A nationwide hunt is underway for Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, a 45-year-old, who murdered a man and then called 911 to pass it off as a bear attack.
The incident, which seems straight out of a movie plot, occurred on October 18, when a hiker named Brandon Andrade called 911 in distress, stating he had fallen off a cliff in Hamilton County while running from a bear.
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How was Nicholas Wayne Hamlett identified?
When officers reached the scene, they discovered a bloodied body at the base of a cliff along with Andrade's identification. However, the autopsy later confirmed that the remains did not belong to Andrade.
Further investigation revealed that Andrade’s identification had been stolen and repeatedly used by Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, who was still at large as of Sunday night, as reported by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. Authorities believe Nicholas Hamlett took the ID to evade parole and later staged his death for reasons not yet known.
Hamlett allegedly provided a false name when questioned by deputies responding to the 911 call and has since left the area. Officials state he has likely vacated his home in Tennessee and is known to have ties in several states, including Alabama, Montana, Tennessee, Alaska, Kentucky, and Florida, according to WHAS 11.
The Monroe County Sherrif's Office said in the statement:
“Detectives with the Monroe County Sheriff‘s Office Criminal Investigation Division and the Monroe County Violent Crime Task Force reviewed the scene and after further investigation, determined that the deceased subject was not Mr. Brandon Andrade and that the identification had been stolen and used on multiple occasions. Furthermore, a male that was using stolen identification of Mr. Andrade was discovered to be a Mr. Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, who was wanted out of the State of Alabama on a parole violation,”
Nicholas Wayne Hamlett is now wanted in Monroe County on charges of first-degree murder. Hamlett, who has a history of using multiple aliases, has a lengthy criminal record. Back in 2012, he received a 20-year prison sentence after reportedly threatening a man at gunpoint, attempting to strike him with a baseball bat, and allegedly trying to bury him alive. In that incident, he used the alias Joshua Jones.
Authorities are working to identify the unknown victim, currently referred to as "John Doe," as they investigate his death. They plan to release a sketch to aid in identifying him and understanding the circumstances surrounding his death.
Nicholas Wayne Hamlett has since disappeared, and authorities are actively searching for him. The police have described him as armed and dangerous and have asked anyone who sees him to not approach him, but directly call 911. Monroe County deputies describe Nicholas Wayne Hamlett as approximately 5'7", weighing around 170 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.
If spotted, people are urged to call 911 or Monroe County Dispatch at 423-442-4357. For additional information or tips, investigators ask the public to contact the Monroe County Sheriff's Office directly at 423-442-3911.
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