MONROE COUNTY, Tenn. — The Monroe County Sheriff's Office said Monday that Steven Douglas Lloyd had been killed on Oct. 18 on the Cherohala Skyway in Tellico Plains, kicking off a large manhunt. A release said he was 34 years old and said he was from Knoxville.
It also said the man accused of killing Lloyd remained at large, Nicholas Wayne Hamlett. On Oct. 31, a South Carolina police department said it was using helicopters and K-9s to search for him after Monroe County authorities gave a lengthy press conference about the incident.
In the press conference, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office said dispatchers had received a call on Oct. 18 claiming a hiker was injured after running from a bear and falling off a cliff. Authorities said the hiker told dispatchers he was partially in the water and claimed to be Brandon Andrade.
Investigators then found human remains nearby that had Andrade's identification on it. However, they determined it was not actually Andrade and said the identification had been stolen on multiple occasions. The remains instead belonged to Lloyd.
"Steven loved the outdoors and was so helpful when it came to others. The family was shocked to learn that their beloved son's life had been taken by someone that Steven trusted," a release from the sheriff's office said.
During the press conference, authorities said they believed Lloyd and Hamlett knew each other, and described Hamlett as a dangerous person with a violent criminal history. He is charged with first-degree murder and authorities are still searching for him.
The U.S. Marshals said a $5,000 reward was available for anyone who provided information leading to Hamlett's arrest. He is known to have "considerable" ties to places across the U.S., according to authorities.