Austin Drummond, wanted for the tragic quadruple murder of a family in West Tennessee, was apprehended Tuesday morning following an extensive weeklong manhunt.
Jackson Police Chief Thom Corley reported that they started receiving tips about Drummond’s whereabouts around 8 a.m. One crucial tip came in at 8:57, leading officers to swiftly make the arrest by 9:05.
Drummond, discovered living in a vacant structure, was residing in what was identified as a pool house, though the duration of his stay remains uncertain, according to Corley.
Following Drummond’s capture, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation shared his photograph taken during the arrest. You can swipe left for his latest mug shot.
Austin Robert Drummond (TBI) photo Lake County Sheriff’s Office
While TBI Director David Rausch could not disclose the motive behind these heinous acts, it was noted that Drummond’s girlfriend has familial ties to the victims, being the sister of two and the daughter of one.
Rausch said “a couple of firearms” had been recovered in the case.
Drummond has been transported to an undisclosed facility, Rausch said.
The arrest occurred shortly after a shelter-in-place advisory was disseminated throughout Jackson, Tennessee, when authorities observed Drummond near the intersection of Saddlebrook Drive and Bridlepath Drive.
The area of Pleasant Plains and Country Club was temporarily blocked off, police say.
John Stechauner, a witness on the scene, said he was doing work for some friends when they saw the back door of the greenhouse open, which is never left open. He said he looked up and saw a man walking through the area.
That’s when he says he called 911, and within 15 minutes, Drummond was arrested.
Drummond had been on the run since last Tuesday, when the bodies of James Wilson, 21, Adrianna Williams, 20, Cortney Rose, 38, and Braydon Williams, 15, were found along Carrington Road in Tiptonville.
An infant who was related to the victims was also found safe in front of a house in Dyer County. The baby is safe and healthy, authorities said.
A warrant charged 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.
Bryan Avery, the sheriff of Lake County in far northwest Tennessee where the four killings occurred, said only about 7,000 people lived in his tight-knit county.
“When one person hurts, everybody hurts,” Avery said.
Police say Drummond was seen on a citizen’s camera system in the 700 block of Pipkin Road in Jackson on Sunday night. They released two surveillance videos showing Drummond wearing camouflage clothing and a backpack, and carrying a rifle. In one video, he attempted to open a door.
Three others, Giovontie Thomas, 29, Tanaka Brown, 29, and Dearrah Sanders, 23, were all arrested and charged with Accessory After the Fact to First Degree Murder. Brown is also facing a Tampering with Evidence charge.
Drummond has deep connections to the Jackson area.
According to the TBI’s criminal history, WREG Investigators uncovered, Drummond’s rap sheet dates back to 2011 when he was just a teenager. He pleaded guilty to evading arrest and attempted burglary in Jackson, Tennessee. He received 24 hours of community service.
Suspect identified in deaths of 4 people in West TN
Two years later, court documents state that when Drummond was 17 years old, he walked behind the register in a gas station in Jackson, pointed a pistol at the clerk, demanded she open the cash register, and took the cash inside. A jury found him guilty.
Drummond was released from prison last September, according to the state Department of Corrections records. He had been convicted on an aggravated robbery charge.
TBI said more than one tipster may be eligible for a reward for information in the case.
