In Tennessee, a man is wanted on suspicion of murder after a 911 call about a bear chase led to the discovery of a dead body.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office on Friday said it’s looking for 45-year-old Nicholas Wayne Hamlett in connection with the mysterious call. On Oct. 18, a man had phoned 911 from the Tellico Plains area and said he was a distressed hiker named Brandon Andrade, according to authorities. The caller reported falling off a cliff after running from a bear.
Emergency services responded to the area, and a dead body was found with identification belonging to Andrade — but further investigation revealed that the deceased man was actually someone else.
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office TN
Andrade’s ID had been “stolen and used on multiple occasions,” authorities stated. They added that Hamlett had used Andrade’s ID and given “a false name when speaking with law enforcement in Knox County, TN after the distressed hiker call.”
The sheriff’s office said that Hamlett is currently wanted in another state on a parole violation. In 2012, Hamlett had pleaded guilty to felony assault after holding a Prattville, Alabama, man at gunpoint, trying to hit him with a baseball bat and attempting to bury him alive, AL.com reported. Hamlett, who was using the name Joshua Jones at the time of that incident, was sentenced to 20 years in prison, the outlet said.
It’s unclear how Hamlett may be connected to the deceased man in Tennessee. The body has not been identified and is referred to by authorities as John Doe.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Multiple law enforcement agencies are now seeking information on the deceased man, as well as Hamlett’s whereabouts. Authorities consider Hamlett armed and dangerous, and they are encouraging the public to call 911 if he is spotted.
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