Hikers Find Dead Body In Tent, Revealing Chilling Mystery: The Solved Case of Mostly Harmless

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Reddit Comments

Lose that watermark! Distracting.

👍︎︎ 8 👤︎︎ u/AjayiMVP 📅︎︎ Jan 20 2021 🗫︎ replies

I thoroughly enjoyed this.

👍︎︎ 5 👤︎︎ u/Publius1993 📅︎︎ Jan 20 2021 🗫︎ replies

Mostly stock footage, but well written and good narration. Enjoyable.

👍︎︎ 2 👤︎︎ u/comox 📅︎︎ Jan 21 2021 🗫︎ replies

okay but whats up with the tampons @ 24:16??

👍︎︎ 3 👤︎︎ u/TheAstralRascal 📅︎︎ Jan 19 2021 🗫︎ replies

Ugh super cheesy end line Took a long time for me to tolerate the narrator's voice, idk why i found it so unpleasant.

Very well put together and presented in a very entertaining way. Would recommend

👍︎︎ 1 👤︎︎ u/CassAttac 📅︎︎ Jan 24 2021 🗫︎ replies
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- [Narrator] What is up EWU Crew, For two and a half years, this mystery stumped police and the greatest internet sleuths alike, gaining worldwide attention. Even though he left behind a trail of clues in the form of photos leading up to his disappearance, no one could figure out who this man really was. People became obsessed with the case, dedicating their lives to uncovering his identity to no avail. For years, it appeared that the real identity of the man called Mostly Harmless, would never be uncovered, that is until now. So sit back and pay attention because this is a weird one. Our story begins in 2017. When many hikers began having chance run-ins with a mysterious stranger in the woods around in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgia, and Florida. The mystery man had embarked on a long distance hiking journey often called thru-hiking. That would span more than a year and cover hundreds of miles, but no one knew his real identity. He was described by those who met him as friendly and being between the ages of 35 to 60 years old, with blue-gray eyes, brown hair and a graying beard. He was often seen wearing his signature gray Columbia hat. Those who saw him often remarked that the enormous backpack he lugged around seemed far too big and heavy for simple hiking excursions. Little did these hikers know that later, these encounters would leave a trail of cryptic clues that could solve a mystery. He is referred to as Mostly Harmless, a moniker he gave himself, but also on occasion he introduced himself to others as Denim, and he used the alias, Ben Bilemy at cabins and hostels. Though these names may sound odd to our ears most experienced hikers use something called a trail names. Often silly or fun nicknames that they either take or are given by other hikers. They are often descriptors, such as Mostly Harmless as first trail name Denim, which had described the fact that he began his journey wearing jeans. There are a few stories about where he got the name Mostly Harmless, his trail name, he would later be immortalized with. - [Mike] There's a story of somewhere that they said the Mostly Harmless part of the name. I think he made some comment or so or maybe it was around campfire or a gathering. I can't remember what situation was for sure. He said well I'm just, I'm just Mostly Harmless. - [Narrator] Many of those fascinated with the case have assumed that he chose the name as a shout out to the book, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams. In the book, the earth is described as harmless which is later expanded to the more accurate portrayal of Mostly Harmless. From what we can piece together, it appears that Mostly Harmless began his thru-hiking journey somewhere in New York, then along the Appalachian trail, hiking South to Pennsylvania, and then in to Maryland. Along the way he met many people, usually other hikers and explorers some of whom we'll actually speak with in this video. With each encounter, he revealed pieces of himself. While in Virginia during the summer of 2017, he traveled for about a hundred miles with 66-year-old hiker, Obsidian. The unlikely pair soon found themselves to be quite similar. Both had to hike slowly due to their bad knees and as they traveled together, he snacked on M&M's and shared that he wanted to see a bear out in the wilderness. Although some hikers had given Obsidian bad vibes Mostly Harmless was different. She said, "He made her feel safe." She later taught him an important survival skill, how to make a proper fire to ensure he would be able to continue his undesignated hiking journey. Despite how the pair grew close on the trail, the two never shared their real names something common within the hiking community. She only knew that he went by the alias Ben Bilemy when they signed in at hostels and that he claimed, he was from Louisiana and New York. Just before they eventually parted ways, they had this picture taken as they ate a meal together at Mountain Home, a hiker friendly overnight cabin in Front Royal Virginia. Continuing his trek through Virginia alone, Mostly Harmless met another hiker Reddit user Fazzig. Who we actually interviewed. He shared his encounter with us and told us his thoughts about the mysterious man. They had met at the Fulhardt Knob Shelter outside of Daleville, Virginia in mid-September. They were both headed south and Fazzig hadn't run into many other hikers. One of the reasons he specifically remembered his encounter with Mostly Harmless. Fazzig was running low on water and Mostly Harmless offered him a liter of the extra water he was carrying himself. At the time, he had introduced himself to Fazzig as Denim. - [Fazzig] You know we chatted a little bit. I think he introduced himself as Denim because I think he started hiking in just straight denim clothing which I found funny but you're on the Appalachian trail, so everything's a little off. - [Narrator] Though they were only in the same area for two days, Fazzig remembered him well enough to remark on his impression of Mostly Harmless. - [Fazzig] He was pretty normal. I mean, I didn't get any weird vibes from him. You know that being said, I only got weird vibes from like two or three people the entire time I was hiking or so. - [Narrator] By early December, the mysterious man had made his way along the Appalachian trail in Northern Georgia, where he stopped inside the outdoor outfitting shop, Mountain Crossing. There he met Matt Mason working inside and the two struck up conversation. Mason was an experienced hiker and Mostly Harmless asked him for a route to key West Florida. When Mason informed him that there was a map he could download to his phone to follow. Mostly Harmless informed him that he actually didn't have a phone. Mason recalled thinking, oh this guy's awesome. Before he offered to print him 60 pages of maps in exchange for $5. He later recalled that Mostly Harmless paid for the maps from an inch thick wad of cash he had produced from his pocket. Before he continued his adventure Mason asked to take a photo of Mostly Harmless. At first he hesitated, before finally saying it was okay. The photo shows him appearing to be in good spirits slightly smiling and posing with a map titled, "Guide To The Pinhoti Trail In Georgia." Mason shared the photo on Facebook. Unknowingly revealing clues internet sleuths would eventually pour over, desperately trying to match the face to a name. This is Denim, he worked in the tech world for the last decade. In June, he went for a two-week hike on the Appalachian Trail in New York. Today he passed through the shop. Hiking over half the Appalachian Trail wasn't enough for him. He printed data and purchase maps to hike the Pinhoti Trail in Alabama. He has sights for Key West Florida, Bon voyage Denim! Others in the comments, shared their encounters with the man on the trail. I met him when he first started in New York, posted Chris. We camped at the visitor center in Unionville, That's awesome. Two weeks later, one of his friends in Alabama reached out to him to say that he had seen Mostly Harmless in the area, trekking through a snow storm. Despite the harsh weather Mason said, "He was out there with a smile on his face, walking south." His next sighting was over a month later, all the way in Northern Florida. He was spotted by the known trail angel Kelly Fairbanks. Fairbanks frequently stopped on Highway 90 near where she lived, to offer hikers, food or showers. She was out on Highway 90 looking for an entirely different hiker when she saw Mostly Harmless walking alongside the road. And she pulled over to say hi and check to see if there was anything he needed. During their chat Fairbanks said, that she noticed that he looked rugged and tired. She said, "He had very kind eyes. I saw the huge beard first and thought it's an older guy. But his eyes were so young and he didn't have crow's feet. I realized he was a lot younger." The equipment he carried was both high end as well as generic gear. Fairbanks noted his worn black and copper colored trekking poles. Though Mostly Harmless claim to be fine Fairbanks recalled being worried for him, because the trail he was on has a reputation for being confusing. Especially when the Florida weather turned and became hot and muggy. She was also concerned because he had informed her that he didn't carry a phone with him and couldn't use a satellite map to guide him. Mostly Harmless had shown her the paper map he carried with a crude line, drawn over it, where the trail should have been for him to follow. Fairbanks believe that going through the trail half blind was naive, but she wished him well. Mostly Harmless was officially seen for the last time by Mike Gormley on April 15th, 2018 on the Florida National Scenic Trail in the swampy reservation area of Big Cypress. He shared his encounter with us in an exclusive interview describing how he hitched a ride into town. He recalled that his encounter with Mostly Harmless had been a complete chance, when his driver noticed him on the side of the road. - [Mike] I had told my driver what I was doing and he sounded a little interesting, and he happened to see Mostly Harmless as we were driving down the road. I didn't 'cause my attention was the other way. And he says, "Well there's a hiker right there, you wanna go talk to him?" I said, "Yeah." So we turned around and when we came back, Mostly Harmless was actually taking a nap. - [Narrator] Mike met Mostly Harmless only a week after having heard of him for the first time. At this point, Mostly Harmless had already made a name for himself while hiking through Florida. Mike often acted as a trail angel, leaving water caches out along the trails as kind gesture for the other hikers. It was during a discussion of the water caches with another hiker that he first heard, Mostly Harmless' his trail name. The other hiker had remarked that she would tell Mostly Harmless about the clean water source as he was hiking just behind her. When he met Mostly Harmless, Mike described his character similarly to many of the other hikers who he happened upon. - [Mike] His demeanor was a quiet guy, friendly, open and open to us being there. Answered questions if we asked them or whatever. - [Narrator] The two talked about where Mostly Harmless was headed, and looking back, Mike offers some speculation about Mostly Harmless' motivation for his trek. - [Mike] Well, I mean his goal was to go all the way to Key West, he told me that. I don't really remember exactly what he said as to why he was out there. I mean, the hikers are out there for the adventure and to get away from it all sometimes. - [Narrator] Before the two parted, Mike took two photos of Mostly Harmless. That explained why there later was a trail of photos tracking Mostly Harmless as movements. As a last bit of kindness, Mike attempted to help Mostly Harmless before he continued on. - [Mike] Well, I noticed that he had an awful large pack and of course, when you're walking long distances the lighter your pack the easier it is on your physical body. And I asked him how much his pack weighed, and he says, "I don't know probably between 50 and 60 pounds." I asked him if he'd let me pick it up and I did. I'm guessing it was probably 60 pounds. It was really heavy. I said well, "What do you got in there for that weight?" And he says, "Well, blah, blah, blah and I got winter clothes." And here we are in the middle of April, and the temperature of that day was like 85. I said, "Do you want me to take him from you and I can send them back home?" And he says, "no it's all right I'll just keep them a little longer or something." - [Narrator] Some people now speculate that the reason Mostly Harmless declined Mike's offer to send his winter clothing home was because he didn't want his family or friends to know where he was and to keep his identity a secret. Mike was the last person to see, speak to, and take a picture of Mostly Harmless. Just 99 days later at 10 miles away, Mostly Harmless would be seen again and it was this time that he would make headlines. Two hikers, Nichalaus Horton and Logan Beuhler were tracking their way through the Big Cypress National Preserve, When they found themselves deep within the oppressive territory. Struggling their way through heavy and thick humidity, weighing down their steps through swampy marsh that was home to snakes and alligators. As they trudged through the swamp the pair had no idea the disturbing discovery they were about to make would shock and captivate the internet in the years to come. Pausing to rest at Nobles Camp, the hikers noticed a putrid smell hanging in the air. They began to follow it, tracking it source down to a yellow tent. It was only up close that they saw boots sitting just beyond the tent flap. Thinking the man within the tent was asleep, Beuhler shouted hello, but received no reply. At first, the two hikers left the campsite alone and took some time to recover from their treacherous journey. Curious to meet whoever was camping nearby Beuhler approached the tent and through the windscreen saw something he would never forget. Beuhler had commented to Horton that quote, "I don't think this guy's doing too well." Mostly Harmless was found on July 23rd, 2018. He had died in his yellow tent. The two horrified hikers discovered his emaciated body before they called for emergency services. (beep sound) - [Announcer] Collier County 911. What is the address of your emergency? - [Nichalaus] I'm at the Big Cypress National Preserve. - [Announcer] And what is your name? - [Nichalaus] I'm Nick Horton, Nichalaus Horton. - [Announcer] Thank you so much and did you need the police, fire, or medical? - [Nichalaus] We just found a dead body. - [Announcer] Are you on the trail? - [Nichalaus] Yeah I'm on the trail and the dead body is that the Noble Camp Noble Side. - [Narrator] Horton later recalled being freaked out after coming across the dead body, saying quote, "It was scary, it was freaky. All the pain in my feet from walking went away like from adrenaline it disappeared. Since then I've been curious about who he was, how he died and what he was doing out there? Those kinds of things. It didn't look like he'd been there long. There was no sign of a campfire. There were barely any signs he had been there." There was no ID on Mostly Harmless' body. No credit cards or even a wallet. There was nothing to reveal what his real name was. If the police were hoping to find more clues about Mostly Harmless' identity through his autopsy results, they were surely disappointed. He had no strange scars to identify him and no tattoos. The only hint of a scar was a faint thin line across his stomach, something that appeared to be from a surgery. Not only did the post-mortem not reveal a single clue that could help to find his identity, it also didn't determine a specific cause of death. Surprisingly, there were also no signs that he had died from foul play and the only substances found in his system were ibuprofen and anti-histamines. His death was ruled an inconclusive, undetermined. Even his DNA and fingerprints were a dead end as they didn't show up in any system, not Missing Persons or CODIS the FBI database. A post-mortem sketch of his face was also placed in a facial recognition system but it was another dead end. Within his tent, investigators found a backpack with $3,500 in cash, as well as a handwritten notebook where Mostly Harmless wrote about an online programming game called Screeps. His trademark gray Columbia hat was inside the tent as well as his hiking poles. He was found wearing a beige shirt with green shorts, his tent left in disarray around him. As you can see in the photos, garbage was strewn about and plastic bags were left in piles. Mostly Harmless was incredibly thin at the time that he died, and being just five foot eight he weighed only 83 pounds. Strangely there was food kept just beyond his tent. It appeared as if he had just wasted away but if he had been in distress there was no indication. In fact, he had been only five miles from the nearest highway and could have sought help if he needed it. The evidence seemed to point to Mostly Harmless simply laying down in his tent before dying. After his body was found, a sheriff detective called Mike Gormley as they had tracked down his connection to Mostly Harmless through the pictures that he had posted to Facebook. - [Mike] When the sheriff detective called me I think it was like two days after they found him. They traced me down and wanted information in their investigation, and I was surprised to even see something like that had happened, because he seemed quite healthy to me and everything and no signs of having problems physically or of any kind. - [Narrator] The Sheriff, detective revealed to Mike that they were trying to trace Mostly Harmless' steps and they were having difficulty. - [Mike] When I was talking with the sheriff detective, like two days after they found him, they said that they had trail cameras on the Florida National Scenic Trail, and his image did not show up on those trail cameras. So they have no evidence that he went any further than the campsite. - [Narrator] Mike had actually stayed in Noble's camp where Mostly Harmless was found dead. A few days before he had met him 99 days earlier - [Mike] Noble's Camp is where he was found. I stayed two days prior before I ran into him. Noble's Camp was about five or seven miles away from the point where I ran into him. - [Narrator] As the camp was so close, Mike postulates that Mostly Harmless did one of two things. He could have gone all the way to Key West as was his goal and then returned to Noble's Camp where he was discovered. As it was possible to travel that distance in the time that he was unaccounted for, or he could have gone to Noble's Camp right after talking to Mike and stayed there for the two to three months by himself before he was found. It is unknown which he did and a complete loss of where to begin an investigation as law enforcement had very few concrete clues to build from. They publicly released the post-mortem sketch of Mostly Harmless. Though at this time he was not even identified by that name. The slightly disturbing image shows him with his mouth gaping open in rictus with eyes wide. His gray and dark brown beard is significantly longer and scraggly compared to the images of him in the photo with hiker Obsidian. Investigators took note of how healthy and straight Mostly Harmless as teeth were, indicating that he had received frequent dental care since his youth. His bright, white teeth are evident in the police sketch as well. Desperately seeking answers investigators also released photos from his campsite in the hopes that someone would recognize the neon yellow tent, his black and copper hiking poles or his boots. It wasn't long until trail angel Kelly Fairbanks spotted the image of Mostly Harmless and his campsite on her Facebook feed while she was at work. She panicked instantly recognizing him as the man she had stopped and talked to six months prior on Highway 90. From his eyes, beard, and hiking poles she knew it was the same man. Fairbanks quickly contacted the Collier County Sheriff's Office through their Facebook page and they soon called her seeking any information she had that would lead them to the identity of the man. She sent them her two photos of Mostly Harmless and told them every small detail she knew about him but none of it was enough to identify who he was. Knowing that it wasn't enough, Fairbanks went one step further after speaking to the police and realizing that there was still so much unknown about the man who went by the name of Mostly Harmless. She shared the post about him on Facebook. It garnered dozens of responses. She also included her own pictures of the smiling Mostly Harmless. In this one, Mostly Harmless is holding the sticker she had given him. Most of the responses were from other hikers who had happened upon the kind stranger, exchanged some pleasantries and maybe even gathered a few fleeting details about the mystery man. Soon, a timeline was constructed of where Mostly Harmless had been built from stories from other hikers. Though there were month long gaps here and there where no one saw him, through guesses and piecing information together it is now believed that Mostly Harmless started his trekking journey in Harriman State Park in Sloatsburg New York. Though that lead never resulted in uncovering his name. With other cases of unidentified bodies found in the woods, internet sleuths can often hunt down who they are with only a few pieces of information. And at first it seemed like that was going to quickly happen for Mostly Harmless. People were happily helping each other out sharing what they had learned from Mostly Harmless when they met him and even a few more photos, all trying to work together to find his true name. Soon more details were revealed, small things he had mentioned to people he encountered along his journey that later became massive clues. He told Fazzig about how his hiking began and Fazzig speculated about his preparation for the enormous hiking adventure he undertook. - [Fazzig] And he told like we'd always ask where did you start thru-hiking and that sort of thing? And he mentioned, he just like took the bus or the train from New York City to where it meets the Appalachian Trail and just started hiking South. Which is like really weird for people who are not into hiking the trail, but you know if you meet people on the trail you're like, yeah that sounds like a really good idea. Yeah I know I get that, I get that. You know most people will do like a little bit of planning before their hike. Get their gear together but you know, if you get the nickname Denim because you're hiking in jeans you probably didn't do that much prep. It sounds like this was his first hike ever so he was just going for it. - [Narrator] Apparently he had a preference for ketchup and sticky buns. He told someone he lived in Brooklyn and that he had started hiking in New York in April of 2017. In June, 2017 he did a two-week hike on the Appalachian Trail in New York. He stopped at Mountain Crossings in North Georgia before going through Hiawassee Georgia. He told someone else that he had come from Baton Rouge that he had started his hiking as a way to detox from his life, working in the tech industry and to get away from the digital world. Fazzig recalled that Mostly Harmless had talked about his work in IT. - [Fazzig] I do remember, I remember talking to him and he said he was in the I'm gonna say IT industry. I don't exactly know what he worked on but he was pretty disgruntled with that. I don't know if that's the right word but he just had enough of that. You know, people hike the trail for all reasons but his seemed like he was just kind of done with the nine to five. - [Narrator] Another hiker recalled that he had said he put his stuff in storage before leaving, while in Blue Ridge he talked to a hiker and revealed that his dad was abusive, and that he no longer spoke to either of his parents but had a sister. Another person who had met him added that he said his sister lived in either Sarasota or Saratoga. He told someone he liked Dr. Who and another that he had issues with his health and had wanted to take his planned extensive hiking trip while he was still able to. Though these pieces of Mostly Harmless' story build a picture, the small details did little to reveal his identity. Even beyond those who had met him the mystery of an unidentified hiker appealed to many despite the countless photos he had taken with other hikers along his journey. No one could figure out who the man truly was. With so many pictures, it seemed it should have been easy to solve and yet it wasn't. His uncrackable name led to the creation of multiple Facebook groups, all dedicated to sharing information and theories. And the theories ran rampant. One explored the possibility that Mostly Harmless could have possibly been a missing child from 1982, whose story had appeared on the "Dr. Oz" show. Others thought that he could have been on the run in Arkansas as a suspect for murder. Another considered that the trail named Denim hadn't come from the jeans he wore to hike but rather that he had named himself Denholm, which is often pronounced similarly and alludes to a geek reference on a British series with a cult following "IT Crowd." However, none of these theories panned out. A thread on Reddit devoted itself to understanding Mostly Harmless' notes on Screeps. Some of the words in his notebook the thread focused on were creep, spawn, and algae pond. Web sleuths had multiple active threads dedicated to Mostly Harmless. Here an annotated timeline was constructed mapping where Mostly Harmless was spotted along his track. Some speculated that Mostly Harmless died because his knees gave out as he was often seen wearing knee braces and carrying enormous backpack. - [Fazzig] Like he would normally hike I think he said like eight to 12 miles a day because he had some knee issues. - [Narrator] This theory surmises that he became effectively trapped in his tent unable to get help before he starved to death. So far, this theory appears the most logical as his body was practically hollow when he was discovered. And the autopsy didn't reveal that he had suffered from a terminal illness, cardiac arrest, or anything else that may have killed him. Others speculate that he may have suffered from a cancer diagnosis and went out to complete his goal hike while he was still healthy enough to be able to do so before finally succumbing to the illness in his tent at Nobles Camp. One branch of Web sleuths was convinced that Mostly Harmless' real name was Daniel Charles Steen, a missing man from Schenectady New York. He was 42 and he vanished on March 20th, 2017. Though the timing and place of his disappearance correlated with Mostly Harmless Steen is reported as being five foot 10 and wore glasses which Mostly Harmless was never pictured wearing. Though many were sure that Steen was the true Mostly Harmless others dismissed the slight resemblance between the men. Many of those who became enthralled with the hunt for Mostly Harmless' true name were women. Some even commented that they were eager to help identify someone they found so attractive. Fairbanks had described him as a good looking dude, while another woman on Facebook compared him to Brad Pitt earning the response, "Actually I think Mostly Harmless looks better," from another user. The mystery soon consumed people's lives and they were determined to uncover Mostly Harmless' true identity. Jason Nark became invested in the Mostly Harmless case for an entire year which isn't hard to do when the case is so intriguing. He chased leads, assembled a timeline, and talked theories over with others. His findings were published on the website Adventure Journal, filled with everything he had found out about Mostly Harmless. Even with all the information Nark collected he never discovered his name. Another theorist who was pulled into the mystery of Mostly Harmless, was Natasha Teasley. Teasley currently runs the Facebook group Unidentified Male Hiker Ben Bilemy 2018. Finding more free time with coronavirus quarantine, Teasley took the clues that the Facebook groups that collected and started to send flyers about the mystery case of Mostly Harmless to every city where he may have been associated. Her flyers went to the Chambers of Commerce in Saratosa Florida and to Saratoga New York, but she found no new leads. She frequently checked missing person databases waiting to see his picture pop-up. She even looked into the cars that were towed out of Harriman State Park believing that if he started his adventure at the park he would have likely left a vehicle there, which could be matched to Mostly Harmless. Her ongoing interest in Mostly Harmless came from the fact that she felt for the people in his life who knew him, claiming he's got to be missed. Someone must miss this guy. Despite how easily similar mysteries were solved especially in the world of the internet, no one discovered Mostly Harmless' true name. Not the thousands of internet sleuths and not the police. The Collier County Sheriff's Office created a podcast to discuss the details of the case in an attempt to garner a wider audience, so that Mostly Harmless would be identified. The podcast did succeed in bringing attention to the case but it brought little clarity to who he was. The Sheriff's office eventually released a GoPro video that had been submitted to them. It shows Mostly Harmless standing in the corner of the shot with a bright red backpack almost bigger than him, with his customary gray baseball hat. The hope was that the video of Mostly Harmless would spark recognition at someone, but it didn't. The next course of action was a DNA analysis of Mostly Harmless, aiming to uncover any concrete details about him. The geneticist David Mittelman became interested in the intriguing case, especially as he had commented that his work can get a little boring, and that he likes to help solve mysteries. He had worked on the original human genome project and then founded Othram Labs which partners with law enforcement agencies to help solve cold cases. He believed that his research could shed some light on who Mostly Harmless really was. When Mittelman offered to help aid the Collier County Sheriff's Office he told them that it would cost around $5,000. Expensive DNA analysis like that was far too much for the Sheriff's office to spend on a single case. However, it only took eight days for crowdfunding on Facebook to raise the money. It was Natasha Teasley who organized the fundraising for the Othram DNA test. It astounded the Sheriff's office that's so many strangers were willing give their money, to the cause of identifying Mostly Harmless. After the donations poured in Othram Labs was sent a piece of his bone. It wasn't until mid-August that the sequence of the DNA test results finally finished. For the months that it took, those who donated to the cause worried that the fragment wasn't enough, or that something had gone wrong with the sequencing which happens on occasion. But Mostly Harmless as DNA was found and immediately compared against others, using the same technique that had brought the Golden State Killer to justice after 42 years. Yet despite the expected breakthrough no statement was released in the following months. All that they knew was Mostly Harmless' DNA sequence was placed in the GEDmatch database. No leads were shared for those who gave money in the hopes of finding Mostly Harmless they were left disappointed and frustrated. So many people had dedicated time, energy, and worry to find Mostly Harmless' name. Often there were remarks that people could relate to Mostly Harmless' desire to abandon the hustle and bustle of the modern world, and his job in tech. Though few could do it themselves they admired him for it. Others commented that they didn't want someone to be left without a name or feeling like they hadn't existed in the world. It appeared that so far, all attempts to identify Mostly Harmless had turned up nothing. Most people were left wondering why he hid his identity in the first place, and why after years of being missing no one who knew him had come looking and with a no known cause of death. It isn't clear what went wrong. Jason Nark, who dedicated a year to try to uncover Mostly Harmless' identity, put it best in a Facebook post saying, after all this work, it's only more of a mystery to me and then just like that, the case broke wide open. - [Mike] On the Facebook group called, "Unidentified Male Hiker Ben Bilemy 2018," the news today is that we are mostly certain that we are at an ID. We will not give the name and photos until the information is 100% confirmed by authorities. - [Narrator] Natasha Teasley was the one to announce that Mostly Harmless' identity had finally come up with a match. As she wanted to ensure accuracy. Teasley waited for a full confirmation before revealing his true name to the thousands of anxious and excited Facebook group members. Finally, after the two and a half years of searching and waiting Mostly Harmless' identity was released. Although it hasn't yet been confirmed by authorities his real name was Vance Rodriguez. These photos supplied by a friend show Vance in his younger years, and as you can see by comparing the images the resemblance is undeniable. One shows a young Vance posing in a restaurant, another wearing a top hat with rabbit ears and his alleged ex-girlfriend who chose to be identified by the nickname Tuggy posing behind him. The last photo is a selfie as he sits alone in his room. Other photos from Shopper's Choice his previous workplace clearly show the similarities, when you compare the photos side by side. In a twist, it appears that his DNA was not the definit%ive clue that cracked the case of Mostly Harmless' identity. Instead, the case was solved thanks to those who continued to share his photos on Facebook. There are conflicting reports of who exactly was the first to positively identify Vance. - [Mike] The thing that was mentioned on the Facebook page was a friend that used to live with him, recognized the pictures or whatever and then got ahold of authorities. That's all in the threads so it's not the official announcements or anything but. - [Narrator] Some claim a friend who used to live with Vance recognized him from the Facebook page first, while others believe it was an ex-girlfriend who first recognized him. Either way both the friend and ex-girlfriend agree that Mostly Harmless was Vance Rodriguez. Even though his family is very much alive no one ever reported him missing. Vance's alleged ex-girlfriend Tuggy claims to have had a five-year relationship with him that ended in 2010. After finally seeing some of the many trail photos others had taken of Mostly Harmless, she has said that she is 100% sure that it is Vance in the pictures. Tuggy has said that the reason she came forward and is speaking about Vance is because she wants to help put his identity and who he was to rest and she did just that. Soon friends of Vance also came forward and contacted the Collier County Sheriff's Office to confirm the identity of Mostly Harmless as Vance Rodriguez. The Sheriff's office has yet to release a comment on the conclusion of the case, but it has mostly been universally agreed that this is his actual identity. Once his true name was revealed, more pieces of his past began to surface. Vance was originally from Louisiana and had Cajun ancestry and would have been about 42 at the time of his death. He had been living in Brooklyn, New York before beginning his hike. He suddenly left his apartment in Brooklyn behind in a hurry, leaving his wallet, credit card, New York State ID, driver's license, and passport. Food was still in the kitchen and his clothes left behind as if he simply walked out with plans to return but he never came back. His swift abandonment of the apartment appears to match Fazzig's story. That Vance had boarded a train and just started hiking without much preparation. Vance's landlord revealed that his apartment had been unpaid for a year and a half, and when they finally entered after obtaining a warrant it was left as if Vance had vanished out of thin air. What was most apparent was Vance's interest in technology as his one bedroom apartment held computers, monitors, and quote video game things. But what wasn't apparent was why Vance would so suddenly leave his life behind. The only clue hinting toward a possible motivation to leave was revealed by his landlord. Who said Vance had been living in the apartment with a woman he described as a girlfriend, until the couple got into an argument. When the landlord reached out to the girlfriend for answers, she stated she didn't know how to get in contact with Vance and refuse to take his abandoned belongings for reasons that are unknown. Still despite the abandoned apartment and belongings it seems no one reported Vance as missing. A few of Vance's family members have since joined the Facebook group run by Teasley once his identity was announced but she has reported that so far strangely they have yet to like or comment on any posts. They have also refused to respond to any requests for comments about Vance or the mystery surrounding him. Vance's alleged former roommate Randall from Baton Rouge, cryptically clarified his family's choice not to speak about Vance by saying, "There's a reason no one reported him missing." Despite the many stories that those interested in Mostly Harmless' case may have told themselves, such as him being a kind and shy man with thoughtful eyes and a sad expression. The true picture of who Vance was, has only just started to reveal itself. There appears there may have been another side to Vance one much darker and troubled. This unsettled side of him helps explain why he may have sought the wilderness in the first place. Adding to the complicated tapestry of who Vance really was includes the stories of him from the perspectives of his friends. Vance's friends have shared that he frequently had troubled and turbulent relationships, with both his family members and friends. As he was often hot and cold. A friend from Baton Rouge named Marie described that Vance would occasionally have depressive episodes, which she described as outages. During these times, he was reportedly cruel to those in his life and would refuse to talk to them. Marie even said that he was deeply kind, and caring, and a bit of. One thing that appears consistent in all the statements from the people who knew Vance is that none were particularly surprised to hear that he had abruptly given up his life and work in Brooklyn to disappear and hike. With his name finally revealed his past online presence was quickly uncovered. An alias he allegedly used online was, Vaejor. And according to Adventure Journal Vance posted one very telling remark at the end of January, 2017. Just three months before he kicked off his hiking adventure. "I'm Mostly Harmless for now, and then even darker turn that begins to paint a possibly disturbing image of the man, Facebook posts by Tuggy in 2010, seem to document a turbulent relationship with Vance as she moved out of their shared apartment. One reads standing up to the monster that beat you up emotionally and physically for five years, priceless. Another done with the move, the only thing left in the old apartment is an empty feeling, where my room used to be and I'll let Vance clean that up. Her mother corroborated these claims telling her side of the story on a Facebook post about Mostly Harmless' identity being revealed. Her message reads, "My daughter was Vance's girlfriend of five years. This man was so abusive to my daughter. He changed her. She could not spend any quality time with her family the whole time they were together. She said he had Schizoaffective disorder. He did not like me. I called him down for not answering the door when I went to check on my daughter. I was so relieved when they finally broke up he had the gaul to kick her out of her own apartment. My daughter is convinced he wanted to end his life. Even with breakthrough of finally knowing Mostly Harmless' true identity, the mystery still remains. How exactly did he die? And what truly motivated Vance to leave everything behind and begin his hiking adventure. Though, the mystery of his death has yet to be definitively solved, his friends have revealed that the scar down his abdomen was from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in an attempt to take his own life. None of the hikers he met during his journey ever reported that he appeared to be struggling with his mental health. Yet Tuggy has said that she believes his death was an intentional plan from the beginning. Teasely has weighed in her thoughts regarding the second mystery about what exactly sent Vance into the woods. Teasley claims that many of the discussions on her Facebook page revolved around who, or what he had been running from when he started his hike. She says now, Turns out what he might've been running from is himself." Although bittersweet, the mystery of Mostly Harmless has been solved. Thanks to the efforts of those who refused to give up. Sharing his face far and wide on social media. One single share caught the attention of people from his past, cracking the so-called unsolvable case wide open. It goes to show in the age of the internet solving a mystery can be just a single share away, and you could be the one who makes that difference.
Info
Channel: EXPLORE WITH US
Views: 1,465,833
Rating: 4.8375325 out of 5
Keywords: Explore With Us, EWU Crew, investigation, documentary, unexplained, creepy, disappearance, detective, detectives, journalism, investigative journalism, news, missing persons, missing person, evidence, stories, true story, true crime, true stories, mystery, mysteries, solved mystery, mostly harmless, mostly harmless solved, mostly harmless hiker, mostly harmless identified, mostly harmless update, solved, solved true crime, solved mysteries, missing persons case, solved cases, cold case
Id: QISwNN1k-_w
Channel Id: undefined
Length: 49min 11sec (2951 seconds)
Published: Sat Jan 02 2021
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