Austin Robert Drummond arrested in quadruple killing in Tennessee

A man suspected of targeting and killing members of his girlfriend’s family and leaving a baby abandoned in front of a stranger’s home has been arrested in rural Tennessee.

The weeklong manhunt for Austin Robert Drummond ended after local authorities instituted an early morning shelter-in-place for residents near Jackson after he was sighted there. Residents were warned to lock doors and windows as police searched for him.

Police accuse Drummond, 28, of killing the baby’s parents, grandmother and teenaged uncle before abandoning the infant in front of a stranger’s house.

The arrest “marks an important step in restoring safety to our community,” Jackson Police Chief Thom Corley said.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Director David Rausch had called the killings “targeted” and said the suspect had a relationship with the family.

Police elaborated on that after his capture, saying on Tuesday that the killing spree targeted members of his girlfriend’s family.

Authorities did not offer a motive but said at least one of his girlfriend’s sisters were killed, along with her mother.

Drummond was caught after multiple people called law enforcement at 8:00 CDT (14:00 BST) on Tuesday to say they had seen the suspect, Jackson Police Chief Thom Corley said during a news conference. They arrested him shortly after, at 9:05 local time, he said.

The arrest comes a week after a baby, left in a car seat, was found in front of a stranger’s home in Tigrett, Tennessee on July 29, prompting a search for the parents.

Soon after, the four family members were found dead about 40 miles (64km) away in Tiptonville. It prompted a statewide manhunt for Drummond.

The baby is safe and being cared for, authorities have said.

A photo of Drummond’s capture shared by the TBI shows him in a black hoodie in a wooded area in Jackson, about 70 miles south of Tiptonville, where the family was found dead.

The victims have been identified as James M. Wilson, 21, and Adrianna Williams, 20, the baby’s parents; Cortney Rose, 38, the infant’s grandmother; and Braydon Williams, 15, the baby’s uncle.

Three other people have been arrested and charged with assisting Drummond after the quadruple killings.

Before his arrest, police released footage appearing to show Drummond carrying a gun and wearing camouflage clothing while trying to enter a building.

A $32,500 reward for information that would lead to his arrest was offered on Monday as authorities scrambled to end the search.

Drummond is facing 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 robbing a convenience store in 2013 with a gun. He was released in September 2024 after serving 13 years in prison, according to Tennessee prison records.

In 2020, a district attorney warned the state’s parole board against releasing Drummond early, citing threats to jurors and multiple disciplinary actions while in prison.

“This type of behavior clearly demonstrates that Drummond has no desire for rehabilitation and is not capable of living among society,” Jody Pickens wrote.