In brief
On October 18, a 911 call claiming a bear chase led to the discovery of a homicide victim, raising questions of deception and a man's sudden disappearance.
On October 18, a 911 caller in Monroe County, Tennessee, reported being injured after a bear chased him off a cliff near the picturesque Cherohala Skyway. When emergency responders arrived, however, they discovered a grim scene: the body of a man, later identified with a stolen ID as Brandon Kristopher Andrade, who was presumed to have been murdered.As investigators delved deeper, they quickly realized that the identity claimed by the 911 caller was fraudulent. The actual caller was identified as Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, 45, a parolee with a lengthy criminal record. Sheriff Tommy J. Jones II announced on Friday that a warrant for first-degree murder had been issued for Hamlett, who is now considered "armed and dangerous" and is believed to have fled the area.Authorities have not yet confirmed the identity of the homicide victim nor the circumstances surrounding his death. Plans for a sketch to help identify the deceased are underway. In addition, it was revealed that Hamlett used another alias when communicating with officials from a different county following his 911 call.Hamlett's criminal history includes convictions for assault, forgery, and theft, highlighting a pattern of criminal behavior. This incident is not isolated; earlier in the month, a similar case near Bozeman, Montana, posed questions about a potential bear attack that was later determined to be a homicide involving "multiple chop wounds." Neither of these cases has led to arrests.As the search for Hamlett continues, the community is left grappling with the chilling deception that unfolded under the guise of a bear attack.
