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South Carolina law enforcement agencies are frantically searching for an Alabama man accused of murder in the mountains of eastern Tennessee last month – and wanted for an attempted murder and parole violation in his home state.
The drama began two weeks ago, two states away…
On Friday, October 18, 2024 at approximately 11:34 p.m. EDT, emergency responders in Monroe County, Tennessee – located in the eastern part of the Volunteer State near the Great Smoky Mountains – reported receiving a 911 call from a “distressed hiker” who identified himself as Brandon Andrade.
The caller “advised the dispatcher that he had fallen off of a cliff while running from a bear,” according to a release from the Monroe County sheriff’s office.
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“The distressed caller claimed that he was injured and partially in the water,” the release added.
Following an extensive search of the area, the body of a deceased individual believed to be Brandon Andrade – and carrying identification to that effect – was found near the Charles Hall bridge on the Cherahola Skyway in Tellico Plains, Tennessee.
Not long thereafter, though, authorities realized the dead man was not Andrade – and that an Alabama man wanted for attempted murder and a parole violation had been “using the stolen identification” of Andrade.
The deceased individual found near the bridge has yet to be identified by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), but the man believed to have killed him – and assigned Andrade’s name to his body – has been identified as 45-year-old Nicholas Wayne Hamlett.
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At approximately 9:00 p.m. EDT on October 31, 2024 – Halloween night – police in the town of Chapin, S.C., a lakefront community approximately 22 miles northwest of downtown Columbia, S.C. alerted residents that they were “conducting an active search in and around the area for (Hamlett), who is actively wanted for murder.”
“Hamlett has been reported to be in the Chapin area and is believed to be armed and dangerous,” the notice warned. “We know it’s Halloween night, and there are many families out trick-or-treating. We want our community to be aware and vigilant tonight more than ever.”
Three-and-a-half hours later – at 12:30 a.m. EDT on November 1, 2024 – Chapin police reported a “confirmed sighting of the suspect near Chapin High School.”
“A perimeter has been established and K-9 and helicopter are en route,” the agency noted. “Please stay away from the area. If you live in this area ensure to lock your doors and remain inside. Call 911 immediately for any suspicious activity.”
As of 8:30 a.m. EDT – eight hours after the confirmed sighting near Chapin High School – Hamlett remained at large.
“The search continues for the suspect in this case and he is NOT in custody,” Chapin police noted.
Complicating matters? The search was unfolding as hundreds of children in Lexington-Richland school district five were boarding school buses and preparing to attend classes on Friday morning.
According to a statement from the district, its leaders are “aware of a search underway by law enforcement officials in the Chapin area.”
“There is an increased law enforcement presence in our Chapin area schools,” the statement added. “Chapin Families were notified at 7:22 a.m. (Friday) morning that school officials were in contact with local law enforcement and monitoring this situation. Please be assured that if it is determined that a school should shift its operations to lockdown status, it will immediately do so.”
Hamlett is considered armed and “extremely dangerous,” per law enforcement. Anyone who sees him is encouraged to immediately call 911.
This is a developing story… please check back for updates.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven children.
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