Police reveal suspect in mystery murder of four people after baby was left on stranger’s front lawn
Police are searching for a man they believe killed four members of a family in rural Tennessee before abandoning a 7-month-old baby girl in a front yard.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has named Austin Robert Drummond, 28, as a suspect in Tuesday’s quadruple murder. He is still on the loose and police warn Drummond should be considered armed and dangerous. The Marshals Service is offering up to $7,500 for information leading to his capture.
Drummond is about 5’10, weighs 190 lbs, and has blue eyes, brown hair, and a goatee, though he may have altered parts of his appearance since the killings, according to the TBI. He has been added to the state’s “most wanted” list.
The suspect was last seen driving his white Audi A3 sedan, which has Tennessee license plate RI 01896. The vehicle can be further identified by damage it has on its driver’s side, according to authorities.
Drummond is wanted for first-degree murder, kidnapping, and unlawful firearm possession in connection with the murders of Adrianna Williams, 20, James Wilson, 21, Courtney Rose, 38, and Braydon Williams, 15, police say.
The four victims have been identified as being the mother, father, grandmother, and uncle of the baby girl Drummond allegedly kidnapped and then abandoned on a lawn.
Police have not confirmed if Drummond has any connection to the family.
He has a previous conviction for aggravated robbery and was sentenced to 13 years in prison, according to WREG. He finished his sentence in September.
He is facing other charges, including attempted first degree murder and drug charges stemming from his time in prison. Drummond was not released on parole or probation.
Police became aware of the murders after receiving a call about a “concerning incident” at around 3.11 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the Dyer County Sheriff’s Office.
“A dark-colored minivan or a white mid-size SUV was reported to have dropped off an infant in a car seat at a random individual’s front yard,” the sheriff’s office wrote alongside a photo of the child. “Thankfully a witness saw the car seat with the child and called 911.”
Once the deputies identified the baby they wanted to speak with her family.
Around 10.26 p.m., a 911 call reported two of the victims were missing. The caller said they were searching around a home with a flashlight, according to Action News 5.
The discovery of the infant and the missing persons call eventually led the deputies to Lake County where they found the victims. The crime scene is approximately 25 miles north of where the baby was found, according to deputies.
A family friend, Amy Anderson, remembered Adrianna Williams, 20, as the “sweetest person.”
“They’re devastated. We’re just thankful that the baby was spared, grateful for that,” Anderson told WREG 3. “They were really good people, Adrianna was the sweetest person, she loved being a mama.”
District Attorney General Danny Goodman Jr said the TBI and FBI are working on the case alongside several local and regional law enforcement agencies.
