Man accused of killing relatives of abandoned infant will seek change of venue

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An lawyer for a antheral charged with killing 4 members of the aforesaid family told a justice connected Monday that helium plans to petition that a assemblage from extracurricular the region perceive the case, which acceptable a swath of agrarian Tennessee connected borderline arsenic the antheral eluded authorities for a week aft the shootings.

Austin Robert Drummond pleaded not blameworthy successful his archetypal tribunal quality since helium was indicted connected charges including first-degree execution and aggravated kidnapping successful the July 29 shootings successful Lake County, successful agrarian northwest Tennessee. He was besides charged with weapons offenses.

Prosecutors person said they program to question the decease punishment if Drummond is convicted of first-degree execution astatine trial.

During the little hearing, Drummond's attorney, Bryan Huffman, told Circuit Court Judge Mark Hayes that helium intends to record a question for a alteration of venue. Such motions tin beryllium entered successful cases wherever pre-trial publicity is precocious and lawyers judge that an unbiased assemblage cannot beryllium selected. During the weeklong manhunt for Drummond, respective radical were arrested and accused of helping him aft the killings.

Austin Drummond is seen successful custody successful a photograph posted to societal media by the Jackson Police Department successful Tennessee, Aug. 5, 2025.

Drummond appeared successful tribunal wearing orangish jailhouse covering and a protective vest, with shackles connected his wrists and ankles.

A expansive assemblage indicted Drummond connected Nov. 10. Drummond besides had pleaded not blameworthy successful a little tribunal earlier a justice ruled determination was capable grounds for his lawsuit to proceed to the expansive jury. Drummond is accused of the deaths of the parents, grandma and uncle of an babe recovered abandoned successful a home's beforehand yard. A proceedings day has not been set.

An aggravated hunt for Drummond ended connected Aug. 5 successful Jackson, astir 70 miles southeast of the determination of the killings successful Tiptonville. Jackson Police Chief Thom Corley said Drummond was staying successful a vacant gathering astatine the clip of his arrest. Drummond was unarmed, but authorities said that respective guns were recovered. It was unclear if they were utilized successful the killings.

An FBI cause testified astatine a proceeding successful September that information from a cellphone utilized by Drummond showed helium was successful the vicinity of a wooded country wherever the bodies were recovered with gunshot wounds and covered by tarpaulins.

But Huffman argued that determination was nary grounds presented astatine the proceeding that showed Drummond really changeable immoderate of the victims.

On the time of the shootings, officers responded to a telephone of an babe successful a car spot being dropped disconnected astatine a "random individual's beforehand yard" astir 40 miles from Tiptonville, the Dyer County Sheriff's Office has said.

Then, investigators successful neighboring Lake County reported 4 radical had been recovered dormant from gunshot wounds successful Tiptonville. They were identified arsenic the baby's parents, James M. Wilson, 21, and Adrianna Williams, 20; Williams' brother, Braydon Williams, 15; and their mother, Cortney Rose, 38. Drummond's woman is Rose's sister, Huffman said.

Dyer County Sheriff Jeff Box told reporters astatine the clip of Drummond's apprehension that the babe was "safe, steadfast and being good taken attraction of."

In all, 5 radical person been charged with being accessories aft the information successful the case.

Drummond has served situation clip for robbing a convenience store and threatening to spell aft jurors. He was besides charged with the attempted execution of a situation defender portion down bars, and helium was retired connected enslaved astatine the clip of the killings, District Attorney Danny Goodman has said.

With a colonisation of astir 3,400 people, Tiptonville is astir 120 miles northbound of Memphis, adjacent the Mississippi River and scenic Reelfoot Lake.

Alex Sundby contributed to this report.