JACKSON, Tenn. — Austin Drummond, the man wanted in a quadruple murder of a family in West Tennessee, was taken into custody Tuesday morning after a weeklong search.
Jackson Police Chief Thom Corley said the department received several calls about possible sightings of Drummond beginning around 8 a.m. One of those calls came in at 8:57 — officers worked quickly and made the arrest at 9:05.
Drummond had been living in a vacant building, though it was unclear how long he had been there, Corley said. He confirmed that building was a pool house.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released the photo below of Drummond moments after he was taken into custody. Swipe left to see his updated mug shot.
TBI Director David Rausch could not release a motive for the killings. He said Drummond’s girlfriend is the sister of two of the victims and daughter of a victim.
Rausch said “a couple of firearms” had been recovered in the case.
Drummond has been transported to an undisclosed facility, Rausch said.
The arrest comes after a shelter-in-place alert was issued for those in Jackson, Tennessee, on Tuesday morning, when the Jackson Police Department said Drummond was spotted in the area 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.
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