Man Dials 911 Claiming A Bear Is Chasing Him. He's Now A Key Murder Suspect

A man in the US is wanted in a murder case after he called the emergency number 911, claiming he had been chased by a bear and leading first responders to a dead body.

According to a news release from the Monroe County Tennessee Sheriff's Office, 911 received a call about a "distressed hiker" on October 18 who claimed to be Brandon Andrade. He told the dispatcher that he had fallen off of a cliff while running from a bear and that he was injured and partially in the water.

When officials conducted a search in Tellico Plains, the area where they received the call from, a body of a man was recovered with an identification of Brandon Kristopher Andrade. 

After investigation, the officials found that Brandon Andrade was not the victim and that the identification had been "stolen and used" on multiple occasions.

"A male that was using the stolen identification of Mr Andrade, was discovered to be a Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, who was wanted out of the State of Alabama on a parole violation," the Sheriff's Office said.

Hamlett had used a false name when speaking with law enforcement after the distressed hiker call. 

Before his real identity was verified, he was believed to have fled from his Tennessee residence.

The victim has so far not been identified, and an arrest warrant has been issued for Hamlett, who is considered "armed and dangerous", for First Degree Murder, the Sheriff's Office said.