Quadruple murder suspect Austin Drummond arrested in Tennessee after week-long manhunt
Austin Drummond, 28, was arrested in Jackson, Tennessee after allegedly killing four members of his girlfriend's family and abandoning their infant.
Suspect in quadruple killing captured in Jackson after week-long manhunt
Austin Robert Drummond, 28, was arrested on Tuesday in rural Tennessee, ending a week-long manhunt following the killing of four members of his girlfriend's family, bbc.com reports. Three other individuals have also been arrested on charges of assisting Drummond after the killings.
Jackson Police Chief Thom Corley said the arrest "marks an important step in restoring safety to our community." Officers apprehended Drummond at 9:05 local time after multiple members of the public contacted law enforcement shortly before 8:00 CDT to report sighting him in Jackson, approximately 70 miles south of Tiptonville.
Authorities said the killing spree targeted members of Drummond's girlfriend's family. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch had previously described the killings as "targeted," noting the suspect had a personal relationship with the victims. Police said at least one of his girlfriend's sisters was killed, along with her mother. No motive has been offered.
The four victims were identified as James M. Wilson, 21, and Adrianna Williams, 20 — the parents of the abandoned infant — along with Cortney Rose, 38, the infant's grandmother, and Braydon Williams, 15, the baby's uncle.
The case began on 29 July when a baby, left in a car seat, was discovered outside a stranger's home in Tigrett, Tennessee. The four family members were subsequently found dead approximately 40 miles (64km) away in Tiptonville, prompting a statewide search for Drummond. The infant is safe and in care, authorities confirmed.
A photograph released by the TBI shows Drummond in a black hoodie in a wooded area near Jackson. Before his arrest, police had also released footage appearing to show him carrying a firearm and wearing camouflage clothing while attempting to enter a building. A reward of $32,500 for information leading to his capture had been announced on Monday.
Drummond faces charges including four counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated kidnapping, four counts of felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony.
He was previously convicted of armed robbery of a convenience store in 2013 and was released in September 2024 after serving 13 years, according to Tennessee prison records. In 2020, a district attorney urged the state's parole board not to release Drummond early, citing threats made to jurors and multiple disciplinary incidents during his imprisonment. "This type of behavior clearly demonstrates that Drummond has no desire for rehabilitation and is not capable of living among society," wrote Jody Pickens at the time.
Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)