A man told police he had fallen off a cliff after being chased by a bear. Now he’s suspected of murder
By Zoe Sottile, CNN
(CNN) — Tennessee authorities are searching for a man who they say called 911 claiming he had been chased by a bear – leading first responders to a dead body and sparking a manhunt for the caller.
The incident began on October 18 when a man called 911 pretending to be a distressed hiker, according to a Friday news release from the Monroe County Tennessee Sheriff’s Office. The caller identified himself as Brandon Andrade and claimed he fell off a cliff while running from a bear.
When first responders arrived at the scene in Tellico Plains, they found a dead man with identification belonging to Andrade, according to the sheriff’s office. But investigators soon determined the body wasn’t Andrade and that Andrade’s ID had been “stolen and used on multiple occasions,” the sheriff’s news release said.
The dead man has still not been identified, according to the release. Investigators are currently working to develop a sketch of the victim to release to the public to help identify him.
Investigators discovered that Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, 45, of Alabama had been using Andrade’s identification and that he was wanted in Alabama on a parole violation, the sheriff’s office said.
Authorities have since issued an arrest warrant for Hamlett for first-degree murder. He’s considered “armed and dangerous,” according to the news release. The sheriff’s office advises anyone with information about the case to share it with them and to call 911 if they see Hamlett.
The sheriff’s office is working alongside the FBI, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and other agencies to identify the victim and find Hamlett, the release says.
CNN has reached out to the Monroe County Tennessee Sheriff’s Office for more information.
Tellico Plains, where the victim was found, is a small town in eastern Tennessee with a population of just under 1,000 people.
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