Current:Home > MyPolice capture Tennessee murder suspect accused of faking his own death on scenic highway-InfoLens
Police capture Tennessee murder suspect accused of faking his own death on scenic highway
View Date:2024-12-23 06:51:03
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. − The multistate manhunt has ended for a man accused of killing someone and using their body to fake his own death along the Cherohala Skyway in eastern Tennessee.
In a bizarre 911 call last month, the suspect, Nicholas Hamlett, claimed he fell off a cliff while running from a bear near the scenic byway that runs through Monroe County, Tennessee. When authorities arrived, they found the body of a different man, according to local detectives.
Hamlett was caught Sunday night in Columbia, South Carolina, after being recognized by a hospital employee, who then reported the possible sighting to police. A Columbia Police Department officer confirmed Hamlett's identity with a fingerprint scanner and he was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
Officials in South Carolina and Tennessee are coordinating his extradition. It's unclear if Hamlett has an attorney who can comment on his behalf.
Monroe County Sheriff Tommy Jones announced on Oct. 25 that Hamlett, who was using the name Brandon Andrade, called 911 on Oct. 18 in distress to say he was chased by a bear and fell off a cliff near a waterfall. Jones said first responders descending on the scene found a man's body with Andrade's ID.
Murder-suicide:5 dead including 2 juveniles after shootings at 2 Minnesota homes
However, detectives later determined the victim was Steven Douglas Lloyd, of Knoxville, who appears to have been murdered, Jones said.
Jones said he died from blunt force trauma to the head, injuries not consistent with a bear attack or a fall.
Hamlett, 45, was wanted by police in Alabama for a parole violation and had been living in eastern Tennessee.
In an Oct. 30 news conference, FBI Special Agent in Charge Joseph Carrico reiterated that law enforcement considered him very dangerous and though the victim knew Hamlett, Jones said the killing "was not an isolated incident by any means."
"There is a risk to the public − a great risk to the public," Jones said. "The offender has a (violent criminal) history."
Hamlett knew his victim
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office named Hamlett's victim in a Nov. 4 Facebook post. Lloyd, 34, was befriended by Hamlett, lured to a wooded area along the Cherohala Skyway and murdered so Hamlett could steal his identity, the post said.
The post did not say how long the two knew each other but said Lloyd had been diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder and was known to leave home and live on the streets.
"Steven's mental health issues had lead to his living arrangements and his family continued to support and love him. ... The family was shocked to learn that their beloved son's life had been taken by someone that Steven trusted," the post said.
A violent past
Hamlett is wanted by police in Alabama for a parole violation. In 2009 he was charged with attempted murder in Alabama after police said he held a man at gunpoint and attempted to hit him with a baseball bat with eventual plans to bury the man's body in rural Elmore County, Alabama, according to court records.
Hamlett used an alias, Joshua Jones, to lure a man to a park on claims he would sell him insurance, but Hamlett threatened the man with a gun and walked him to a nearby wooded area with a shallow grave. But the man fought back.
Though court records provide few details, Hamlett was severely injured. His victim called 911 after striking Hamlett, knocking him unconscious. Hamlett had to be taken by helicopter to a local hospital, where he was placed in a coma.
Hamlett was then charged with attempted murder and kidnapping, but took a lesser plea of felony assault, according to court records. He had four prior felonies and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
911 call, ‘running from a bear’
Knox News obtained the dispatch call of the Oct. 18 fake fall.
“Units en route to the area of Cherohala Skyway at Falls Branch Road. Have a male subject that fell off a cliff. He is unable to move. He was running from a bear. He has 2% battery – unable to get him back on 911.
“… en route in the area of Cherohala Skyway and Falls Branch Road. Cherohala Skyway and Falls Branch Road to assist Turkey Creek. Got a call from Polk County. They’re advising male subject fell off a cliff while he was running from a bear. Not able to move his legs. Did hit his head. He’s going to be at the falls …”
The 43-mile Cherohala Skyway passes through the Cherokee National Forest, which is federal land and runs 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, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service, who included a reward up to $5,000 for information leading to Hamlett's arrest.
Tyler Whetstone reports for the Knoxville News Sentinel.
veryGood! (6716)
Related
- NBA players express concern for ex-player Kyle Singler after social media post
- 29 iconic Met Gala looks from the best-dressed guests since 1973
- Mexican authorities recover 3 bodies near where US, Australian tourists went missing
- 'SNL' tackles Columbia University protests and spoofs JoJo Siwa as Dua Lipa hosts
- Jax Taylor Breaks Silence on Brittany Cartwright Dating His Friend Amid Their Divorce
- Book excerpt: You Never Know by Tom Selleck
- Amber Alert issued after 2 women found dead, child injured in New Mexico park
- Academics and Lawmakers Slam an Industry-Funded Report by a Former Energy Secretary Promoting Natural Gas and LNG
- Horoscopes Today, November 11, 2024
- Jewel shuts down questions about Kevin Costner romance: 'I'm so happy, irrelevant of a man'
Ranking
- 2025 NFL Draft order: Updated first round picks after Week 10 games
- Second juror in New Hampshire youth center abuse trial explains verdict, says state misinterpreted
- Travis Kelce Makes Surprise Appearance at Pre-2024 Kentucky Derby Party
- Kentucky Derby fans pack the track for the 150th Run for the Roses
- US overdose deaths are down, giving experts hope for an enduring decline
- The American paradox of protest: Celebrated and condemned, welcomed and muzzled
- Walker Hayes shares his battle with addiction and the pain of losing a child in new music collection, Sober Thoughts
- Yankees star Aaron Judge got ejected for the first time in his career
Recommendation
-
Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul press conference highlights: 'Problem Child' goads 'Iron Mike'
-
Stars or Golden Knights? Predicting who wins Game 7 and goes to second round
-
Usher's Lovers & Friends canceled, music festival cites Las Vegas weather
-
Teenager killed, 5 others injured in shooting in Buffalo
-
Ariana Grande Shares Dad's Emotional Reaction to Using His Last Name in Wicked Credits
-
Actor Bernard Hill, of ‘Titanic’ and ‘Lord of the Rings,’ has died at 79
-
Academics and Lawmakers Slam an Industry-Funded Report by a Former Energy Secretary Promoting Natural Gas and LNG
-
The American paradox of protest: Celebrated and condemned, welcomed and muzzled