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Quadruple murder of Tennessee family - Infant spared and left in yard miles away *ARREST* (1 Viewer)

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Baby found in vehicle and 4 connected adults later found deceased.


MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Investigators with the Dyer County and Lake County Sheriff’s Departments are investigating the death of four people located in Lake County.
Dyer County Sheriff Jeff Box isn’t saying where the bodies were found, but it appears the incident involves the ongoing investigation of a baby found in someone’s front yard in Dyer County on Tuesday.
The child was found in a baby seat at a residence on Old Highway 20 near the Tigrett area.
Baby abandoned in Dyer County

Courtesy: Dyer County Sheriff’s Office
A deputy said that a dark-colored minivan or white midsize SUV was reported to have dropped off a baby at a random person’s home. The baby was not hurt and was identified.

more at link.
 
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Well this is novel. He says he was an undercover agent and is not guilty of the murders.

people.com

Quadruple Murder Suspect in Tenn. Abandoned Baby Case Just Unveiled a Surprising Defense

Austin Drummond is speaking out nearly a month after authorities found the bodies of his alleged victims.
people.com people.com

PEOPLE

Quadruple Murder Suspect in Tenn. Abandoned Baby Case Just Unveiled a Surprising Defense​

Austin Drummond is speaking out nearly a month after authorities found the bodies of his alleged victims
By
Samira Asma-Sadeque


Updated on August 22, 2025 10:47AM EDT
154Comments
0 seconds of 1 minute, 59 seconds

NEED TO KNOW​

  • Austin Drummond is charged in connection with the killings of four family members in July
  • Adrianna Williams, James M. Wilson, Cortney Rose and Braydon Williams were found slain in rural Tennessee on July 29
  • Adrianna and James' 7-month-old baby was found abandoned in someone's front yard earlier the same day
The man charged in connection with the killing of four family members — and leaving an infant alive but abandoned — is speaking out.
Austin Drummond, 28, was arrested on Aug. 5, just a week after the 7-month-old baby was found abandoned in a front yard in Dyer County, Tenn., authorities previously said.
Hours after the baby was found, authorities found her parents, grandmother and uncle slain elsewhere in the county.
Drummond has said he was dating Rose's sister, but further connection between him and his victims is still not clear.
Now, in an exclusive interview with local outlet News Channel 5, Drummond claims he was working as an undercover agent for federal investigators.
Braydon Williams, Adrianna Williams and Matthew Wilson, Cortney Rose

Braydon Williams, Adrianna Williams and Matthew Wilson, Cortney Rose.
Adrianna Williams/Facebook
"During my time working for them I helped them uncover drug dealers selling multiple kilos of cocaine, also drug traffickers delivering pounds of meth," he told the outlet from jail.
"We identified dirty law enforcement and correctional personnel and tapped Vice Lord leadership phones," he said.
"I am not an innocent man, but I am not guilty of what they have charged me with," he added.
While it was not immediately clear how his claims of being undercover would be connected to the murders, he allegedly told News Channel 5, without elaborating, that he was in some capacity linked to the killings.
He, however, continued to maintain his innocence.
Austin Robert Drummond

Austin Robert Drummond.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
"I had no reason to hurt these people. They were my girlfriend's family who had became my family," he said, "I took Adrianna to the hospital to have her baby. I helped teach Braydon to drive. Matthew was like a little brother to me, man."
He told the outlet he recently learned his cover was blown and got further scared upon hearing about the murders, which is why he ran.
"I did not handle the situation right by running, but I was afraid," he told News Channel 5.
Before Drummond was arrested in connection to the case, authorities arrested three people on charges of accessory after the fact.

Related Stories​

Woman Arrested in Wild Tenn. Murder Case Where 4 Were Slain — and a Baby Was Left in a Stranger's Yard
Cortney Rose, Adrianna Williams and Matthew Wilson, Braydon Williams
Quadruple Murder Suspect Arrested After Worker Spotted Him in Woods
 
So he's saying he was an "undercover agent"? I highly doubt it. If anything, he may have been a "narc". There's a distinct difference between the two. A narc is someone who flips on their dealer "friends" in order to get a lighter drug sentence.
 
Some info on the others arrested. Bit more detail of their charges. All three have been charged with accessory after the fact to first degree murder, with one also charged with tampering with evidence.

www.kfvs12.com

3rd person arrested in connection with quadruple murder suspect

A third person has been arrested in connection with a quadruple murder investigation in western Tennessee.
www.kfvs12.com www.kfvs12.com

WESTERN Tenn. (KFVS) - A third person has been arrested in connection with a quadruple murder investigation in western Tennessee.
According to the Dyer County Sheriff’s Office, special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation arrested a Jackson, Tenn. woman on a charge of accessory after the fact to first-degree murder.
Investigators called the woman, identified as 23-year-old Dearrah Sanders, an associate of Austin Drummond, the suspect in the four murders, and said she assisted him following the murders.
Arrest warrants were issued for Drummond, charging him 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.
They say Sanders will be booked into the Lake County Jail.

Reward for quadruple murder suspect increases amid ongoing search​

Two other people, 29-year-old Tanaka Brown and 29-year-old Giovonti Thomas, have also been charged with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. Brown is also facing a charge of tampering with evidence.
 
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So here is a Justice.gov link that provides some details of the Vice Lord gang. This seems to indicate there are two rival gangs and details some of the murders that have taken place. It sure sounds like these murders could be something to do with one of these gangs. This conviction was in June this year.

www.justice.gov

Gang Member Convicted by Jury for his Part in Murder

Following a one-week trial, a federal jury in Memphis convicted a member of the Unknown Vice Lords (UVL) — a violent street gang in Memphis — for his involvement in a gang-related murder, after deliberating for less than an hour.
www.justice.gov www.justice.gov
 
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www.actionnews5.com

Quadruple murder suspect Austin Drummond pleads not guilty to indicted charges

This marked his first appearance since a grand jury indictment for the four murders.
www.actionnews5.com www.actionnews5.com

Quadruple murder suspect Austin Drummond pleads not guilty to indicted charges​

Austin Drummond, accused in the quadruple murder of a Lake County family, appeared before a criminal court Judge on Monday afternoon.

This marked his first appearance since a grand jury indictment for the four murders. Drummond entered a plea of not guilty to all charges.

“Not guilty on all counts,” said Bryan Huffman, Drummond’s defense attorney.

Prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty in this high-profile case. Judge Mark Hayes confirmed Huffman is qualified to represent Drummond.

“As you know, there are a couple of extra boxes we need to be sure we check there, ‘Are counsel qualified...’ Are you qualified for the lead role in this death penalty case?” asked Judge Hayes.

“I am, judge,” answered Huffman.

Drummond is scheduled to return to court on March 24, where the defense is anticipated to file a motion for a change of venue.

As of now, neither the state nor the defense has reached an agreement concerning the protective order on the discovery of evidence.

“My preference would be to discuss venue sooner rather than later because I’m sure that, you know, if that’s going to be an issue, then we need to go ahead and address it on the front end,” said Judge Hayes. “Also, if you anticipate, and it’s early, but if you anticipate a jury questionnaire, then I’d rather look at that sooner rather than later.”
 

Austin Drummond to remain in state custody until trial​

Accused quadruple murderer and kidnapper Austin Drummond will stay in a state prison until his trial on charges stemming from the late July killings.

Tennessee’s Court of Appeals handed down that ruling Monday.

Drummond was initially held in the Obion County jail after his arrest, but the sheriff argued that the case’s high profile and the suspect’s behavior created a strain on the staff.

A judge in Lake County, where the case will be tried, granted the sheriff’s request to move Drummond to the Tennessee Department of Corrections’ custody in October.

In a ruling, the judge wrote, “the Lake County jail is insufficient to house and keep safe this inmate, and no other jail or detention facility, located reasonably close, is sufficient to house and keep safe this inmate.” A panel of appeals judges upheld that decision.

TDOC shows Drummond has been in state custody since November; however its not clear in which of the agency’s 14 prisons he’s being held.


www.localmemphis.com

Appeals court keeps Austin Drummond in state prison as he awaits trial

Drummond appealed a judge's decision to keep him in the custody of TDOC as he awaits trial for a quadruple murder.
www.localmemphis.com www.localmemphis.com

Appeals court keeps Austin Drummond in state prison as he awaits trial​

The Tennessee Court of Appeals on Tuesday, Jan. 12, affirmed a Lake County judge's decision to transfer quadruple-murder suspect Austin Drummond to the custody of the Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) as he awaits trial.

Drummond appealed a Lake County judge's decision to detain him in a state prison as he awaits trial, arguing "that the trial court lacked statutory authorization to transfer a pretrial detainee to TDOC custody or, alternatively, that the facts of this case do not support such a transfer," according to court documents.

The appeals court agreed to take on Drummond's appeal, considering it an "extraordinary appeal." An extraordinary appeal occurs when an immediate review is necessary to prevent a defendant from losing certain rights as a trial progresses. In this case, the appeal was heard because Drummond's appeal hinges on his status as a pretrial detainee and would be moot once his trial begins.

The Court of Appeals upheld the trial court's decision to transfer Drummond to TDOC's custody, finding that the Lake County Jail is not fit to hold him or keep him safe and that no other detention facilities in the area were adequate to hold him. The appeals court agreed with the trial judge's findings that Drummond "posed a significant behavior and security risk."

"After hearing the evidence presented, the trial court made the appropriate finding that 'the Lake County jail is insufficient to house and keep safe this inmate, and no other jail or detention facility, located reasonably close, is sufficient to house and keep safe this inmate.' "

Defense counsel submitted a letter to the appeals panel in an attempt to sway it, alluding to Drummond's claim that he was working as "an informant against corruption in TDOC" and that he was in danger while in custody. He made further claims that corrections officers and incarcerated individuals at TDOC facilities were conspiring to harm him.

Prior to being remanded to the custody of the TDOC, Drummond was being held in the Obion County Jail "because the sheriff of Lake County had already determined that his jail was insufficient to safely keep the defendant due to the lack of a maximum-security area and a means of segregating him from other inmates," according to court documents.

TDOC operates 14 facilities across Tennessee, including four in West Tennessee. Court documents do not reveal which facility Drummond is being held in.
 
Tresir said:
So he is still maintaining he is an informant. i guess that's why they can't keep him safe or have told anyone where he is now.
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Sounds a lot like Richard Allen to me. Also in a prison as they couldn't keep him safe during trial. Also playing the mental health game. Imo.
 
www.stategazette.com

Three plead guilty in Austin Drummond quadruple murder case

Three of the four people accused of helping Austin Robert Drummond after the killings of four relatives in West Tennessee will testify against him in exchange for reduced sentences, prosecutors
www.stategazette.com www.stategazette.com

Three plead guilty in Austin Drummond quadruple murder case​

Three of the four people accused of helping Austin Robert Drummond after the killings of four relatives in West Tennessee will testify against him in exchange for reduced sentences, prosecutors saiId.

District Attorney General Jody Pickens confirmed that Dearrah Sanders, Giovontie Thomas and Erik Wise each entered guilty pleas as accessories after the fact. Michell Ovelis turned down the offer and asked for a trial.

3 accessories in Austin Drummond case take plea deals​

Three people who were charged as accessories after the fact in the Austin Drummond quadruple murder have taken plea deals, officials say.

A fourth rejected the deal and requested a trial.

As part of their plea deals, they agreed to testify against Austin Drummond at trial, District Attorney General Jody Pickens said.

The four defendants were:
  • Dearrah Sanders – pled guilty and received a 2 year sentence at 30% to serve
  • Giovontie Thomas – pled guilty and received a 2 year sentence at 30% to serve
  • Erik Wise – pled guilty and was revoked to serve a 3 year sentence then received a consecutive 1 year sentence at 30% for a total of 4 years to serve.
  • Michell Ovelis – rejected plea offer and requested a trial
Sanders, Thomas, Wise, and Ovelis were indicted by Madison County grand juries as accessories after the fact last year.

The four are accused of assisting Drummond, who was captured Aug. 5 after a manhunt and charged in the murders of four family members in Lake County, Tennessee, and the abandonment of a baby.
 
www.actionnews5.com

Attorney for quadruple murder suspect files venue-change motion, pushes for Shelby County

Austin Drummond, accused in the quadruple murder of a Lake County family, returned to court on Tuesday morning.
www.actionnews5.com www.actionnews5.com

Attorney for quadruple murder suspect files venue-change motion, pushes for Shelby County​

Austin Drummond, accused in the quadruple murder of a Lake County family, returned to court on Tuesday morning.

Drummond’s defense attorney, Bryan Huffman, has filed a motion for a change of venue.

“What we’re looking at right now is probably Shelby County,” said Huffman.

Huffman said he wants to make sure a fair and impartial jury is selected and doesn’t think that is possible in Lake or Dyer Counties.

“Lake County is obviously a very small county. Approximately 6,500 people in the entire county. Obviously, there’s a lot of people who know everybody. Some people work at the prison. So, it’s going to be very difficult to see a capital case jury in Lake County,” said Huffman.

In the document filed for the motion change, the defense team also stated, “[due to] pervasive pretrial publicity—local, national, international, and pervasive social media coverage—transfer is necessary to protect Mr. Drummond’s constitutional rights to a fair and impartial jury and due process.”

The prosecution told the judge they are not opposing the venue change.

“I think it’s fair to assume we may be in another county,” said Judge Mark Hayes.


Drummond’s next court appearance is scheduled for May 1. According to Judge Hayes, his next appearance will include pretrial conferences for all of his charges in Lake County.

That includes the quadruple homicide, attempted murder, and introduction of contraband into a penal facility.

Judge Hayes said all motions filed by April 15 will be taken up and discussed on May 1.
 
She was the one above who rejected a plea deal.

www.actionnews5.com

Woman accused of helping Austin Drummond faces potential new charges

During her court hearing Monday, it was discussed that Ovelis will be back in court next Monday for potential new additional charges.
www.actionnews5.com www.actionnews5.com

Woman accused of helping Austin Drummond faces potential new charges​

Michell Ovelis was in Madison County Circuit Court Monday for a status hearing regarding her accessory after the fact charges.

Prosecutors say Ovelis assisted quadruple homicide suspect Austin Drummond while he was on the run.

During her court hearing Monday, it was discussed that Ovelis will be back in court next Monday for potential new additional charges.

She is scheduled to appear in court on May 5 to begin her trial for the five accessory after the fact charges she currently faces.

The new charges that could be soon filed that were discussed during Monday’s hearing were not specified.
 
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