The week-long hunt for the alleged quadruple Tennessee killer has come to an end as Austin Robert Drummond, 28, has been arrested. He is accused of killing four members of a family and abandoning a baby in a car seat.
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As reported by ABC News, citing the Jackson, Tennessee, Police Department, Drummond was taken into custody on Tuesday, August 5, by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).
Jackson Police Chief Thom Corley revealed during a press conference that several residents had spotted Drummond near a vacant building at around 8 a.m. Law enforcement arrived at the area shortly after. They had received numerous 911 calls, leading to the arrest that took place in the woods near the building.
“This would not have been achieved without the tireless work and dedication of our local, state, and federal partners,” Dyer County Sheriff Jeff Box said in a release. “Also, our citizens have been extremely helpful and cooperative. Thank you so much for always being a willing partner with our deputies and investigators.”
Drummond is accused of carrying out a quadruple murder on Tuesday, July 29. The victims have been identified as Cortney Rose, 38, Adrianna and Braydon Williams, Rose’s children, ages 20 and 15, and James Wilson, Adrianna’s boyfriend, 21.
All four were found dead along a Lake County road in Tennessee. That same day, Adrianna and James’ baby was found abandoned in a car seat. He had been left in a “random stranger’s front yard” in Dyer County.
‘Targeted Incident’
A motive for the alleged killings is yet to be determined. However, investigators have detailed, according to WTVF, that Drummond knew the victims. Reportedly, he was dating Rose’s sister, and TBI Director David Rausch labeled the event a “targeted incident.”
Austin Robert Drummond is facing four counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated kidnapping, four counts of felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, as per the TBI.
As reported by CNN, Drummond was convicted of aggravated robbery in 2014 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. During his trial, he reportedly threatened the victim and jurors. He pleaded guilty to retaliation for past actions in 2015.
He was released from prison in September 2024.
However, recently, he faced drug and attempted murder charges following his release. When the four bodies were discovered in Lake County, Drummond was out on bail.
Three additional people were arrested in connection with the incident. Dearrah Sanders, 23, and Tanaka Brown and Giovontie Thomas, both 29, were charged with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. Additionally, Brown was charged with tampering with evidence.