HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. — A manhunt is underway for a man deputies say killed a man to hide his fake identity.
Earlier this month, 911 operators in Hamilton County, Tennessee received a call from a hiker named Brandon Andrade who said he had fallen off of a cliff while running from a bear and that he had been severely injured.
When first responders found him, the man was dead. He had an ID on him stating his name was Brandon Kristopher Andrade.
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Investigators later learned that the man who died was not Andrade and that the real Brandon Andrade had previously had his identity stolen by Nicholas Wayne Hamlett.
Hamlett had been living under Andrade’s name and used another fake name when deputies spoke to him about the hiker call. They say Hamlett left his Tennessee home before investigators could learn his real name.
They have not yet been able to identify the victim and are currently referring to him as John Doe.
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Investigators say this isn’t the first time Hamlett has tried something like this. They confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that several years ago, Hamlett lured a man into the woods in Alabama and was later arrested in Niceville, Florida.
Hamlett is currently wanted for John Doe’s murder. Law enforcement does not know where he is and says he should be considered armed and dangerous.
They added that Hamlett has ties to South Carolina, Alaska, Kentucky, Montana, Alabama and Tennessee.
Anyone who sees him or knows where he may be should call 911.
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