FBI, US Marshal Service join nationwide manhunt for murder suspect accused of faking bear attack

The FBI and U.S. Marshal Service have joined the nationwide manhunt for a Tennessee man who called in a bear attack under a false identity to cover up a 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. 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.

At a Wednesday press conference, authorities said they realized something was awry when the dead man’s injuries were inconsistent with a bear attack or a fall from a cliff, and quickly realized that the dead man was not Andrade.

Hamlett is considered “armed and dangerous,” and authorities urged anyone with information about his whereabouts to come forward and pressed the criminal to turn himself in. 

“Nick. Let’s end this peacefully. Turn yourself in. Have your day in court,” Joseph Carrico, the special agent in charge of the FBI for the state of Tennessee, said at the conference. 

“The long arm of the law has a long and huge reach, and we will find you no matter where you hide. The deputies and investigators here now know their county well. The TBI agents know their state well. The FBI and the Marshall Service know the country well and have reach across the world. So there’s nowhere to hide,” Carrico continued.

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Authorities did not identify the dead man at the conference. But Monroe County Sheriff Tommy Jones said Hamlett and his victim knew each other for “quite a few months” before the attack took place.

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.

“There is a risk to the public, a great risk to the public,” Jones said. “The offender, he does have a history. He did know this victim. He has known him for quite a few months now. But yes, there is a risk of the public. This was not isolated incident by any means.”

The U.S. Marshal Service is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the wanted man. Anyone who sees Hamlett is urged to call 911, Monroe County Dispatch at 423-442-4357 and not approach him. Anyone with information is urged to contact local law enforcement or call 1-877-926-8332.

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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 have blue eyes, be 5’7″ tall and weigh 170 pounds. He reportedly uses multiple aliases and may still be using Brandon Andrade’s name.