Deputies searching for suspect after body found with fake ID in Monroe County

MONROE COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a man considered armed and dangerous after a body with a fake ID was found in Monroe County earlier this month.

The sheriff’s office said it was called Nicholas Wayne HamlettThe 45-year-old is charged with first-degree murder and is considered armed and dangerous. He is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing around 170 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.

Anyone who sees him is asked to immediately call 911 or Monroe County Dispatch at 423-442-4357 and not approach him.

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The investigation that resulted in charges against Hamlett began on Friday, October 18, when Monroe County E-911 received a transferred call from the Polk County E-911 Center from someone claiming to be a distressed hiker.

MCSO said the man, who identified himself as “Brandon Andrade,” fell off a cliff while running from a bear, was injured and partially submerged. The cell phone from which the call was made was pinged in the area of ​​the Charles Hall bridge on the Cherohala Skyway in Tellico Plains. Emergency services established a command center in the area and search and rescue teams from various agencies searched the area.

MCSO said a male body was located during the search and the identification of Brandon Kristopher Andrade was found on the body. The body was taken to the Knox County Regional Forensic Center.

As detectives continued to investigate the incident and examined the scene, it was determined that the man was not Brandon Andrade and that the ID found on the victim’s body had been stolen and used multiple times.

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The person using the stolen ID turned out to be Hamlett, who was wanted out of Alabama for a parole violation. The sheriff’s office said Hamlett used a fake name when speaking to law enforcement in Knox County following a distressed hiker call. The agency added that Hamlett is believed to have fled his home in Tennessee before his true identity was confirmed.

The sheriff’s office is working with several other agencies, including the Monroe County Violent Crimes Task Force, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Knoxville Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation, to identify the victim’s body and locate Hamlett. At this time the victim has not been identified and the TBI is working to develop a sketch of him for public release.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is encouraged to contact the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office by calling 423-442-3911.

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