An unidentified 2017 AT Hiker has died on the Florida Trail

[hitrailer]

1. If he weighed only 83 lbs. (incredible!), cause of death could be malnourishment.
2. I read a newspaper account of an interview of the two hikers who found him. I will find it and post the link.
My questions:
1. Where was his backpack? Only items found were hiking boots, tent, hiking poles and platypus. No food. Area was reported clean by the hikers.
2. Why did he lose so much weight?
3. I know it was mid-July (hot, humid, mosquitos), but why did nobody notice his famished condition? Where was he living? He was only 5 miles from an I-75 rest stop.

[hitrailer]

Here's the link to the Naples News article interviewing the hikers who discovered him:

https://www.naplesnews.com/story/new...rve/890986002/

[BlackCloud]

Never seen an article describe the name brands of a person's equipment....

[Time Zone]

Never seen an article describe the name brands of a person's equipment....

I'm not sure I have either, but I suspect they feel that it could help identify the person. Hikers generally talk gear a lot, and any family members and friends may recognize the gear choices.

What strikes me is that composite image that the Sheriff's office put out. It's a bit unsettling - I have a sense of what parts they photoshopped but I feel I shouldn't say more out of respect. Anyway, unsettling or not, I hope it helps in solving the mystery.

[Mother Natures Son]

RIP. So sad to hear another hiker has passed. I remember all too well when I summit Mt. Washington. There was a sign that stated all the persons that died on the mountain. Be careful out there folks!

[Bati]

So a few points of interest:
1. Why would the police mention he had perfect teeth & weighed 83 lbs but not release the cause of death? I understand that teeth are a good gauge of an individual's (or animal's) overall health.
2. I've never entered or opened someone else's tent w/o permission. Aside from a smell, I can imagine ever doing so.

Thoughts?

Perhaps something like lathyrism from eating wild plants, such as was suspected with Chris McCandless. This could lead to massive weight loss and paralysis.

As for opening someone else's tent, I have once. A few days after a massive snowstorm we walked into a tent city and saw no footprints but ours; heard no response to our voices. I had no choice but to brace myself and check the first tent, which thankfully was empty. The next one was a bit easier to check, and eventually after finding no one, just sleeping bags and other stuff, we left a note (signed "Northbounders" ) and left with our footprints leading North out of the campsite. I heard later that it was a bunch of boy scouts who had been helicoptered out.

But in this case, since there's no pack, assume that someone did come by and take the pack that was sitting outside without looking in the tent (or without reporting it). Then you have the situation later where the tent is fine, but there's no pack.

[TexasBob]

So a few points of interest:
1. Why would the police mention he had perfect teeth & weighed 83 lbs but not release the cause of death? I understand that teeth are a good gauge of an individual's (or animal's) overall health.
2. I've never entered or opened someone else's tent w/o permission. Aside from a smell, I can imagine ever doing so.

Thoughts?

The people who found him didn't open the tent. quote " I looked through the mesh......."

[Alligator]

So a few points of interest:
1. Why would the police mention he had perfect teeth & weighed 83 lbs but not release the cause of death? I understand that teeth are a good gauge of an individual's (or animal's) overall health.
2. I've never entered or opened someone else's tent w/o permission. Aside from a smell, I can imagine ever doing so.

Thoughts?

They might be waiting on the autopsy report. Sometimes they take a couple of weeks.

[TNhiker]

They might be waiting on the autopsy report. Sometimes they take a couple of weeks.

and longer with toxicology tests sometimes........

[chknfngrs]

Anyone search Trailjournals?!

[MuddyWaters]

and longer with toxicology tests sometimes........

Tissue samples from organs can take months

[BlackCloud]

I'm not sure I have either, but I suspect they feel that it could help identify the person. Hikers generally talk gear a lot, and any family members and friends may recognize the gear choices.

I suspect you are correct.

[RuthN]

https://www.winknews.com/2018/08/23/...rior-to-death/

[martinb]

I've been following this and wish there were more information. I'm guessing they found a pack? What was in it? They found him at 83 lbs but if he had been deceased for a few days, that would be expected. Getting lost is also a very real possibility. Wasn't long ago that a couple of hikers got lost on the FT not too far from here.

[RuthN]

I've been following this and wish there were more information. I'm guessing they found a pack? What was in it? They found him at 83 lbs but if he had been deceased for a few days, that would be expected. Getting lost is also a very real possibility. Wasn't long ago that a couple of hikers got lost on the FT not too far from here.

His backpack wasn't found with him.

I'm really amazed that with the number of people who talked with him on the AT (and elsewhere), plus the fact that he registered to stay in hostels (using a pseudonym, but still), they don't know his identity.

Btw, the full video is here.

[Roll Tide]

Does anyone know if he has been identified yet? Have not read anything on him for past month.

[imscotty]

Here is an excellent three-part podcast on the 'Mostly Harmless' mystery...

https://soundcloud.com/ccso-media-re...ment-episode-1

https://soundcloud.com/ccso-media-re...ment-episode-2

https://soundcloud.com/ccso-media-re...ment-episode-3

Please share this story.

[Southeast]

iTunes link

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/...ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Or search for Sworn Statement.

[stephanD]

If he passed through SNP and GSMNP, he may have put his real name on the permits.

[stephanD]

Not making any assumptions, but it is incongruent for someone who may have died of starvation to have teeth in "excellent" condition, as it is said in the sheriff's report.