Tennessee Murder Suspect Baffles Police by Reporting Crime Under Stolen Identity

Tennessee murder suspect uses stolen identity to report his crime, sheriff says.

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On October 18, a 911 caller in rural Tennessee told dispatchers he was injured after being chased by a bear off a cliff and into water. However, when emergency workers arrived, they discovered a completely different situation, authorities said.

Near a bridge along the scenic Cherohala Skyway in Tellico Plains, emergency responders discovered the body of a man who appeared to have been killed, according to the Monroe County Sheriffโ€™s Office. The man had identification under the name Brandon Kristopher Andradeโ€”the same name given by the 911 caller.
However, authorities quickly discovered that the body did not belong to Mr. Andrade. Instead, his I.D. had been stolen and used by Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, a 45-year-old parolee with an extensive criminal record.
Monroe County Sheriff Tommy J. Jones II announced on Friday that an arrest warrant had been issued for Nicholas Wayne Hamlett on a first-degree murder charge. Hamlett, currently on the run, is described as โ€œarmed and dangerous,โ€ according to the sheriffโ€™s statement. (https://downtownvictoria.ca/)
As of Friday, authorities had yet to identify the deceased man or disclose details of how he was killed. They planned to release a sketch to assist in identifying him. Messages left on Monday with the Monroe County Sheriffโ€™s Office and with a man named Brandon Kristopher Andrade were not immediately returned.
ย Officials stated that Hamlett used an alias when speaking to authorities in another Tennessee county after the initial 911 call. They believe he has since fled his Tennessee residence.
Hamlettโ€™s criminal record includes prison sentences for assault, forgery, and theft, according to court documents. Interestingly, this isnโ€™t the only recent case where a caller falsely blamed a bear for what later turned out to be a homicide.
Earlier this month near Bozeman, Montana, someone reported finding a man dead in his tent, seemingly from a bear attack. However, authorities later concluded the camper was likely the victim of a violent homicide. An autopsy revealed that he had suffered โ€œmultiple chop wounds.โ€
No suspects have been arrested in connection with that case.
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