MADISONVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A man wanted for a murder in East Tennessee as part of a nationwide manhunt has been captured. Nicholas Hamlett was taken into custody at a hospital in Columbia, South Carolina on Sunday.
Hamlett has been on the run since mid-October after police say he killed 34-year-old Steven Lloyd and stole his identity. The Monroe County Sheriff believed that Hamlett had met Lloyd, befriended him, and lured him into a wooded area to take his life and his identity.
Authorities believe he posed as the victim while calling 911 and staged a bear attack. Law enforcement officials say they were able to link Lloyd's death back to Hamlett.
He was later recognized at a local hospital in Columbia. The FBI was able to confirm his identity by verifying his fingerprints. Hamlett is currently facing first-degree murder charges out of Tennessee and a parole violation out of Alabama.
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-Rebecca Schleicher
