In brief
A Tennessee man's false claim of being chased by a bear leads authorities to uncover a murder in a rural area, with the suspect now wanted for first-degree murder.
In a puzzling turn of events, a 911 caller reported being chased off a cliff by a bear. When rescue teams arrived on October 18 in Tellico Plaines, Tennessee, they discovered an altogether different story. Instead of helping a victim, they found a deceased man near a bridge on the scenic Cherohala Skyway, later discovered to be the deceased’s identity stolen by the caller, who posed as Brandon Kristopher Andrade.As the investigation unfolded, local sheriff Tommy J. Jones II announced that Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, 45, a parolee with a string of serious charges, is wanted for first-degree murder. Hamlett's history includes assaults, forgery, and theft, raising alarms as he is considered "armed and dangerous." As of the latest updates, authorities have not yet identified the murdered man, nor disclosed how he died while they work on a sketch to aid identification.Meanwhile, in a similar incident in Montana, authorities have reported a possible homicide disguised as a bear attack, adding a twist to this strange unfolding narrative of deception.
