A significant development has been announced in the investigation surrounding the deaths of four family members related to a baby recently found abandoned in Tennessee.
The victims, identified as 38-year-old Cortney Rose, her children Adrianna Williams, aged 20, and Braydon Williams, aged 15, along with Adrianna’s partner, James Wilson, aged 21, were slain on July 29.
These individuals were discovered deceased along a road in Lake County, Tiptonville, situated in northwest Tennessee, as confirmed by local authorities in an official press release.
Earlier that day, authorities found the baby daughter of Adrianna and James alive and secured in a car seat on a lawn in Tigrett, which is approximately 40 miles from where the victims’ bodies were located.
“Medical Center EMS and Crockett County Ambulance Service was called to evaluate the child,” Dyer County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook.
“The victims were all from Dyer County, and we suspect the person that killed them knew all of them,” stated Danny Goodman, district attorney for Dyer and Lake counties, to CNN.
The prime suspect, 28-year-old Austin Robert Drummond, was quickly identified, with several sightings reported over recent days.
An image of Drummond, captured on a home security camera on Sunday (August 3), was released by law enforcement, along with a substantial $30,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
Drummond was apprehended in a rural area of Tennessee on Tuesday (August 5) morning following tips from residents who recognized him and notified the authorities.
“This marks an important step in restoring safety to our community,” stated Jackson Police Chief Thom Corley regarding Drummond’s capture in an earlier press release.
Following his arrest, Drummond faces multiple charges including four counts of first-degree murder, four counts of felon in possession of a firearm, one count of aggravated kidnapping, and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, as detailed by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).
The TBI has not revealed what led them to suspect Drummond, nor have they disclosed any potential motive for the killings or why the infant was left in a different county from the crime scene.
Court documents reveal that Drummond was previously convicted for aggravated robbery after a 2013 gas station robbery in Jackson.
He served a decade in prison for that crime before his release in September 2024, according to court records.
The family of James Wilson has recently expressed their grief following the tragic loss.
Matt Wilson, James’s father, shared with CNN: “I hate that someone has taken my son from all of us. He really was a good young man. He was an exceptional father. He would stop and help anyone. He was always polite and well-behaved.”
“Adrianna was the perfect momma to my grandbaby. I hope that everyone that is involved is brought to justice and soon. Sincerely the father of the best son on earth.”