Collier County's 'Mostly Harmless' case featured on HBO Max in documentary. What to know

Kendall Little, Naples Daily News
·4 min read

Max, formerly HBO Max, has many popular true-crime documentaries on its streaming platform, like "Mommy Dead and Dearest," which explains the case of Gypsy Rose and Dee Dee Blanchard. But this week, Collier County is in the spotlight with the platform's newest release: "They Called Him Mostly Harmless."

The documentary follows the case of a man who was found dead in a tent in Big Cypress National Reserve in 2018. He had no form of identification on him and was known by other hikers as "Mostly Harmless" and "Denim."

It took the Collier County Sheriff's Office more than two years and the help of internet sleuths to identify the man.

If "They Called Him Mostly Harmless" is on your watchlist, here's a timeline of the case to help you prepare.

The man known as "Mostly Harmless" is pictured.
The man known as "Mostly Harmless" is pictured.

July and August 2018: Discovering the body and starting a public investigation

  • July 23, 2018: Two hikers find a body inside a tent at Nobles Campsite, around five miles north of Interstate 75 mile marker 63.

  • Along with the body, detectives found hiking gear, two notebooks, and around $3,640 inside the tent. The man had no phone, credit card, or any sort of indetification.

  • The Collier County Sheriff's Office asked the public for help and released a composite rendering of what the man may have looked like before death.

  • He was described as a 5-foot-8 man who was 35 to 50 years old. He weighed 83 pounds and his hair and beard were gray and black. The man had blue-gray eyes and teeth in "excellent" condition. He was wearing a beige shirt and green shorts when he died.

  • After a few weeks, several hikers who met the man during his journey sent tips and photos to CCSO. We learned the man went by trail names "Denim" and "Mostly Harmless" as he hiked Appalachian and Florida trails.

  • Investigators announced they believed the man had ties to New York and Louisiana and may have worked in the tecnnology industry.

  • CCSO announced the hiker didn't have any obvious injuries and his death didn't prompt suspicion of a crime.

More: ID of man found dead in Big Cypress Preserve still unclear after hikers send photos, tips

December 2018: Still no luck identifying the man

  • Investigators are still trying to identify the mystery man and continue to ask for help from the public.

Feburary 2019: Police release an informational podcast about the case

  • CCSO releases a three-part podcast about the case, including discovery of the body, how missing person databases work, and who the man met while hiking.

  • A fourth episode of the podcast was released in 2020 to spark public interest again.

July 2020: Two years later and still no identification

  • Two years have passed and "Mostly Harmless" still hasn't been identified.

  • CCSO announces a partnership with a private DNA laboratory in Texas to try new forensic genealogy to identify the man.

  • The man's DNA would be sequenced and a genealogist would use sequence to build out a family tree using a public database.

January 2021: "Mostly Harmless" is indentified

  • "Mostly Harmless" is identified as Vance Rodriguez, an IT worker in New York with roots in Louisiana.

  • Rodriguez's former co-worker reached out to CCSO after seeing his photo online. The co-worker was able to provide the department Rodriguez's name and photos.

  • Rodriguez's family was contacted and agreed to provide a DNA sample for comparison. A positive identification was made.

More: Deceased hiker, known as 'Mostly Harmless,' identified after more than two years

Promo image for "They Called Him Mostly Harmless"
Promo image for "They Called Him Mostly Harmless"

Where to watch "They Called Him Mostly Harmless"

"They Called Him Mostly Harmless" is streaming on Max, formerly known as HBO Max. It was released Feb. 8 to viewers with a subscription.

Here's a breakdown of the subscription options Max offers:

  • $9.99 per month

    • With ads

    • Stream on two devices at once

    • Full HD resolution

  • $15.99 per month

    • Ad-free

    • Stream on two devices at once

    • Full HD resolution

    • 30 downloads to watch on the go

  • $19.99 per month

    • Ad-free

    • Stream on four devices at once

    • 4K Ultra HD resolution as available

    • Dolby Atmos immersive audio as available

    • 100 downloads to watch on the go

You can also opt for yearly payment options for the three options above. Sign up online at max.com.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: HBO Max new documentary features Collier County, Florida 2018 case