Murder suspect on the loose as quiet mountain town rocked by hiker's slaying staged as bear attack
A manhunt is underway for a Tennessee parolee who allegedly staged a bear attack in an attempt to cover up a hiker's murder.
Nicholas Wayne Hamlett pretended to be a man named Brandon Andrade when he dialed 911 around 11:34 p.m. on Oct. 24 and told police he was injured and trapped in a body of water after a bear chased him off a cliff while hiking in Hamilton County, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office wrote in a Facebook post.
Authorities traced the call to an area near Tellico Plains, northeast of Chattanooga. There, they found a bloodied corpse with Andrade's ID.
But an autopsy revealed that the dead man was not Andrade — authorities do not know who the deceased man is, law enforcement told WSB-TV Atlanta.
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Forensic experts are working to produce a sketch of the "John Doe" in hopes of identifying him.
Police later learned that Andrade's ID had been stolen by Hamlett and used multiple times. Police believe Hamlett stole the ID to escape parole, then faked his death for an unknown reason, the New York Post reported.
Hamlett, 45, used a fake name when police questioned him about his 911 call. Authorities believe he has abandoned his Tennessee home, and say that he also has connections in Alabama, Montana, Alaska, Kentucky and Florida, WHAS 11 reported.
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In 2009, Hamlett was arrested in Niceville, Florida after he lured a man into the woods in Alabama, according to WBS.
Hamlett held the Alabama man at gunpoint and attempted to strike him with a baseball bat before burying him in the woods, AL.com reported. He used the name Joshua Jones when he reached out to that victim so "he could get some insurance," according to court documents reviewed by the outlet.
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Hamlett was charged with attempted murder and kidnapping in 2012, but pleaded to the lesser offense of felony assault and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He had four prior felony convictions, according to Alabama court records.
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Hamlett, who is wanted for first-degree murder in the unidentified man's death, is said to be 5'7" tall and weigh 170 pounds. He reportedly uses multiple aliases and may still be using Brandon Andrade's name. He is considered "armed and dangerous," police said.