A manhunt is underway in Tennessee for a suspect who authorities say called 911 claiming he had fallen off a cliff while being chased by a bear – but when deputies arrived on the scene, they found the body of a different man.
On October 18, a man who investigators later determined to be Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, 45, of Alabama, called 911 and pretended to be a distressed hiker by the name of Brandon Andrade, according to a Monroe County Tennessee Sheriff’s Office news release.
“He advised the dispatcher that he had fallen off a cliff while running from a bear,” deputies said. “The distressed caller claimed that he was injured and partially in the water.”
When first responders got to the area of Tennessee’s Charles Hall Bridge on the Cherahola Skyway in Tellico Plains, they discovered the body of a deceased man along with the identification belonging to Brandon Andrade.
But an investigation revealed that he was not Andrade and that the ID had been “stolen and used on multiple occasions,” the sheriff’s news release said.
Investigators believe Hamlett, who is reportedly known for using several different aliases, had been using the ID belonging to Andrade.
Hamlett, who was sentenced in 2012 to 20 years in prison for holding a man at gunpoint and attempting to bury him alive, is wanted in Alabama for parole violation, according to AL.com.
He’s now wanted for first-degree murder in Tennessee and is considered to be armed and dangerous, the sheriff’s office said who added that anyone with information about the case should call the department and anyone who sees the suspect should call 911.
The identity of the body has not been determined, according to the sheriff’s office which said investigators are working to develop a sketch of the victim to release to the public.
Deputies are working with the FBI, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and other agencies to identify the victim and find Hamlett.
