Infant found abandoned in Tennessee is related to 4 people found dead
The names of the four people found dead in Lake County, Tennessee, have been released by authorities. District Attorney General Danny Goodman Jr. has also confirmed that the deceased are relatives of an infant that was found abandoned.
They have been identified as 15-year-old Braydon Williams, 20-year-old Adrianna Williams, 21-year-old James M. Wilson, and 38-year-old Cortney Rose, according to a July 30 update shared by the Dyer County Sheriff’s Office.
In one of the initial updates about the case on July 29, the sheriff’s office stated in a Facebook post that they wanted to speak to Cortney Rose, Matthew Wilson, and Adrianna Williams.
Their bodies were discovered on July 29 in Tiptonville, a town in Lake County, hours after authorities found an abandoned infant in a car seat outside an estimated 40 miles away near Tigrett in Dyer County.
Baby’s parents, grandmother, and uncle were found dead: Reports
According to outlets Fox 13, WRAL, and People, the victims were relatives of the surviving baby, including the parents, grandmother, and uncle. Their identities were not initially released pending notification to the family.
The baby was found in front of someone’s yard
On July 29, Dyer County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call about the reported 7-month-old girl just after 3:00 p.m. Witnesses contacted the sheriff’s office after seeing the infant sitting in a car seat in a person’s front yard near Tigrett.
Officials shared that “a dark-colored minivan or a white mid-size SUV was reported to have dropped off” the child.
Soon after, the four bodies were discovered, and authorities announced the possible connection between the two cases.
Speaking to WMC-TV, longtime Lake County resident Melissa Peal called the events “horrific” and “bad for this community.”
Investigation underway; arrest warrants obtained
Dyer and Lake County District Attorney Danny Goodman told the outlet that the community shouldn’t be concerned, and it “appears to be an isolated incident.”
On July 31, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced that Austin Robert Drummond was charged with the quadruple homicide, including four counts of first-degree murder, and four counts of felon in possession of a firearm.
Drummond is also facing one count of aggravated kidnapping and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony. The suspect, considered “armed and dangerous,” is not in custody as of Thursday afternoon and remains at large, officials said.
