Police capture Tennessee murder suspect accused of faking his own death on scenic highway

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.

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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.