In July 2018, an unidentified and emaciated man was found dead in a yellow tent in Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve. In today’s always-online world, police assumed identifying him to notify his next of kin would be simple, but that was not the case.

The man who grew to be called “Mostly Harmless” carried no identification with him – no phone, no wallet, no credit cards. He paid in cash and managed to stay off the grid. He had met hikers on his long trek south on the Appalachian Trail, but he had given them only his trail names – including Ben Bileme and Mostly Harmless. Later, Mostly Harmless became the name he was known by as both professional and amateur sleuths worked to discover his real identity. And that was when the trouble really started.

Max’s new documentary, They Called Him Mostly Harmless, follows this process and the many people who worked on the case until it was finally resolved two years later. The feature, which is directed and executive produced by Emmy winner Patricia E. Gillespie and produced by Anchor Entertainment in collaboration with Investigation Discovery, premieres on Max on February 8.

“They Called Him Mostly Harmless is a gripping mystery surrounding the identity of a John Doe found dead in the swamplands of Florida and the legion of dedicated true crime fans who make it their mission to solve the case. But the interpersonal drama that erupts amongst these armchair detectives becomes just as compelling as the mystery itself as both take dark, unexpected turns,” said Jason Sarlanis, president, TNT, TBS, TruTV, ID and HLN in a statement.

“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,” said Gillespie, also in a statement. “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.”

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