'I was afraid': Man accused in quadruple murder claims he was working with FBI and got his cover blown, ran because he was scared

A Tennessee antheral suspected of slaughtering 4 members of a family helium allegedly knew conscionable months after getting retired of prison has spoken openly for the archetypal clip astir the slayings.

Austin Drummond told a section media outlet helium was moving arsenic a confidential informant and that his screen was blown — insisting helium had nary crushed to termination anyone, a study says. Drummond, 28, is accused of murdering James Matthew Wilson, 21, Adrianna Williams, 20, Cortney Rose, 38, and Braydon Williams, 15, successful July and past abandoning a 7-month-old babe who is related to them, according to police. He is being held connected charges of first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, possession of a firearm during the committee of a unsafe felony and being a felon successful possession of a firearm.

This week, Drummond — who spent years down bars earlier being released successful precocious 2024 — broke his soundlessness astir the killings successful an interrogation with section CBS affiliate WTVF, insisting that helium had been wrongly accused.

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According to the outlet, Drummond claims helium was assisting authorities, including the FBI, portion locked up successful situation successful an undercover relation that was aimed astatine cracking down connected cause smuggling successful correctional facilities. He alleges that helium was helping to apprehension dealers, cops, and pack members who were allegedly involved, according to WTVF.

Drummond seemingly told the outlet that helium became a subordinate of the Vice Lords pack arsenic portion of the cognition and that successful the weeks earlier the slayings, his screen was blown. This yet led to the shooting deaths, helium reportedly says, but it's unclear wherefore oregon how. Drummond refused to supply further details, according to WTVF.

"They recovered retired I was an informant," Drummond told WTVF.

"I was acrophobic due to the fact that I knew that atrocious things happened," helium claimed. "And I was acrophobic that due to the fact that I was an informant things would spell wrong, things would hap to me."

Asked wherefore helium ran, Drummond allegedly admitted that helium shouldn't person but was excessively scared. He repeatedly insisted that helium was guiltless and had nary crushed to termination Wilson, Rose, Adrianna Williams and Braydon Williams, whom helium considers to beryllium family, WTVF reports. But helium besides allegedly admitted to person been involved.

Court records viewed by Law&Crime amusement Drummond has aggregate convictions connected his grounds for crimes including equipped robbery, vandalism and retaliation "for past actions," specifically an enactment of harming oregon threatening idiosyncratic successful effect to their anterior engagement successful ineligible proceedings. Local CBS affiliate WREG reported that the retaliation complaint stemmed from Drummond's threats that helium made astir jurors.

Drummond served a 13-year condemnation aft helium swiped $44 from a Circle K portion armed, records show.

He was erstwhile described successful a parole committee missive arsenic idiosyncratic who is "not susceptible of surviving among society," with calls to his dada showing however helium threatened jurors aft his trial, saying "They are going to regret it" and "I'll beryllium retired 1 day," according to prosecutors.

"This bureau powerfully opposes his aboriginal merchandise connected parole," wrote 26th District Attorney General Jody Pickens successful a letter sent to the Tennessee Board of Parole successful June 2020. Drummond was up for aboriginal merchandise that July successful transportation with the equipped robbery astatine the Circle K.

"He entered a Circle K convenience store and pointed a revolver pistol astatine the unfortunate successful this lawsuit arsenic helium demanded wealth from her," Pickens said. "After his assemblage trial, Drummond made a telephone telephone to his begetter wherever helium threatened the jurors and the unfortunate successful this case."

Prosecutors accidental Drummond was charged for attempted execution aft helium completed his condemnation for the robbery successful transportation with an incidental that allegedly occurred portion helium was locked up, on with having contraband successful a penal facility. Photos connected Drummond's Facebook page, which authorities are utilizing to stock pictures of him during the ongoing manhunt, allegedly amusement him eating pizza and drinking intoxicant portion successful prison.

He tin adjacent beryllium seen successful 1 station seemingly playing a Nintendo Switch.

"This benignant of behaviour intelligibly demonstrates that Drummond has nary tendency for rehabilitation," Pickens said. "And is not susceptible of surviving among society."

Federal investigators and TBI agents person been connected the crushed successful Tennessee aiding constabulary with the "tragic" decease probe aft the bodies of Drummond's alleged victims were recovered Tuesday, July 29, successful Lake County on Carrington Road successful Tiptonville, according to TBI officials. The probe stemmed from the find of Wilson and Williams' 7-month-old girl successful a "random individual's beforehand yard" that time astatine astir 3:10 p.m., constabulary say. The victims were recovered astir 5 hours later.