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This story is about suicide. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
In 2018, the emaciated body of an unknown man was found in the Florida wilderness, solving a mystery that had lasted nearly three years.
The case of Vance John Rodriguez, known in the hiking community as “Mostly Harmless,” is explored in the new Max documentary “They Called Him Mostly Harmless” from Emmy Award-winning director Patricia Gillespie.
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“There’s a bigger story in this mystery,” Gillespie told Fox News Digital. “It's about how we live our lives online and the myth-making that takes place in the digital space. It wasn't just about Mostly Harmless, it was also about the community, the hiking community that came together to find him. And I think a lot of that generosity is overlooked online – people who are willing to donate their time to try to find answers for someone else's family.”
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The case of Van Rodriguez, known in the hiking community as “Denim” and “Mostly Harmless,” is explored in a new documentary about Max, “They Called Him Mostly Harmless.” (Max)
Hiker Brandon Dowell met Rodriguez eight months before Rodriguez's death. The two men met in Georgia.
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“I thought I was camping alone that night,” Dowell told Fox News Digital. “I looked up and saw this guy, this skinny guy, walking out of the woods. My first impression was, 'Man, this guy looks like he's been out for a long time.' You can see the wear and tear on his backpack. He looked tired and exhausted.”
The couple quickly bonded over everything – difficult childhoods, their fathers, girlfriends and the discouragement of society. But when it came time to part ways the next day, Rodriguez, 42, declined contact.
Brandon Dowell, a fellow Appalachian Trail hiker, met Vance Rodriguez eight months before Rodriguez's death. (Max)
“I remember asking him, 'Are you sure you don't want to exchange emails or anything?'” Dowell recalls. “He just shook his head no. He looked really sad about it. We shook hands and that was it. It was hard. You want to hold on to that connection, but that's how it goes by the wayside. Maybe you'll see.” “
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When it was later announced that a body had been found in a yellow tent, Dowell didn't think much of it. The body was found without a wallet, phone or identification. There was a stomach scar, but no noticeable tattoos.
Investigators discovered $3,500 worth of cash, notebooks scribbled with computer codes and lots of food supplies. The deceased man weighed only 83 pounds and his DNA and fingerprints did not yield results in any database. No relatives called for a missing relative.
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Vance Rodriguez was found dead in a yellow tent in the middle of the Florida wilderness. (Max)
After the hiker's photo made the rounds, many reported encounters with the stranger on the Appalachian Trail. Some remembered his unusually large backpack, his chubby cheeks and his friendly demeanor.
He seemed mostly harmless.
The investigators were at a loss. But thousands of Internet sleuths marched forward. Many amateur detectives used a Facebook group dedicated to identifying the deceased hiker.
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“I 1,000% believe they were helpful,” Gillespie said. “I don’t think the resources were there to solve this case without them. I think a lot of the problems we talk about in the detective community are internet problems. I think there are problems with how we as humans interact with each other online.” . …We make a lot of assumptions about each other on the internet and especially on social media. Everything in this environment leads to and creates an outrage machine.”
Natasha Teasley, an outdoor enthusiast and internet sleuth, was among those desperate to identify the deceased mystery man. (Max)
The excitement of identifying the unknown hiker reached its climax with the discovery of Ben Reynolds. He created an online diary detailing how hiking helped him cope with his cancer diagnosis. Numerous cyber detectives were so convinced that he was the hiker in question that his family became the focus of harassment.
But it was Christie Harris, a Virginia-based delivery person who had always dreamed of becoming an FBI agent, who received a tip. Finally a face has been given a name. The man, “Mostly Harmless,” was also Rodriguez, a Baton Rouge native. His identity was confirmed by police in 2021.
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As Rodriguez's identity was revealed, so was his past. The documentary claimed that Rodriguez was a loner who struggled with his mental health and spent hours playing computer games. He became more and more obsessed with programming. Several ex-girlfriends claimed that he was emotionally and physically abusive, while others noted that he isolated himself from his family.
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Vance Rodriguez's past has shocked many in the hiking community. (Collier County Sheriff's Office)
According to Wired.com, when he was 15, Rodriguez planned to take his own life. After shooting himself in the stomach with a gun, he decided to live and raised his hand as a truck drove by. He was saved and left with a surgical scar on his stomach.
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In 2017, Rodriguez left his passport, wallet and credit cards at his New York apartment. From there he spent the next 15 months in the forest. On the Appalachian Trail he met several hikers who described him as warm and friendly with kind eyes.
“[This story] “It was one of the challenges I wanted to take on,” Gillespie explained. “How can someone the internet sees one way be someone so completely different?” People like Brandon met him in real life and saw him in an incredibly positive light. And it turned out that he had done some not-so-great things in his life. Especially in the digital space, there is a tendency to see things in black and white and to view people as good or bad. The reality is that people can be both.
“Citizen Detective” Christie Harris received a tip that ultimately led to the identity of Vance Rodriguez. (Max)
Gillespie noted that her team has reached out to Rodriguez's family. They declined to participate.
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“They were forced into the public eye because this case became a mass phenomenon on the internet,” she said. “When Mostly Harmless was brought into the public eye, it also brought his family into the public eye. This happened long before I came on stage. “I respect his family’s decision not to come forward and be publicly associated with her.” This. As a filmmaker, I try very hard not to pressure people to tell their story, but to empower them to feel ready to tell their story.”
In the film, Dowell noted that there are “a lot of hurt people on the trail.”
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Vance Rodriguez's unusually large red backpack caught the attention of many along the way. (Collier County Sheriff's Office)
“Many people are in transition phases,” he explained. “It could be a divorce, it could be the loss of a loved one. It's a major life event that puts them in a state where they need to get away. You have to go and sort things out. So there are a lot of people there.” The path is like this. It takes a big event in your life to get you to the point where you think, “I need to go walking in the woods for six months, not showering and getting dirty every day.” It can be a love of adventure, of course, but not always. For me, the trail was the place where I could really figure out my life. It was a mental reset.”
Gillespie said it took so long to finally identify Rodriguez because “he didn't want to be found.” Those who knew Rodriguez echoed that sentiment.
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Dowell admitted he had a hard time exposing the “nice person” he met along the way.
“We had talked about father figure abuse,” he recalled. “That was something we bonded about and talked about for a while and how it affected us. It was never discussed that he was continuing the cycle of abuse. If he had stuck with it, I would have liked to hope that he would. I tried to do better.
Vance Rodriguez's notebook, which was scribbled with computer codes, was found near his bed. (Collier County Sheriff's Office)
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The circumstances surrounding Rodriguez's final hours still remain a mystery. However, according to the documentary, it is likely that he chose to starve himself. No foul play was suspected.
Dowell has since written a song about his encounter with his band Bombadier. He said the experience helped him deal with the news he uncovered along with the rest of the hiking community.
“He dropped everything and just left,” Dowell said. “I didn’t have a cell phone or anything. And I thought that was so cool. …Sometimes there is room for forgiveness. Sometimes not. I’m still trying to figure it out.”
“They Called Him Mostly Harmless” is available to stream on MAX.