The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office has issued a warning for a fugitive named Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, 45, charged with first-degree murder and considered to be armed and dangerous after a disturbing incident involving a false emergency call and an unidentified corpse. On October 18, emergency services received a transferred 911 call about a distressed hiker who had purportedly taken a fall while fleeing from a bear, with the call's location pinged near the Charles Hall Bridge on the Cherohala Skyway in Tellico Plains, prompting officials to dispatch search and rescue teams to the area, WATE reported.
Following the purported incident, a body with identification belonging to a "Brandon Kristopher Andrade" was discovered however, ensuing investigations by the Monroe County Violent Crime Task Force determined the ID had been stolen and used on multiple occasions, according to a release by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. Other additional findings revealed the false identity previously used by the fugitive known as Hamlett who managed to slip away from his residence before the authorities could confirm his true identity, WBIR disclosed.
The unidentified victim's body has since been transported to the Knox County Regional Forensic Center, where it is undergoing examination for identification purposes, while special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation are tasked with developing a sketch of the deceased to aid in the public identification process, as WVLT noted. Hamlett is described as being 5’7″, approximately 170 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes; the sheriff’s department is teaming with multiple agencies including the TBI, the Knoxville Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the search for Hamlett and identification of the victim.
Authorities urge anyone who might encounter or have information about Hamlett to avoid direct contact due to the potential risk for harm, instead, they are encouraged to contact law enforcement immediately by calling 911 or reaching out to the Monroe County Dispatch at 423-442-4357.
