Police capture Tennessee murder suspect accused of faking his own death on scenic highway

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A multi-state manhunt is over for a man accused of killing someone on East Tennessee’s Cherohala Skyway and using his body to fake his own death.

In a bizarre 911 call last month, suspect Nicholas Hamlett claimed he fell off a cliff while running from a bear near the scenic highway through Tennessee’s Monroe County. When authorities arrived, they found the body of a different man, according to local detectives.

Hamlett was captured Sunday night in Columbia, South Carolina, after being recognized by a hospital worker who later reported the possible sighting to police. A. Columbia Police Department The officer confirmed Hamlett’s identity with a fingerprint scanner and he was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.

Authorities in South Carolina and Tennessee are coordinating his extradition. It’s unclear whether Hamlett has an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

Monroe County Sheriff Tommy Jones Announced on October 25 Hamlett, who uses the name Brandon Andrade, called 911 in distress on Oct. 18 and said he was chased by a bear and fell off a cliff near the waterfall. First responders arriving at the scene found the body of a man with Andrade’s identification on it, Jones said.

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But detectives later determined the victim was Steven Douglas Lloyd of Knoxville, who appeared to have been murdered, Jones said.

Jones said he died from blunt force trauma to the head and that the injuries were not consistent with a bear attack or a fall.

Hamlett, 45, was wanted by police in Alabama for a parole violation and lived in east Tennessee.

on October 30 press conferenceFBI Special Agent in Charge Joseph Carrico reiterated that law enforcement considered him very dangerous, and although the victim knew Hamlett, Jones said the murder was “by no means an isolated incident.”

“There’s a risk to the public; a major risk to the public,” Jones said. “The offender has a history of (violent crime).”

Hamlett knew his victim

Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Hamlett’s victim was named in a Facebook post on November 4. Lloyd, 34, befriended Hamlett, lured him to a wooded area along the Cherohala Skyway and killed Hamlett to steal his identity, the post said.

The post did not say how long the two had known each other, but it was known that Lloyd had been diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder and had left home and been living on the streets.

“Steven’s mental health issues had led to living arrangements, and his family continued to support and love him. … The family was shocked to learn that their beloved son’s life was taken by someone Steven trusted,” the post said.

A violent past

Hamlett is wanted by police in Alabama for parole violation. He was charged with attempted murder in 2009 After police in Alabama say the man held a man at gunpoint and tried to hit him with a baseball bat, and planned to bury the man’s body in rural Elmore County, Alabama, according to court records.

Hamlett used the alias Joshua Jones to lure a man to the park claiming he would sell him insurance, but Hamlett threatened the man with a gun and walked to a nearby wooded area where a shallow grave was located. But the man resisted.

Hamlett was seriously injured, although there are few details in court records. The victim called 911 after attacking Hamlett and knocking him unconscious. Hamlett had to be taken by helicopter to a local hospital, where he fell into a coma.

Hamlett was later charged with attempted murder and kidnapping, but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of assault, according to court records. He previously committed four crimes and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

911 call, ‘I’m running from the bear’

Knox News received Referral call of fake drop on October 18th.

“Units are en route to the Cherohala Skyway area on Falls Branch Road. We have a male subject who fell off a cliff. He was unable to move. He was running from a bear. He was unable to get back to 911 as his battery was at 2%.

“…on the road in the area of ​​Cherohala Skyway and Falls Branch Road. Cherohala Vine Trail and Waterfall Branch Trail will assist Türkiye Creek. I got a call from Polk County. They say the male subject fell off a cliff while running away from the bear. He can’t move his legs. He hit his head. It will be at the waterfall…”

The 43-mile-long Cherohala Skyway runs through the Cherokee National Forest, which is federal land, and extends to Robbinsville, North Carolina.

The investigation into Hamlett included investigators from the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Knoxville Police Department, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Tenth Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, FBI, and U.S. Marshals; This investigation included a reward of up to $5,000. Information that led to Hamlett’s arrest.

Tyler Whetstone reports for the Knoxville News Sentinel.

This article first appeared in the Knoxville News Sentinel: Murder suspect who staged his own death was caught by police