KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Federal Bureau of Investigation is assisting the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and state authorities in the search for Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, 45.
Hamlett is charged with first-degree murder after a man’s body was found following a 911 call earlier this month from someone claiming they fell from a cliff after being chased by a bear.
A spokesperson for the FBI told 6 News on Tuesday that it is “providing investigative and technical assistance” to state and local law enforcement in the search, however, it cannot release information about the exact nature of the assistance because the search is ongoing.
On Friday, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office reported that Hamlett should be considered armed and dangerous. He is described as 5’7″ and weighing around 170 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. Anyone who sees Hamlett is urged to call 911 or Monroe County Dispatch at 423-442-4357 immediately and do not approach him.
When the sheriff’s office first announced that they were searching for Hamlett, they explained that on Friday, October 18, the Monroe County E-911 received a call from a distressed hiker, who identified themselves as “Brandon Andrade.” In the search for the injured hiker, authorities located a man’s body with an ID by that name, however, it was later determined the ID had been stolen and used on multiple occasions.
According to the sheriff’s office, Hamlett used the false name when speaking to law enforcement in Knox County after the initial 911 call was made, however before his identity was verified, he is believed to have fled.
The sheriff’s office has been working alongside multiple other agencies including the Monroe County Violent Crime Task Force, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Knoxville Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to identify the victim’s body and locate Hamlett.
The victim’s body was taken to Knox County Regional Forensic Center. Previously, the sheriff’s office shared that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was working to develop a sketch of the man.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
