In brief
A 911 call claiming a bear chase has led to a murder investigation in Tennessee. Authorities discovered a deceased man with stolen identification linked to Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, a felon now wanted for murder.
In a bewildering turn of events in rural Tennessee, a 911 call was received on October 18, claiming that a man had been injured after being chased off a cliff by a bear. However, when emergency responders arrived at the scene, they discovered a far more shocking revelation: the lifeless body of a man near a bridge on the picturesque Cherohala Skyway, located in the town of Tellico Plains.Upon investigation, authorities learned that the deceased man was not the individual the 911 caller, who used the name Brandon Kristopher Andrade, claimed to be. Instead, the identification had been stolen, and the person responsible for the call was identified as Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, 45, a known parolee with an extensive criminal history, including convictions for assault and forgery.As of Friday, Sheriff Tommy J. Jones II from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office announced that a first-degree murder warrant had been issued for Hamlett, who is currently on the run and deemed "armed and dangerous." The identity of the deceased man still remains a mystery, with authorities planning to release a sketch to aid in recognition.Adding to the bizarre nature of this case, Nicholas Wayne Hamlett had also allegedly provided a false name during subsequent interactions with officials from another Tennessee county following the 911 call. Authorities fear he may have fled the state altogether. This case isn't isolated; a similar incident occurred recently near Bozeman, Montana, where a camper was initially believed to be a bear attack victim. Autopsy findings later revealed he died from multiple chop wounds, implying homicide. Investigators in both states continue to grapple with the connections between these peculiar murder cases disguised as bear attacks.
