Authorities in Tennessee are urgently searching for a man suspected of murdering four family members and leaving a 7-month-old baby girl in the front yard of a stranger’s home nearly 25 miles away.
On Thursday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation named 28-year-old Austin Robert Drummond as the suspect in the killings. He remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous.
Drummond is described as approximately 5’10”, weighing 190 pounds, with blue eyes, brown hair, and a goatee—though officials warn his appearance may have changed. He was last seen driving a white Audi A3 sedan with Tennessee license plate RI 01896, which has visible damage on the driver’s side.
Drummond is wanted on multiple charges, including first-degree murder, kidnapping, and firearm possession, in connection with the deaths of Adrianna Williams, 20; James M. Wilson, 21; Cortney Rose, 38; and Braydon Williams, 15. The four victims were identified as the mother, father, grandmother, and uncle of the infant. Their bodies were found at a residence on Carrington Road in Tiptonville.
District Attorney General Danny Goodman Jr. told PEOPLE on Wednesday, July 30, that the victims were family members of the baby. Their deaths are being investigated as homicides. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether Drummond had a prior connection to the victims.
Timeline of the Abandonment
On Tuesday, July 29, around 3:11 p.m., the Dyer County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a suspicious incident on Old Highway 20 near the Tigrett area. According to a Facebook post from the department, a dark-colored minivan or white mid-size SUV was seen dropping off an infant in a car seat on the front lawn of a random home.
“Thankfully a witness saw the car seat with the child and called 911,” the department noted. After identifying the infant, officials launched efforts to contact her family.
Four Family Members Later Found Dead
That evening, at approximately 10:26 p.m., a 911 caller reported Cortney Rose and her daughter Adrianna Williams missing. According to Action News 5, the caller mentioned searching the area with a flashlight.
Hours later, deputies confirmed the discovery of four deceased individuals in Lake County, about 25 miles north of the infant’s location in Dyer County. Few details have been released regarding the circumstances of the murders.
Community Reacts to Tragedy
On July 30, District Attorney Goodman confirmed to PEOPLE that the deceased were all related to the abandoned child. The investigation is being led by local agencies in collaboration with the FBI and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
“They’re devastated. We’re just thankful that the baby was spared, grateful for that,” said Amy Anderson, a family friend, in an interview with WREG 3. “They were really good people, Adrianna was the sweetest person, she loved being a mama.”
Anderson urged the public not to jump to conclusions: “Everybody don’t know what to think. There’s been rumors here and there, but I just wish everybody would slow down on the rumors and wait until stuff is actually put out there… so that there’s no more heartache than what already is.”
