‘Who would do that?’: 4 family members found dead connected to baby abandoned in stranger’s yard

LAKE COUNTY, Tenn. (WMC/Gray News) – Officials have now identified the four people who were found dead Tuesday after a baby was abandoned in a stranger’s front yard in Tennessee.

The Dyer County District Attorney’s Office identified the victims as the baby’s father, 21-year-old Matthew Wilson; mother, 20-year-old Adrianna Williams; maternal grandmother, 38-year-old Cortney Rose; and maternal uncle, 15-year-old Braydon Williams.

The Dyer County Sheriff’s Office said the deaths are connected to an abandoned infant case earlier in the day.

The sheriff’s office said at around 3 p.m. Tuesday, deputies were called to a home in Tigrett, where a 7-month-old girl in a car seat was abandoned in a stranger’s yard. The homeowner called 911, and the child was taken to the hospital to be checked out.

Four bodies were found later that night on Carrington Road in Tiptonville, approximately 40 miles away from where the girl was abandoned.

A Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokesperson confirmed Wednesday afternoon that the deaths are being considered homicides.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has identified 28-year-old Austin Robert Drummond as a suspect.

A warrant is out for his arrest.

Drummond is wanted for four counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated kidnapping, four counts of possessing a firearm as a felon and one count of possessing a firearm during a dangerous felony.

The circumstances regarding the family members’ deaths remain unknown at this time, but according to Danny Goodman, Dyer and Lake County district attorney, this act was not random.

Audio from Dyer County 911 reveals that a call came in at 10:26 p.m. Tuesday reporting Rose and her daughter missing. The dispatcher can be heard in the audio saying that the caller was actively searching around a home with a flashlight.

It is unclear at this time how the 911 call may be connected to the case.

“This is a deeply saddening day for our community,” said Dyer County Sheriff Jeff Box. “We are committed to uncovering the truth and ensuring justice is served.”

Residents along the rural road where the bodies were found are hoping law enforcement finds the person(s) responsible quickly.

“They need to be found! I mean, whoever did this. I mean... this is bad for this community. I mean, it’s horrific,” said Melissa Peal, who has lived on Carrington Road for over 40 years.

She added, “Who could’ve done that? Who could have left a baby somewhere with strangers outside in this heat? I mean, who would do that?”

Officials are still searching for Drummond.

Drummond is 5′10, 190 pounds with brown hair, blue eyes and a goatee.

He is believed to be driving a 2016 Audi A3 with a Tennessee tag RI01896 with damage to the driver’s side.

He is considered armed and dangerous. TBI officials say if you see him, do not approach.

If you have any information, call 731-415-7962, 731-333-0811, or 1-800-TBI-FIND.