Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Offers $15,000 Reward for Suspect in Quadruple Homicide and Infant Abandonment Case

Authorities are actively searching for a suspect in connection with the alleged murder of four individuals, whose bodies were discovered on Tuesday in Tiptonville, Tennessee. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) identified the suspect as Austin Robert Drummond, a 28-year-old man wanted for questioning.

Drummond is accused of taking the lives of James M. Wilson, Adrianna Williams, Cortney Rose, and Braydon Williams, whose bodies were found hours after an infant was discovered abandoned in a car seat in a yard near Tigrett, approximately 40 miles away from Tiptonville.

The vehicle believed to have been driven by Drummond, a white 2016 Audi, was located unoccupied in Jackson, Tennessee, and has since been recovered by authorities. The TBI announced on Friday that warrants have been issued for Drummond, charging him with four counts of first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony.

Cortney Rose was the infant’s maternal grandmother, and Braydon Williams was the baby’s maternal uncle, according to Danny Goodman, district attorney for Dyer and Lake counties. Wilson and Adrianna Williams were confirmed as the infant’s parents by Goodman.

The TBI has not disclosed the specific details leading to Drummond being named as a suspect or provided information regarding a potential motive in the killings or why the baby was abandoned in a county separate from where the bodies were found.

Drummond is believed to still be in the area and should be considered dangerous, authorities stated at a Friday news conference, urging the public not to approach him if spotted but instead contact 911 for assistance.

Prior convictions include aggravated robbery for armed robbery of a gas station in Jackson, Tennessee, in 2013, for which Drummond received a 10-year prison sentence and was released in September 2024. A joint reward of $15,000 has been announced by the US Marshals Service and TBI for any information leading to Drummond’s arrest.

The investigation began on Tuesday afternoon when the infant was found in a car seat in a yard near Tigrett, as reported by the Dyer County Sheriff’s Office. Hours after the baby’s abandonment, four individuals – later identified as relatives of the infant – were found dead in Tiptonville. The bodies were discovered along Tiptonville’s Carrington Road without further details provided by the TBI.

Several agencies are collaborating on the case, including the FBI and a US Marshals Service fugitive task force. “This is a deeply saddening day for our community,” said Dyer County Sheriff Jeff Box in a Facebook post on Tuesday, expressing the commitment to uncovering the truth and ensuring justice is served.