KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — An East Tennessee murder suspect who had become the subject of a multistate manhunt and a $5,000 reward has been captured, authorities in South Carolina announced on Sunday.
The Columbia Police Department announced just before 6 p.m. that Nicholas Wayne Hamlett , 45, had been taken into custody. Police said an employee at an area hospital recognized Hamlett and notified law enforcement.
FBI assisting Monroe County in search for ‘armed and dangerous’ murder suspect
Hamlett’s identity was later confirmed using a fingerprint scanner and was placed into the temporary custody of U.S. Marshals. Arrangements are being made to extradite him back to Monroe County where he faces a first-degree murder charge.
The arrest came more than a week after U.S. Marshals confirmed that Hamlett had been spotted in the town of Chapin, South Carolina. Law enforcement also said he had ties to other states including Alaska, Montana, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Florida.