The Monroe County Sheriff’s office needs your help finding a man wanted for first degree murder.
On October 18th, a man called 911 claiming to be a distressed hiker named Brandon Andrade who said he had fallen off a cliff while running from a bear.
The call was pinged to a bridge on the Cherahola Skyway in Tellico Plains. Search and rescue teams responded and found the body of a man with personal identification listed as Andrade.
“Detectives with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division and the Monroe County Violent Crime Task Force reviewed the scene and after further investigation, determined that the deceased subject was not Mr. Brandon Andrade and that the identification had been stolen and used on multiple occasions. Furthermore, a male that was using stolen identification of Mr. Andrade was discovered to be a Mr. Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, who was wanted out of the State of Alabama on a parole violation.”Monroe County Sheriff’s Office
Detectives said Hamlett used a false name when talking to Knox County law enforcement after making the call about the hiker and fled from his Tennessee address.
Nicholas Hamlett, who is wanted out of Alabama on a parole violation, has been identified as the man who made the call about the hiker.
Police say he is considered armed and dangerous. Anyone who sees him should call 911 and not approach him.
