Deadly family killings prompt nationwide search for a dangerous suspect, previously identified as the father of a newborn baby who abandoned the child after his relatives met a tragic end.
Austin Robert Drummond, a 28-year-old man, is wanted by Tennessee authorities for the alleged murder of four family members, including the infant's parents, grandmother, and uncle, while leaving the infant alive[1][2]. The victims were identified as James M. Wilson, 21; Adrianna Williams, 20; Cortney Rose, 38; and Braydon Williams, 15[2].
The bodies of the victims were discovered in Lake County, about 40 miles from where the baby was found in a car seat[2]. Drummond has a prior criminal history, having served a combined 13-year sentence for robbery and retaliation charges, which ended in September 2024[3].
Authorities have charged Drummond with four counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated kidnapping, four counts of felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of possessing a firearm during a dangerous felony[1]. He has been on the run since the killings, prompting a manhunt with a combined reward of up to $17,500 offered by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Marshals for information leading to his arrest[2][4].
Investigators believe that Drummond knew the victims, but many details, such as how the associates assisted Drummond and the exact circumstances of the murders and the baby's survival, remain unclear[1][2]. Two men, Tanaka Brown and Giovonte Thomas, both 29, have been arrested and charged with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder, with Brown also facing evidence tampering charges[1][2].
The seven-month-old infant is safe and being cared for[1]. At the time of the killings, Drummond was out on bond on other charges[1]. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has characterized Drummond as armed and dangerous[2].
Notably, Drummond was convicted of one count of aggravated robbery in August 2014[3]. The car search is ongoing for Drummond, a suspect in the murders of the four people in Tennessee. It is believed that Drummond may have dropped off the baby and brought attention to people nearby to come get the child[1]. However, no details have been given on how the four people were murdered[1].
[1] - [Source 1] [2] - [Source 2] [3] - [Source 3] [4] - [Source 4]
- The war between authorities and Austin Robert Drummond intensifies as he evades capture, wanted for the gruesome murders of four family members.
- Amidst ongoing politics and general-news headlines, the tense manhunt for Drummond, a dangerous fugitive with a history of crime, continues, drawing attention to the unresolved crime-and-justice case in Tennessee.
