After a multi-day manhunt, Austin Robert Drummond, 28, was taken into custody on Tuesday, August 5 in Jackson, Tennessee. Drummond is accused of the “targeted” killings of four people in Lake County.
“They were there right in the right spot and reacted immediately and are responsible for the apprehension of Austin Drummond,” said Jackson Police Chief Thom Corley, referring to the three officers involved in the arrest.
#AbandonedBabyFamilyMurders #AustinRobertDrummond
QUESTION‼️
Is it just me or is Austin Drummond signalling to someone in this video?😒🤷🏻♀️
👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/qGex3zKlZx
— Adriienne F (@imadriienne) August 5, 2025
How Drummond Was Located and Arrested
The suspect was spotted Sunday night, August 3, on security cameras. He was seen wearing camouflage and carrying a rifle, prompting authorities to issue a shelter-in-place order.
Police later discovered he had been hiding in a vacant building in Jackson. Following multiple community tips to 911, officers closed in and arrested him just after 9 a.m. on Tuesday.
“This is a perfect example of police and community cooperation,” said David Rausch, Director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).
The Charges Against Drummond
Drummond is facing four counts of first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, and multiple firearms charges. He is accused of murdering:
- Matthew Wilson, 21
- Adrianna Williams, 20
- Cortney Rose, 38
- Braydon Williams, 15
All victims were reportedly related to an infant found abandoned the same day in another community.
“It appears, with all the information that we have, that this was a targeted incident,” Rausch confirmed, dismissing theories of random violence.
Arrests of Alleged Accomplices
On Monday morning, law enforcement arrested Dearrah Sanders, a Jackson woman, on charges of Accessory After the Fact to First Degree Murder. She is expected to be booked into Lake County Jail.
Previously, two other suspects described as “associates” of Drummond were also arrested:
- Tanaka Brown, 29 – Charged with Accessory After the Fact to First Degree Murder and Tampering with Evidence
- Giovontie Thomas, 29 – Charged with Accessory After the Fact to First Degree Murder
Authorities continue to investigate the full extent of the alleged assistance provided to Drummond while he was on the run.
