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Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for a man charged with killing four family members in Tipton, Tennessee, and leaving the baby of two victims miles away in a different location.
Austin Robert Drummond appeared via video in court on Thursday for the first time since being captured earlier in the week, following a manhunt that lasted for one week.
The 28-year-old faces 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 possessing a firearm during a dangerous felony after the bodies of four family members were found in rural Tennessee on July 29.
Prosecutors announced during the Thursday hearing that they believe the four victims were killed as part of a premeditated attack, according to WBBJ.
District Attorney Danny Goodman also announced his intention to seek the death penalty in the high profile case, according to The Associated Press.
During the hearing, the judge entered a guilty plea on Drummond’s behalf, and granted him a court-appointed attorney, according to the AP.
He also ordered that Drummond, who wore a black and white striped uniform, be held without bond due to the capital offenses he was facing.
Baby dropped off in front yard
On June 29, the Dyer County Sheriff’s Office reported that an infant in a car seat had been left in “a random individual’s front yard” on Old Highway 20 near Tigrett, Tenn., around 3:11 p.m. that day. The homeowner noticed the child and immediately alerted 911.
Authorities, while trying to locate the seven-month-old baby’s family, found the bodies of the child’s parents James M. Wilson, 21, and Adrianna Williams, 20, as well as her grandmother Cortney Rose, 38, and uncle Braydon Williams, 15, in Tiptonville, stated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
According to the AP, Goodman mentioned that the bodies were discovered in the woods after a relative reported to 911 about finding two abandoned vehicles in a secluded area. All had been shot to death.
Although no motive has yet to be announced, Goodman identified Drummond as the boyfriend of Rose’s sister.
Austin Robert Drummond had prior record
At the time of the murders, Drummond was out on bond for charges of attempted murder for a crime allegedly carried out behind bars while he was serving prison time for robbing a convenience store and threatening jurors.
The TBI identified Drummond as a possible suspect in the quadruple homicide days after the murders and had launched a manhunt to find him. He was taken into custody on the morning of August 5 on Windwood Drive in Jackson.
Wilson’s mother, Kim Hamil, told the AP on Thursday that the family was “just broken” by the tragedy.
“It’s a whole family gone,” she said. “It’s unbelievable.”
According to Hamil, the family plans to be in court to represent the victims whenever they can.
Along with Drummond, Dearrah Sanders, 23; Tanaka Brown, 29; and Giovonte Thomas, 29; are also facing charges of accessory after the fact to first-degree murder in connection with the case.