Tennessee Authorities Offer Reward for Fugitive Suspected in Murder of Four Relatives, Including Baby’s Abandonment

A Tennessee manhunt continues for a suspect accused of killing four relatives of an abandoned newborn found alive, while two others have been arrested and charged with assisting the alleged killer. Tanaka Brown, 29, was taken into custody on Friday and charged with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder and tampering with evidence, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). Giovante Thomas, 29, has also been charged with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder.

The TBI did not disclose the evidence leading to charges against Brown and Thomas. Brown is now in custody at the Lake County Jail, while Thomas, who was previously detained on an unrelated charge in Madison County, Tennessee, will be transferred to face arraignment in Lake County. The legal status of both individuals remains undisclosed.

The TBI has yet to identify the primary suspect, Austin Robert Drummond, 28, in connection with the murders of James M. Wilson, 21; Adrianna Williams, 20; Cortney Rose, 38; and Braydon Williams, 15. Their bodies were discovered on Tuesday in Tiptonville, a town in northwest Tennessee’s Lake County.

The four victims were found hours after the baby daughter of Wilson and Adrianna Williams was discovered abandoned in a car seat in a yard near Tigrett, approximately 40 miles southeast of Tiptonville. Authorities recovered a white 2016 Audi believed to be Drummond’s vehicle from Jackson, Tennessee, on Friday, while a second vehicle sought in the search for Drummond, a 1988 white Ford pickup truck with a red stripe, has been located in Dyer County.

The TBI has yet to disclose the reasons behind naming Drummond as a suspect or any potential motive in the killings, nor have they revealed details about why the baby was abandoned in a different county.

Danny Goodman, district attorney for Dyer and Lake counties, confirmed that Rose was the baby’s maternal grandmother, and Braydon Williams was the baby’s maternal uncle.

Warrants charging Drummond with 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 have been issued by the TBI. Authorities consider Drummond dangerous and urge the public not to approach him if spotted but instead call 911 for assistance.

Drummond was previously convicted of aggravated robbery in 2013, serving ten years in prison before his release in September 2024. A joint reward of $15,000 has been offered by the US Marshals Service and TBI for any information leading to Drummond’s arrest.

The investigation began on Tuesday when the baby was found in a car seat in a front yard near Tigrett, following a 911 call from an individual who spotted the child. Reports suggested that a “dark-colored minivan or a white mid-size SUV” may have left the baby there, as temperatures reached 116 degrees. The abandoned baby girl is approximately seven months old.

Hours after the baby’s abandonment, authorities announced the discovery of four bodies along Tiptonville’s Carrington Road, but did not provide further details. The TBI declined to elaborate on how the four were killed, how they were found, or whether a motive has been identified in the case.

Sheriff Jeff Box of Dyer County expressed his condolences for the community affected by the tragedy in a Facebook post on Tuesday, stating, “We are committed to uncovering the truth and ensuring justice is served.” Over a dozen agencies, including the FBI and a US Marshals Service fugitive task force, are currently involved in the investigation.