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FBI joins investigation as quiet mountain town rocked by hiker's slaying staged as bear attack

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FBI joins investigation as quiet mountain town rocked by hiker's slaying staged as bear attack

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation has joined the multi-state manhunt for a Tennessee parolee who allegedly staged a bear attack in an attempt to cover up a hiker’s murder. 

Nicholas Wayne Hamlett pretended to be a man named Brandon Andrade when he dialed 911 around 11:34 p.m. on Oct. 24 and told police he was injured and trapped in a body of water after a bear chased him off a cliff while hiking in Hamilton County, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook post. 

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Authorities traced the call to an area near Tellico Plains, northeast of Chattanooga. There, they found a bloodied corpse with Andrade’s ID. 

But an autopsy revealed that the dead man was not Andrade — authorities do not know who the deceased man is, law enforcement told WSB-TV Atlanta. 

2 BOYS, BOTH 12, KILLED ON HALLOWEEN HAYRIDES IN WARNING TO FAMILIES

Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, pictured in three photographs above, is wanted for first-degree murder out of Monroe County, Tennessee. He allegedly stole the identity of Brandon Andrade and claimed to be Andrade when he called 911 posing as a hiker who had been chased off a cliff by a bear.  (Monroe County Sheriff’s Office)

Forensic experts are working to produce a sketch of the “John Doe” in hopes of identifying him. 

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Police later learned that Andrade’s ID had been stolen by Hamlett and used multiple times. Police believe Hamlett stole the ID to escape parole, then faked his death for an unknown reason, the New York Post reported. 

Hamlett, 45, used a fake name when police questioned him about his 911 call. Authorities believe he has abandoned his Tennessee home, and say that he also has connections in Alabama, Montana, Alaska, Kentucky and Florida, WHAS 11 reported. 

“The FBI is providing technical and investigative assistance to the state and local authorities. Since the matter is ongoing, there isn’t much that we can say specifically,” a spokesperson with the agency’s press office told Fox News Digital.

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Nicholas Hamlett is suspected of murder in Tennessee. (Monroe County Sheriff’s Office)

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In 2009, Hamlett was arrested in Niceville, Florida after he lured a man into the woods in Alabama, according to WBS. 

Hamlett held the Alabama man at gunpoint and attempted to strike him with a baseball bat before burying him in the woods, AL.com reported. He used the name Joshua Jones when he reached out to that victim so “he could get some insurance,” according to court documents reviewed by the outlet. 

MEDICAL STUDENT MURDERED BY EX-BOYFRIEND AT CANCER CHARITY WALK: POLICE

Tellico Plains in East Tennessee, in the region where Hamlett disappeared. (Amy Smotherman Burgess/Knoxville News Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK)

Hamlett was charged with attempted murder and kidnapping in 2012, but pleaded to the lesser offense of felony assault and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He had four prior felony convictions, according to Alabama court records.

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Hamlett, who is wanted for first-degree murder in the unidentified man’s death, is said to be 5’7″ tall and weigh 170 pounds. He reportedly uses multiple aliases and may still be using Brandon Andrade’s name. He is considered “armed and dangerous,” police said.

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Southeast

NASCAR star Denny Hamlin gives health update on mom after she was injured in deadly house fire

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NASCAR star Denny Hamlin gives health update on mom after she was injured in deadly house fire

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NASCAR star Denny Hamlin shared an update on his mother’s condition after she was moved to a burn unit following a house fire in North Carolina that left his father dead earlier this week.

Hamlin thanked those who reached out to him and shared their condolences. Dennis Hamlin died from injuries suffered in the blaze that occurred in Stanley.

Denny Hamlin looks on prior to a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Concord, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)

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“Thank you to everyone who has reached out with condolences on my father’s passing,” he wrote on X. “My mother continues to improve, and our family truly appreciates the outpouring of support and the respect for our privacy during this time.”

Officials said Mary Lou Hamlin was transferred to a burn specialist in Winston-Salem to treat her injuries.

Officials said the cause of the fire was still under investigation.

The fire broke out at a home in Stanley around 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, which drew emergency responses from Gaston and Lincoln Counties, according to Queen City News.

NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin during practice for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 12, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

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EX-NASCAR STAR GREG BIFFLE’S FRIEND RECEIVES HOLIDAY CARD DAYS AFTER TRAGIC PLANE CRASH

Both Dennis and Mary Lou Hamlin were out of the house as emergency personnel rushed to the scene.

“We are thankful for the multiple agency response and ask that the public be in prayer for the affected family and our first responders in fire, GEMs and police,” the Lucia-Bend Fire Department said in a statement to the outlet.

Dennis Hamlin’s death was announced later Monday.

NASCAR released a statement on Tuesday to honor the NASCAR driver’s father.

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“NASCAR extends its deepest condolences to Denny Hamlin and the entire Hamlin family,” the organization said.

Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, exits his car  after the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 2, 2025, in Avondale, Arizona. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)

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“Dennis Hamlin instilled a love of racing in his son, and sacrificed greatly to develop Denny into a world-class talent in the sport. We also continue to offer our thoughts and prayers to Denny’s mother, Mary Lou, and hope for her full recovery.”

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.

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Repeat offender truck driver charged with bank robbery after claiming C-4 explosives, firing on officers: feds

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Repeat offender truck driver charged with bank robbery after claiming C-4 explosives, firing on officers: feds

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A North Carolina truck driver, who is a repeat offender, has been federally charged following a bank robbery and a shootout with law enforcement, authorities said.

Willie Edward McGee Jr. is charged with bank robbery and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, according to a complaint.

Authorities said that McGee entered a First Citizens Bank in Zebulon, North Carolina, on Dec. 26, and demanded money from a teller while claiming to have C-4 explosives. The teller gave him $3,234, and McGee fled in a semi-truck, they said.

Law enforcement officers from multiple agencies responded to an armed bank robbery investigation that led to the arrest of Willie Edward McGee Jr. in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina)

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Deputies with the Rocky Mount Police Department said that McGee’s truck was found in a Hobby Lobby parking lot following the initial robbery.

According to surveillance and officers at the scene, McGee allegedly exited the vehicle armed with a Ruger AR-style 5.56 rifle and fired at officers.

Police returned fire and struck McGee. No law enforcement officers or civilians were injured. While taking McGee into custody, officers recovered the AR rifle he allegedly used to shoot at officers and a handgun from his waistband.

No officers or members of the public were injured as law enforcement safely took the suspect into custody after a coordinated response in Rocky Mount. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina)

McGee, according to records reviewed by WRAL-News, has a lengthy criminal history. The local outlet said that the suspect has dozens of charges dating back more than 20 years.

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WRAL reported that he has offenses spanning from Duplin, Wake and Durham counties.

Federal and local law enforcement recovered guns and evidence following the arrest of a suspect charged with armed bank robbery and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina)

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche called the incident “domestic terror.”

“As alleged, this defendant didn’t just rob a bank — he threatened innocent civilians with explosives and then opened fire on police officers,” Blanche said. “That is not desperation, it is domestic terror. Thanks to the extraordinary courage and professionalism of our law enforcement partners, he is alive, in custody, and facing decades in federal prison.”

“Let this serve as a warning: if you bring violence into our communities or target the men and women who protect them, this Department of Justice will meet you with the full weight of the federal government and ensure you are removed from the streets for a very long time.”

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The investigation remains active. Anyone with further information about the alleged crimes is asked to please call the FBI at (704) 672-6100. Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina, for comment.

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Homeless drifter accused of killing Barnes & Noble Christmas shopper blamed ‘fight or flight’ outburst: report

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Homeless drifter accused of killing Barnes & Noble Christmas shopper blamed ‘fight or flight’ outburst: report

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The man accused of fatally stabbing a woman inside a Palm Beach Gardens Barnes & Noble days before Christmas had traveled through several states before entering Florida, authorities said Tuesday.

Palm Beach Gardens police identified the suspect as Antonio R. Moore, 40, and said he is accused of killing 65-year-old Rita B. Loncharich inside the popular bookstore on the evening of Dec. 22.

Investigators said Moore is not a Florida resident and had moved through multiple states, including through Georgia and North Carolina, before coming to Florida. Police said Moore boarded a bus on Dec. 15 from Orlando to Titusville and then traveled onward into Palm Beach County.

Antonio Moore, 40, is facing a murder charge following the alleged stabbing at a Barnes & Noble bookstore in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (Google Maps/Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office)

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WOMAN IN FLORIDA BARNES & NOBLE STABBED TO DEATH, POLICE SEEK MOTIVE

According to the arrest affidavit obtained by WFLX Fox 29, Moore entered the bookstore around 7:29 p.m. and Loncharich arrived shortly afterward. Investigators said Moore approached Loncharich in a store aisle and stabbed her in the back with a pocketknife.

According to the Palm Beach Post, Moore allegedly told police a “fight or flight” response overtook him, and he took a fixed-blade knife from his jacket pocket. He reportedly told police that he stabbed Loncharich because she was the closest person to him at the time and said he did not have any prior interaction with her.

A Barnes & Noble location in San Diego, Calif.  (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)

Bystanders helped the victim until first responders arrived, the local outlet reported. Loncharich was transported to St. Mary’s Medical Center, where she died during surgery.

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MAN WITH VIOLENT CRIMINAL HISTORY ON PAROLE ALLEGEDLY STABS TEEN TO DEATH: OFFICIALS

Police received a 911 call at 7:52 p.m. and located Moore several blocks from the scene minutes later. He was taken into custody without incident.

Moore, who police say is homeless, told investigators he had no prior relationship with the victim and offered no motive for the attack. According to authorities, he admitted to sitting in the store charging his phone just before the stabbing.

Jail records from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office show that Moore was booked on a charge of first-degree premeditated murder. He is being held without bond.

The Palm Beach Gardens Police Department said it is searching for a motive in the Barnes & Noble stabbing. (Palm Beach Gardens Police Department)

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Local family members and community members described Loncharich as a “kind, gentle” person whose life was cut short during what should have been a routine holiday outing.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.

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