David Riemens, Man in the Hobbit in Tennessee, Disappeared and Possibly Killed

For most people, living in a treehouse with no running water or electricity on Tennessee The farm looks eccentric. But for David Riemens, a Michigan native who grew up with five siblings, living off the grid inside Volunteer Bang has become his paradise.

Julie McManus, who has been married to Riemens for 10 years, told The Daily Beast: “David wanted to leave a very small footprint on the earth. “We never thought of ourselves as ‘hippies’ but people called us that. We’re just focused on helping — not hurting — the planet. ”

A “kind and compassionate person” with a affinity for hitchhiking, Riemens moved to Tennessee in 1976 with his wife and a group of friends, who wanted to “live as close to nature as possible.” she recalls.