The capture of a fugitive who spent weeks on the run after allegedly staging a bear attack to cover up a murder ended after he was recognized in hospital this weekend.

Nicholas Wayne Hamlett pretended to be a man named Brandon Andrade when he called 911 around 11:34 p.m. on Oct. 24, telling police he was injured while hiking when a bear chased him off a cliff and became trapped in a puddle. Hamilton County, Tennessee, The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook post at the time.

Authorities traced the call to an area near Tellico Plains, northeast of Chattanooga. There, they found a bloody body bearing Andrade’s identification; However, authorities said the injuries on the body were not consistent with a bear attack or a fall from a height, and the body did not belong to Andrade. The victim was later identified as 34-year-old Knoxville resident Steven Douglas Lloyd, the sheriff’s office said.

“Nicholas Wayne Hamlett met Steven, befriended him, and lured him into a wooded area to take Steven’s life and identity,” the sheriff’s office said in a Nov. 4 Facebook post. he said.

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Steven Douglas Lloyd was killed in Monroe County, Tennessee.

Police said they later learned Andrade’s ID had been stolen by Hamlett and used multiple times. Police say Hamlett stole his identity to avoid parole and then He faked his death for an unknown reason.

Sunday evening officials Columbia, South CarolinaThe Tennessee agency notified the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office that they found their “armed and dangerous” fugitive at a local hospital, the Tennessee agency said in a Facebook post.

“We thank the news media for sharing Hamlett’s wanted poster nationwide,” the office wrote. “Sharing Hamlett’s wanted poster prompted our most valuable resource, the public, to act as our eyes and ears. After observing Hamlett at a local hospital, a good citizen alerted authorities and brought this manhunt to a peaceful end.”

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Members of the FBI and the U.S. Marshals held a press conference with Tennessee authorities on October 30, urging the public to search for Hamlett and turn in the fugitive.

“Nick. Let’s finish this peacefully. Turn yourself in. Have a happy day in court,” said FBI special agent in charge Joseph Carrico. Nashville field office, he said at the press conference.

“Law enforcement has a reach long and wide, and no matter where you hide, we’ll find you. Deputies and investigators here know their county well now. TBI agents know their state well. The FBI and the Marshals Service know the Country well, and we can reach anywhere in the world, so there’s nowhere to hide ,” Carrico continued.

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Nicholas Wayne Hamlett was wanted for first-degree murder in Monroe County, Tennessee. He allegedly stole Brandon Andrade’s identity and claimed to be Andrade when he called 911 posing as a hiker being chased off a cliff by a bear. (Monroe County Sheriff’s Office)

Monroe County Sheriff Tommy Jones previously said Hamlett and Lloyd had known each other for “a few months” before the attack occurred.

They said Hamlett, 45, used a fake name when police questioned him about the 911 call. Authorities believe he left his home in Tennessee and say he also has connections in Alabama, Montana, Alaska, Kentucky and Florida.

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“There’s a risk to the public, a major risk to the public,” Jones said. “The criminal has a history. He knew this victim. He has known her for several months. But yes, there is a risk to the public. This is by no means an isolated incident.”

The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the wanted man.

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

In 2009, Hamlett was arrested in Niceville, Florida, after dragging a man into the woods in Alabama. According to WBS.

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

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

Hamlett was charged with attempted murder and kidnapping in 2012, but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of assault and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. According to him, he had previously been convicted of four felonies. Alabama court records.

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Hamlett faces charges first degree murder death of unidentified man, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.