A manhunt is underway for an alleged murderer who reportedly stole an someone’s identity and faked a bear attack to obscure his crime.
Fake bear attack reveals murder
Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, 45, dialed 911 around 11.34 pm on October 24, using the alias Brandon Andrade.
He told Tennessee authorities that he had been injured and was partly submerged after being chased off of a cliff by a bear in Hamilton County, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
“He advised the dispatcher that he had fallen off a cliff while running from a bear,” the Sheriff’s Office wrote. “The distressed caller claimed that he was injured and partially in the water.”
The call was traced by officials to a location close to Tellico Plains, northeast of Chattanooga.
Upon arriving at the scene, police discovered a bloodied body at the base of a cliff, accompanied by Andrade’s identification.
However, the autopsy results revealed that the corpse did not belong to Andrade, leaving the true identity of the dead man unknown.
Investigators later discovered Andrade’s ID had been stolen and was frequently used by Hamlett, who was on the run as of Sunday night, per the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
The use of Andrade’s identity is believed to have been a tactic by Hamlett to evade parole, followed by faking his own death for reasons yet to be determined by the police.
Hamlett reportedly used another fake name when questioned about the 911 call by deputies and has since vanished from the area.
He has not returned to his Tennessee residence, and authorities indicated he might have associates in Alabama, Montana, Tennessee, Alaska, Kentucky, and Florida.
Murder suspect has long criminal history
Back in 2009, Hamlett was apprehended after an incident in Alabama, where he allegedly held someone at gunpoint after luring him into the woods, and attempted to assault the man with a baseball bat before trying to bury the victim alive.
During that incident, he purportedly used the pseudonym Joshua Jones to contact the victim, supposedly to obtain some insurance, according to initial reports of the occurrence.
Hamlett faced charges of attempted murder and kidnapping, eventually pleading guilty to felony assault in 2012.
Currently, Hamlett is wanted on first-degree murder charges in Monroe County, following his four prior felony convictions.
Law enforcement warned the public that he is considered “armed and dangerous” as they search nationwide for anyone using the name Andrade.
He is described as 5 feet, 7 inches, weighing 170 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.
Forensic specialists are currently attempting to create a sketch of the unidentified victim, hoping it will lead to an identification.
Grizzly bear attack turns out to be homicide
Elsewhere, the body of Dustin Kjersem was discovered in his tent at a secluded campsite in Montana, originally suspected to be the victim of a grizzly bear attack due to severe skull and body injuries.
Although grizzly bear encounters have occurred in southwest Montana, investigators found no bear presence at Kjersem’s location.
The case is now being treated as a homicide after an autopsy revealed multiple chop injuries caused by an unknown weapon.
Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer highlighted the seriousness of the crime, urging those in the area to stay alert, stating, “Someone was out there who killed someone in a very heinous way. So if you’re out in the woods … You need to remain vigilant.”
Kjersem had ventured out for a camping trip northeast of Big Sky on October 10th, planning to rendezvous with a friend the following day.
The friend’s discovery of his body on Saturday launched the investigation. An individual, referred to as an “associate,” dialed 911 suspecting a bear attack, according to Capt. Nate Kamerman.
The time of Kjersem’s death remains uncertain. His campsite, located in the Moose Creek vicinity of the Gallatin Mountains, lacked a traditional campground setup.
The remoteness of the location presents challenges for the investigation due to limited cell service, hindering communication records.
Authorities have requested footage from trail cameras in the Moose Creek area to aid in solving the case.
