TELLICO PLAINS, Tenn. — A man with connections to several states including Alabama is wanted by Tennessee officials regarding a murder investigation.
Monroe County, Tenn. Sheriff Tommy Jones put out an alert Friday warning people to be on the lookout for 45-year-old Nicholas Wayne Hamlett.
Earlier on Friday, Monroe County 911 received a transferred call from dispatchers in nearby Knox County. A caller claiming to be a distressed hiker stated they had fallen off a cliff while running from a bear and was trapped in a body of water.
First responders traced the call to an area near Tellico Plains, just northeast of Chattanooga.
Search and rescue teams later found the body of a man with the identification of a Mr. Brandon Kristopher Andrade. The body was taken for an autopsy, where it was discovered the body was not that of Andrade. Forensic experts are working to produce a sketch of the man currently known as "John Doe" in an effort to help in identification.
Investigators later learned that Andrade's identification had been stolen and used on multiple occasions, and connected that fraudulent activity to Hamlett, who is wanted in Alabama on a parole violation. Hamlett had spoken with law enforcement in Knox County around the time of the distressed hiker call.
By the time that connection had been made, Hamlett had left the area and is believed to have abandoned his Tennessee residence.
A lieutenant with Monroe County told FOX54's sister station WCNC that Hamlett reportedly has ties to Alaska, Montana, Kentucky, and South Carolina in addition to Alabama and Tennessee.
Sheriff Jones says Hamlett may continue to use Andrade's identity to elude officials. A warrant has been issued for his arrest and Jones says Hamlett is considered armed and dangerous.
If you have information that can help officials track Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, you are urged to call 911 or Monroe County Dispatch at (423) 442-4357. Information related to the murder investigation can be directed to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office at (423) 442-3911.
