TIPTONVILLE, Tenn. — Law enforcement in Tennessee is still searching for the man they said killed a family of four and abducted a 7-month-old baby.
Police are looking for Austin Drummond, who they believe is still in West Tennessee, WHBQ reported.
The investigation started when someone found an infant abandoned outside a home on July 29. The Dyer County Sheriff’s Office said that a minivan or SUV dropped the baby off around 3:11 p.m. and a witness called the authorities.
The baby appeared to be unharmed and was later identified, saying that the baby was connected to a crime scene in Lake County, where four people were found dead.
They were the baby’s family members: Adrianna Williams, 20, and Matthew Wilson, 21 and were the baby’s parents. Cortney Rose, 38, was the baby’s grandmother and mother to Williams, and Braydon Williams, 15, the baby’s uncle.
The distance between where the baby was found and where the baby’s family was killed was about 40 miles, The Associated Press reported.
No motive has been provided other than to say it was a targeted attack by Drummond, who had a relationship with the victims, according to the AP.
Drummond had been jailed for an armed robbery at a gas station, WSMV reported.
The 26th District Attorney General Jody Pickens sent a letter to the parole board before Drummond’s 2020 parole hearing, saying that Drummond had threatened jurors and the robbery victim during a phone call to his father, allegedly saying that “They are going to regret it” and “I’ll be out one day,” according to WSMV.
Pickens asked the board to deny Drummond’s early release, citing 25 disciplinary actions for repeated incidents, adding that the inmate showed “no desire for rehabilitation and is not capable of living among society.”
He was released in September 2024.
Drummond is wanted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) on charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping.
Two men have been charged in connection with the murder of the family, with the bureau saying Tanaka Brown and Giovonte Thomas helped Drummond. They have been charged with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder.
The agency did not specify how the men allegedly assisted other than saying Brown is also facing a count of tampering with evidence, the AP reported.
Brown was arrested on Aug. 1 while Thomas was already jailed on an unrelated charge.
Two rewards are being offered for the arrest of Drummond. The TBI is offering $7,500 while the U.S. Marshals Service is offering another $10,000 for information leading to his capture.
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