it
I live in Florida and remembered when this happened. To make it worse it was very hot and humid during that time, and him being stuck in that tent...just a horrible way to go.
Holy crap that is Denim😕 saw other hikers post about him while he was on trail. That’s sad.
Did you talk to him and if so, did he appear to have any specific regional accent?
yep ! still unidentified but at least now we are aware of where he had roots
Poor man. What a sad and lonely end. But if he had a terminal illness, wouldn’t it show up during a post mortem assuming they did one.
Whatever, I hope someone claims him and I hope he rests in peace.
@@joshuahull9982 He was not decomposed--had been dead only 2--3 days and was recognizable.
Joshua Hull he’d only been dead for 3 days when he was found. The official cause of death was listed as starvation.
Joshua Hull
apparently he had died only days before he was found... an autopsy ( if they did one?) would have found disease etc in that time?
Thank you for letting us know Mostlys been identified. He’s been in my heart and on my mind since hearing about him.
Just came across your channel and subbed....great voice and content 👍
Aw, that is so extremely sad!
probably died due to a heart condition. the sufferer tends to have a dark shade around the eyes, and they hardly eat due to making their condition more debilitating , and they also tend be more isolated as they want only solace peace in their last moments.
I agree. I have congestive heart failure and I have dark circles under my eyes and barely eat any food. I prefer to be left alone.
The Sworn Statement podcast featuring this case is really good. It goes more in-depth about the case with interviews the two men that found him as well as interviews from hikers he met along the way. Strange case.
🌟What’s most frustrating about this case is there are actual photos. Sharing his photo, and a pertinent information on social media, certainly would be helpful, particularly in the locations he mentioned.
Even if it’s been posted before, people often miss it if it doesn’t circulate. These Doe cases are mysterious and heartbreaking.
DarC., thanks for covering his case. 🦋✌🏼
Just wondering what prompts somebody to take a picture of a random stranger hiking?
I also was wondering that. I guess they just wanted to remember the people they come across on their journey? So sad that he died that way. Poor guy.
Kristen JustKristen dumbasses. Maybe they trailed for a day together, ate meals together? Ran in on eachother again, met at a lodging? People take pics for all kinds of reasons......nothing strange at all.
A lot of people who hike the trail take pictures of people they come across just to document their trip and people they met whom they found interesting.
@@eden19966 Work on your reading comprehension moron. Nobody said it was strange.
@@eden19966 Ok weirdo, we get it. You're a professional camper lol..It's comical that you're calling people dumbasses tho when it's YOU that can't read and comprehend a simple sentence.
How dark yet curious🤔💓
Excellence video, as usual. Thank You
IDK why, but I got a little teary-eyed watching this because I see a man all smiles and it makes me really sad that he is still nameless till this day... 😭