Hiker found dead went by 'Denim' and 'Mostly Harmless' on the trail, but investigators don't know his real name
Investigators say he used the trail names "Denim" and "Mostly Harmless," but that they do not know his real name.
Authorities in Collier County, Florida, say they believe this is the man who was found dead in a tent in Big Cypress National Preserve on July 23, 2018. Investigators say he used the trail names "Denim" and "Mostly Harmless," but that they do not know his real name. (Collier County Sheriff's Office)
They believe they know his aliases, his nicknames. What he looks like. They just don?t know who he is.
After a hiker was found dead in a tent in Big Cypress National Preserve on July 23, investigators deployed ?advanced forensic technologies? and followed up on several leads, the Collier County Sheriff?s Office said on Facebook.
They determined that the man?s death wasn?t suspicious, and that he had most likely died within a few days of his body being found.
They learned that he used the names ?Denim? and ?Mostly Harmless? on the trail. He also used the name ?Ben Bilemy? at hostels that he had checked into in Virginia, Georgia and Florida.
They obtained photographs of a man with a salt-and-pepper beard, and believe the man in the photographs is the person who was found dead.
But they still don?t know his actual identity.
?At this time we are looking for his identity or information from those who knew him or know of his family,? the sheriff?s office said in a Facebook post on Monday.
Investigators were trying to learn the identity of a hiker found dead in Collier County, Florida, on July 23, 2018. (Collier County Sheriff's Office)
According to the Collier County Sheriff?s Office, the man was found dead by other hikers on July 23 at Nobles Camp, about five miles north of the rest stop at Mile Marker 63 on Interstate 75, also known as Alligator Alley.
In a bid to identify the man, investigators issued a bulletin seeking information from the public. That bulletin featured a composite image.
The bulletin said the man had been between 35 and 50 years old, that he had a salt and pepper beard and hair, that his teeth were in excellent condition, and that he had been wearing a beige shirt and green shorts, and black Salomon hiking boots.
Investigators were trying to learn the identity of a hiker found dead in Collier County, Florida, on July 23, 2018. (Collier County Sheriff's Office)
He was found in a yellow, two-person Brooks-Range Mountaineering Foray-model tent, the sheriff?s office said.
Tips came in, and so did the photos, after the bulletin went out.
The Naples Daily News reported that the photos came from hikers who believe they met the man on the Appalachian and Florida trails.
The Daily News also reported that investigators believe the man might?ve had connections to New York and Louisiana.
He might have worked in the tech industry, investigators said.
Investigators were trying to learn the identity of a hiker found dead in Collier County, Florida, on July 23, 2018. (Collier County Sheriff's Office)
In an update on Monday, investigators said they did searches on the name Ben Bilemy, but found no matches.
?What we need most from the public is info on the name of the hiker known as Denim and Mostly Harmless so that his family can be notified and lay their loved one to rest,? the sheriff?s office said.
Investigators were asking Facebook users to share their posts about the hiker and to call the Collier County Sheriff?s Office at 239-252-9300 if they have any info.
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