For the last year or so I've been using a private PeerTube instance I run to host videos my kids like to make and share with their friends/family. It isn't federated for privacy reasons.
Open the door with your phone recording a video. Nobody is going to be comfortable with that as a conversation starter. When they ask why you're recording, just tell them you're "making a true crime documentary and need footage of the victim."
I'm having a hard time feeling good about this. I'm very happy for his family, I can't imagine what they've been through, but it seems like he didn't want to be found. The fact that a non-profit went out to get him using facial recognition tech is alarming.
Thingiverse is hot grabage though. Most of the stuff worth printing has moved to Printables.