Hiker's murder staged as bear attack leads to arrest.

The search for a suspect who had been on the run for weeks following a murder ended after he was spotted at a hospital over the weekend.

On Oct. 24 at 11:34 p.m., in Hamilton County, Tennessee, while hiking, a bear chased Nicholas Wayne Hamlett off a cliff, causing him to be injured and trapped in a body of water. He pretended to be Brandon Andrade when he called 911.

Authorities traced the call to an area near Tellico Plains, northeast of Chattanooga. There, they found a bloodied corpse with Andrade's ID, but the injuries to the body were not consistent with a bear attack or a fall from a high height, authorities said. The sheriff's office later identified the victim as 34-year-old Knoxville resident Steven Douglas Lloyd.

On Nov. 4, the sheriff's office stated on Facebook that Steven was befriended by Nicholas Wayne Hamlett, who later lured him into a wooded area to take his life and identity.

Police discovered that Hamlett had stolen Andrade's ID and used it to evade parole and feign death.

On Sunday evening, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office was informed by authorities in Columbia, South Carolina, that their "armed and dangerous" fugitive had been found at a local hospital.

"The office expressed gratitude to the news media for spreading Hamlett's wanted poster nationwide. The public, who is crucial to their success, became their eyes and ears due to the sharing of the poster. After spotting Hamlett at a local hospital, a concerned citizen contacted the authorities, bringing the manhunt to a conclusion."

On October 30th, the FBI, U.S. Marshals Office, and Tennessee authorities held a joint press conference, calling on the public to help locate Hamlett and for the fugitive to surrender.

Joseph Carrico, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Nashville field office, stated at the press conference, "Nick, let's end this peacefully. Turn yourself in. Have your day in court."

"No matter where you hide, we will find you, as the long arm of the law has a vast and extensive reach. The deputies and investigators in this county are well-versed in their area, while TBI agents know their state well. FBI and Marshal Service agents have a country-wide reach and can track you down anywhere in the world. So, there's no escape," Carrico emphasized.

Previously, Sheriff Tommy Jones stated that Hamlett and Lloyd had known each other for several months prior to the attack.

Authorities believe that Hamlett, 45, has abandoned his Tennessee home and has connections in Alabama, Montana, Alaska, Kentucky, and Florida. When questioned by police about his 911 call, he used a fake name.

""The offender has a history and knew the victim, but there is a great risk to the public as this was not an isolated incident," Jones stated."

A reward of $5,000 was offered by the U.S. Marshals Service for information leading to the capture of the wanted man.

In 2009, a man was arrested in Niceville, Florida, for luring another man into the woods in Alabama, as reported by WBS.

According to AL.com, Hamlett held an Alabama man at gunpoint and tried to strike him with a baseball bat before burying him in the woods. He used the name Joshua Jones when he contacted the victim in an attempt to obtain insurance.

In 2012, Hamlett was accused of attempted murder and kidnapping, but he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of felony assault and was given 20 years in prison. He had four previous felony convictions, as per Alabama court records.

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office has accused Hamlett of first-degree murder for the death of an unidentified man.