Tennessee law enforcement agencies are searching for a 28-year-old man accused of killing four family members in what began as a disturbing find of an abandoned infant in a residential yard.
Drummond 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 possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony.
Officials warn that Drummond should be considered armed and extremely dangerous and have placed him on the TBI’s Most Wanted List. A $2,500 reward has been established for information leading to his capture.
The incident unfolded Tuesday afternoon when residents in the Tigrett area of Dyer County found an infant in a car seat left in a front yard. The Dyer County Sheriff’s Office reported that witnesses observed the child being dropped off by a minivan or mid-size SUV at what they described as a “random individual’s front yard”.
After the infant was found, investigators worked to identify the child and locate family members. Their search led them to neighboring Lake County, where relatives had reported four family members missing since Monday night, according to District Attorney Danny Goodman.
The victims have been identified as James M. Wilson, 21; Adrianna Williams, 20; Cortney Rose, 38; and Braydon Williams, 15. Wilson and Adrianna Williams were the abandoned infant’s parents, while Rose was the mother of both Adrianna and Braydon Williams, according to Goodman. All four victims lived in Dyer County.
The breakthrough in the case came when a concerned relative contacted police after finding two vehicles in a remote area along Carrington Road in Tiptonville. Investigators then found the four bodies in nearby woods, though Goodman declined to reveal the specific cause of death.
The investigation is a result of coordinated efforts from the Tiptonville Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Department, Dyer County Sheriff’s Department, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Tennessee State Parks, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Jackson Police Department, Crockett County Sheriff’s Department, U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about Drummond’s whereabouts to contact investigators immediately at 731-415-7962, 731-333-0811, or 1-800-TBI-FIND.
The infant, whose discovery triggered the investigation, remains safe and in protective custody while the search for the suspected killer continues across Tennessee and potentially beyond state lines.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
