The upcoming Max documentary explores the life, death and infamy of an Appalachian trail hiker.
The new Max docuseries They Called Him Mostly Harmless explores a true crime that may never truly be solved.
The documentary, which premieres on Feb. 8, centers on a mysterious Appalachian Trail hiker who was found dead on July 23, 2018, in Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida, and whose body remained unidentified for two years.
The hiker was found with no identification, and a later autopsy could not determine his specific cause of death, though he was described as being "emaciated," with no signs of foul play.
Following the body's recovery, a massive amateur internet presence attempted to uncover the hiker's identity -- in a docuseries sleuthing collective similar to that seen in Netflix's Don’t F**ck with Cats and Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel.
"He was definitely trying to stay anonymous," one follower says in the Harmless trailer.
Watch the full clip below:
The hiker was ultimately identified as Vance John "Vaejor" Rodriguez, though he was better known by his trail names: "Mostly Harmless," Denim, and Ben Bilemy.
"If you're 'Mostly Harmless,' you're also partly harmful," warns another voiceover in the trailer.
Director Patricia E. Gillespie shared what drew her to tell this story.
"I was drawn to this story because of its potential to help us think more deeply about what it means to live in the digital age," she says. "I hope we've made a film that manages to both honor the citizen detectives who worked tirelessly to identify Mostly Harmless, while encouraging audiences to get involved in the issue of unidentified persons."
They Called Him Mostly Harmless premieres Feb. 8 on Max.
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