Mugshot of Austin Drummond.
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THE man accused of killing four people he says he considered to be family has proclaimed his innocence in a bizarre jailhouse interview.

Austin Drummond maintained his innocence in the murders of his four relatives, instead alleging that his cover as an FBI informant was compromised in the weeks preceding the July 29 incidents.

Mugshot of Austin Drummond.
A mugshot of alleged quadruple murderer Austin Drummond after being arrested on August 5Credit: Obion County Jail
Collage of four photos of homicide victims: Matthew Wilson, Adrianna Williams, Cortney Rose, and Braydon Williams.
Drummond is accused of killing (top left and going clockwise) Adrianna Williams, 20, James ‘Matthew’ Wilson, 21, Braydon Williams, 15, and Cortney Rose, 38Credit: gofundme
Photo of Matthew Wilson, Adrianna Williams, and their baby.
Drummond allegedly kidnapped Adrianna Williams and James Wilson’s 7-month-old boy and abandoning him on a stranger’s front yardCredit: gofundme
Austin Drummond under arrest in a wooded area.
Austin Drummond was arrested in Jackson, Tennessee, after being the center of a seven day manhuntCredit: City of Jackson Police Department

Facing the possibility of a death sentence for the brutal killings, Drummond claimed that upon his release from incarceration in September 2024, he was recruited by prosecutors in Tennessee to help tackle drug trafficking within the state’s prison system.

In an interview from jail with CBS affiliate WTVF, Drummond stated he fled after learning his secret role as an informant had been compromised and around the time his relatives were killed.

The suspect claimed he helped officials, including the FBI, arrest drug dealers, corrupt police officers, and take down gang members.

“But they found out I was an informant, and I didn’t know. I was afraid because I knew that bad things happened,” Drummond told the outlet.

Drummond also admitted that he was a member of the Vice Lords gang during his prison stint for armed robbery and kidnapping charges.

“You know, I was afraid that because I was an informant things would go wrong, things would happen to me.”

He insisted he had “no reason” to murder the relatives, named as Adrianna Williams, 20, James “Matthew” Wilson, 21, Cortney Rose, 38, and Braydon Williams, 15.

However, he did say, without going into detail, that he was “somehow directly involved” in the killings.

Drummond declined to discuss the details of the murders or explain why the 7-month-old daughter of Adrianna and Wilson was discovered abandoned in a stranger’s front yard in Tigrett, roughly 40 miles away from where the relatives’ bodies were found in Tiptonville.

Lake County District Attorney Danny Goodman Jr. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sweat-soaked suspect Austin Drummond stares sheepishly just moments after his arrest for ‘killing 4’ ended 7-day hunt

The FBI’s field office in Tennessee referred all comments to the US Attorney’s Office for the western district of Tennessee.

Goodman Jr. told WTVF that there was “no doubt in his mind” that Drummond committed the murders and that there is a “clear motive.”

But, the district attorney said he was unable to respond specifically to what Drummond said.

Goodman Jr. added that Drummond’s conversation with the news outlet will be added to his office’s criminal case against him.

WARPED FAMILY TREE

Since Drummond’s arrest on August 5, disturbing information has emerged about his link to the four victims.

Drummond, 28, is set to become a father to a baby with his girlfriend Kaitlyn Speed, who is the sister of victim Cortney Rose.

She is also the aunt of Adrianna and Braydon Williams.

Speed is set to give birth to Drummond’s son on October 20, according to the couple’s online baby registry, which was viewed by The U.S. Sun.

Photo of a man and woman embracing outdoors.
Drummond’s girlfriend, Kaitlyn Speed, worked as a corrections officer at the prison he was serving a 13-year sentenceCredit: Facebook/Austin Drummond
Photo of Cortney Rose.
Cortney Rose (pictured) is the sister of Austin Drummond’s girlfriendCredit: Facebook/Cortney Rose

Speed was employed as a correctional officer at the Northwest Correctional facility, during Drummond’s 13-year sentence from October 2023 to October 2024, as reported by Fox affiliate WHBQ.

It’s unclear if Drummond and Speed began dating before, during, or after his time behind bars.

During a court appearance on August 14, Drummond’s court appointed attorney asked the judge to remove a restraining order so that his client could speak with Speed.

A judge denied Drummond’s request.

Drummond has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder, one count of kidnapping, and five separate gun charges.

He is being held without bond.

Goodman Jr., the Lake County district attorney, previously said that his office plans to seek the death penalty.

Quadruple murders timeline

uesday, July 29: A 7-month-old baby girl was found abandoned in a car seat in the front yard of a residence in Tigrett, Dyer County, Tennessee, at around 3 pm.

Hours later: Four individuals were found dead in Lake County approximately 40 miles from where the baby was located.

Wednesday, July 30: Investigators identify the victims as:

  • Matthew Wilson, 21, (the baby’s father)
  • Adrianna Williams, 20 (the baby’s mother)
  • Cortney Rose, 38, (the baby’s grandmother)
  • Braydon Williams, 15, (the baby’s maternal uncle)

Thursday, July 31: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation name Austin Drummond, 29, as a suspect in the quadruple homicide.

Friday, August 1: Authorities locate Drummond’s damaged Audi A3 abandoned on a road in Jackson.

Tanaka Brown was arrested and charged with accessory to first degree murder after the fact and tampering with evidence.

Saturday, August 2: Investigators arrest a second man, Giovontie Thomas for accessory to first degree murder after the fact.

Authorities also locate a Ford pick up truck believed to be connected to Austin Drummond in Dyer County.

Monday, August 4: Dearrah Sanders is the third person to be arrested and charged for accessory to first degree murder after the fact.

Jackson police also release surveillance footage of Drummond, wearing camouflaged gear, stalking a neighborhood and trying to get into a church building.

Tuesday, August 5: Austin Drummond was taken into custody after being captured in Jackson. He was arrested after investigators issued a shelter-in-place order in the area following a possible sighting of Drummond.

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