An abandoned baby. A murdered family. Now, a suspect is wanted.
The U.S. Marshals Service and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation are offering up to $15,000 for information leading to the capture of Austin Robert Drummond for the July 29 quadruple homicide.
The victims were identified as 15-year-old Braydon Williams, 20-year-old Adrianna Williams, 21-year-old James M. Wilson, and 38-year-old Cortney Rose. Their bodies were discovered in Tiptonville hours after authorities found an abandoned infant in a car seat outside an estimated 40 miles away near Tigrett in Dyer County.
Now, Drummond is on the state's most wanted list for first-degree murder, felon in possession of a firearm, aggravated kidnapping, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony. The 28-year-old suspect is said to be driving a 2016 Audi A3 with a Tennessee plate: RI 01896, according to the TBI.
"Getting Austin Drummond in custody is a priority. Anyone with information about where we can find him should call us immediately," U.S. Marshal Tyreece Miller said in a statement. "You will remain anonymous."
More news: Infant found abandoned in Tennessee is related to 4 people found dead
Deaths were discovered after an infant was found abandoned
The case began after a 7-month-old infant girl was found sitting in a car seat in a random person's front yard near Tigrett, a community in Dyer County, on July 29.
Hours later, authorities announced that they were investigating a crime scene where four people were deceased, revealing there may be a connection between the cases.
Fundraiser created for victims
According to a GoFundMe, the victims were relatives of the surviving baby, including the parents, grandmother, and uncle.
The fundraiser is seeking donations to cover the funeral costs and legal fees for the family members. It has raised just over $1,500 as of Friday morning.
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
34 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Police find car they say was driven by man wanted in killing of 4 in Tennessee
NASHVILLE — Authorities searching for a man wanted in the killing of the parents, grandmother and uncle of an infant found alive in Tennessee uncovered a car Friday they believe the suspect was living in and offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. The abandoned car that police said 28-year-old Austin Robert Drummond had been driving was found in Jackson, Tenn., about 70 miles from where the bodies were found and some 40 miles from where the baby was left in a car seat in a front yard. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch said at a news conference that he believes it was a targeted attack by Drummond, who had a relationship with the family. He is most likely still in the area and should be considered armed and dangerous, Rausch said. Drummond dropped off the infant and brought attention to people nearby to come get the child, Rausch said. The baby is safe and being cared for, said Stephen Sutton, a spokesperson for the Lake and Dyer county sheriffs. 'While this was an extremely tragic and violent event, ... there was a sign of compassion, if you will, that we know happened,' Rausch said. 'That tells us that there's a possibility that Austin may have a sense that there is hope for him to be able to come in and have a conversation about what happened.' The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has said it obtained warrants for Drummond charging him with four counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated kidnapping and weapons offenses. Authorities have not yet answered questions about the manner in which the four were killed. According to court records, Drummond had spent years in prison for robbing a convenience store as a 16-year-old and threatening jurors. He was tried as an adult for the July 2013 robbery in Jackson, Tenn. During the incident, he pointed a pistol at the gas station store worker and ordered them to open the cash register, taking the $44 inside, court records show. At a 2020 hearing in which he was denied parole, Drummond said he was on Xanax the night of the robbery and doesn't remember robbing the gas station. He said his pistol was a BB gun. After the jury convicted him of one count of aggravated robbery in August 2014, he threatened to go after jurors, Drummond said during the parole hearing. He pleaded guilty in February 2015 to 13 counts of retaliation for past action. The district attorney that covers Madison County, Jody Pickens, urged against early release for Drummond, writing a letter in 2020 that called him 'a dangerous felony offender and a confirmed member of the Vice Lords,' a street gang. Pickens wrote that Drummond made the threats against jurors and the victim in the robbery during a phone call with his father. The Associated Press obtained audio and documents from the parole board hearing through public records requests. Drummond was given a combined 13-year sentence. As of the 2020 parole hearing, Drummond had more than two dozen disciplinary issues in prison, including possession of a deadly weapon, assault, refusing a drug test and gang activity. Drummond said the assault and the deadly weapon charges occurred because he was almost beaten to death. Drummond was charged criminally for activities inside the prison, included attempted murder, after he completed the sentence that put him behind bars, Dist. Atty. Danny Goodman said at the news conference. Drummond was out on bond on the other charges at the time of the killings, Goodman said. The investigation began after an infant in a car seat was found in a front yard in the Tigrett area on Tuesday afternoon. The Dyer County Sheriff's Office said in a statement posted on social media that a caller reported the infant had been dropped off by a minivan or midsize SUV at a 'random individual's front yard.' The statement was accompanied by a photo of the baby in a paramedic's arms. After identifying the infant, the Sheriff's Office said that night it was working with investigators in neighboring Lake County, where four people had been found dead. On Wednesday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation identified the four as James M. Wilson, 21; Adrianna Williams, 20; Cortney Rose, 38; and Braydon Williams, 15. Wilson and Adrianna Williams were the infant's parents, and Rose was Adrianna and Braydon Williams' mother, according to Goodman. All four of the victims lived in Dyer County, he said. Immediately after discovering the infant, investigators started looking for the baby's family and soon learned the four relatives had not been seen since the night before, Goodman said. Then a relative called 911 after finding two vehicles in a remote area. The four bodies were found in nearby woods in Tiptonville, Goodman said. All four victims had been killed, he said, but he declined to say how. Authorities did not name the infant, but an obituary for Wilson says he is survived by his daughter, Weslynne Wilson. An attorney who represented Drummond in his case as a teenager did not immediately return a message requesting a comment. A telephone listing for Drummond could not be found. Mattise writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Sarah Brumfield in Cockeysville, Md., contributed to this report.
Hamilton Spectator
5 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Police find a car they say was driven by the man wanted in the death of 4 Tennessee family members
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities searching for the man wanted in the killing of the parents, grandmother and uncle of an infant found alive in Tennessee uncovered a car Friday that they believe the suspect was living in and offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. The unoccupied car that police said 28-year-old Austin Robert Drummond had been driving was found in Jackson, Tennessee, about 70 miles from where the bodies were found and some 40 miles from where the baby was left in a car seat in a front yard. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch said at a news conference that he believes it was a targeted attack by Drummond, who had a relationship with the family. He is most likely still in the area and should be considered armed and dangerous, Rausch said. Drummond dropped off the infant off and brought attention to people nearby to come get the child, Rausch said. The baby is safe and being cared for, said Stephen Sutton, a spokesperson for the Lake and Dyer county sheriffs. 'While this was an extremely tragic and violent event, that there was a sign of compassion, if you will, that we know happened,' Rausch said. 'That tells us that there's a possibility that Austin may have a sense that there is hope for him to be able to come in and have a conversation about what happened.' The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has said it obtained warrants for Drummond charging him with four counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated kidnapping and weapons offenses. Authorities have not yet answered questions about the manner in which the four were killed. According to court records, Drummond had spent years in prison for robbing a convenience store as a 16-year-old and threatening to go after jurors. He was tried as an adult for the July 2013 robbery in Jackson, Tennessee. During the incident, he pointed a pistol at the gas station store worker and ordered the cash register to be opened, taking the $44 inside, court records show. At a 2020 hearing in which he was denied parole, Drummond said he was on Xanax the night of the robbery and doesn't remember robbing the gas station. He said the gun was a BB gun. After the jury convicted him of one count of aggravated robbery in August 2014, he made threats to go after jurors, Drummond said during the parole hearing. He pleaded guilty in February 2015 to 13 counts of retaliation for past action. The district attorney that covers Madison County, Jody Pickens, urged against early release for Drummond, writing a letter in 2020 that called him 'a dangerous felony offender and a confirmed member of the Vice Lords,' a street gang. Pickens wrote that Drummond made the threats against jurors and the victim in the robbery during a phone call with his father. The Associated Press obtained audio and documents from the parole board hearing through public records requests. Drummond was given a combined 13-year sentence. His sentence ended in September 2024, according to Tennessee Department of Correction records. As of the 2020 parole hearing, Drummond had more than two dozen disciplinary issues in prison, including possession of a deadly weapon, assault, refusing a drug test and gang activity. Drummond said the assault and the deadly weapon charges occurred because he was almost beaten to death. Drummond was charged criminally for activities inside the prison, included attempted murder, after he completed the sentence that put him behind bars, District Attorney Danny Goodman said at the news conference. Drummond was out on bond on the other charges at the time of the killings, Goodman said. The investigation began after an infant in a car seat was found in a front yard in the Tigrett area on Tuesday afternoon. The Dyer County Sheriff's Office said in a statement posted on social media that a caller reported the infant had been dropped off by a minivan or mid-size SUV at a 'random individual's front yard' with a photo of the baby in a paramedic's arms. After identifying the infant, the sheriff's office said later that night that they were working with investigators in neighboring Lake County where four people had been found dead. On Wednesday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation identified the four people found dead in Tiptonville as James M. Wilson, 21; Adrianna Williams, 20; Cortney Rose, 38; and Braydon Williams, 15. Wilson and Adrianna Williams were the infant's parents, and Rose was Adrianna and Braydon Williams' mother, according to Goodman. All four of the victims lived in Dyer County, he said. Immediately after discovering the infant, investigators started looking for the baby's family and soon learned the four relatives had not been seen since the night before, Goodman said. Then a relative called 911 after finding two vehicles in a remote area. The four bodies were found in nearby woods, Goodman said. All four victims had been killed, Goodman said, but he declined to say how. Authorities did not name the infant, but an obituary for Wilson says he is survived by his daughter, Weslynne Wilson. An attorney who represented Drummond in his case as a teenager did not immediately return a message requesting a comment. A telephone listing for Drummond could not be found. ___ Reporter Sarah Brumfield contributed from Cockeysville, Maryland. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Newsweek
6 hours ago
- Newsweek
Missing Teen Found Alive at Bottom of Ravine Days Later With Injuries
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Dakota Trenkle Jr., a 13-year-old who was reported missing on Sunday, was found alive at the bottom of a nearby ravine with serious injuries to his head and leg, according to the local sheriff's department and a GoFundMe created on his behalf. Authorities said the Missouri boy had survived more than three days without food or water. Newsweek has reached out to the St. Francois County Sheriff's Department for comment via email on Friday. What To Know Trenkle was reported missing after he left home on his skateboard to visit a friend but never arrived, authorities said. In a July 29 post, the St. Francois County Sheriff's Department reported that Trenkle was found "after an extensive search involving multiple agencies and widespread community support." Earlier that day, Trenkle's brother called emergency responders after finding Dakota's skateboard about a half mile from their home. Police then requested support from the Farmington Correctional Center (FCC) K-9 Unit. A 5-year-old bloodhound named Daryl successfully followed Trenkle's scent and discovered him at the bottom of a ravine in about a foot of water, nearly 240 feet down. "Dakota sustained a traumatic leg injury and endured 96 hours of being exposed to the elements without food or water. Due to Dakota's current condition, he was airlifted by ARCH helicopter to a St. Louis area hospital for emergency medical care," the sheriff's department post said. A GoFundMe set up by his aunt, Brittney Van Volkenburg, said he suffered "head trauma." A photo of the K-9 bloodhound that rescued Dakota Trenkle Jr. is shown on the St. Francois County Sheriff's Department Facebook page. A photo of the K-9 bloodhound that rescued Dakota Trenkle Jr. is shown on the St. Francois County Sheriff's Department Facebook page. St. Francois County Sheriff's Department Facebook. What People Are Saying St. Francois County Sheriff Jeff Crites: "This was an incredibly difficult search, both physically and emotionally. Finding Dakota alive after so many days is nothing short of a miracle. We are thankful to everyone who contributed their time and energy to bring him home." Van Volkenburg, also a volunteer firefighter with the Goose Creek Lake Fire Department, told KSDK: "This was a miracle. He's a fighter. He's been a fighter since the day he was born." Lieutenant Virginia Stafford, handler on the K-9 unit, told KSDK: "We had our gear on, which makes us hotter. The terrain was slick from the humidity ... as soon as we went down, Daryl was on track; he was pulling really well. He did lead us down to him ... There's no way he could have hollered for help; he couldn't speak when we got to him. Daryl led us straight to him ... Daryl is a hero. He did a great job. That's why we train every week, in all elements—hot, cold, water, snow. It paid off." What Happens Next An online fundraiser has raised over $13,000, with more than 300 donations for Trenkle's medical bills.
