Murder Suspect Posed as Hiker Fleeing Bear to Evade Police

Authorities in Tennessee report that an alleged murderer posed as a hiker who had fallen from a cliff while running away from a bear in order to evade authorities.

On Oct. 18 at around 11:34 p.m., Monroe County’s E-911 service received a call reporting a “distressed hiker” who claimed to be a person by the name Brandon Andrade. “He advised the dispatcher that he had fallen off a cliff while running from a bear,” law enforcement wrote in a statement. “The distressed caller claimed that he was injured and partially in the water.”

When first responders arrived at the location where the call was pinged, they found a dead man in possession of an ID card bearing the name Brandon Kristopher Andrade. But as the investigation progressed, officials discovered that Andrade’s ID had been stolen and used multiple times in other locations.

Authorities claim that the true caller was Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, 45, who’s used various aliases in the past and has a criminal record. Hamlett is now on the run, considered “armed and dangerous,” and officials believe he had a role in the death of the man found with Andrade’s ID. They allege that Hamlett wanted to get out of Alabama due to a parole violation and was willing to go to drastic means to do so. The dead man is currently listed as John Doe. Anyone who might have information as to the man’s identity is urged to come forward.

“Mr. Hamlett had used a false name when speaking with law enforcement in Knox County, TN after the distressed hiker call,” authorities said. “Before his real identity had been verified, Mr. Hamlett is believed to have fled from his Tennessee residence.”

In 2012, Hamlett was charged with attempted murder and kidnapping stemming from a 2009 incident in which he allegedly tried to bury a man alive. He pled to a lesser charge of felony assault and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. It’s unclear if Hamlett served any of this sentence or has been on the run since being found guilty. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department did not immediately return a request for comment from Men’s Journal.

Those who have seen Hamlett or has knowledge of his whereabouts are urged to call Monroe County dispatch at 423-442-4357, or the sheriff’s office at 423-442-3911.