Baby dropped off in stranger’s yard, then 4 family members found dead, TN cops say
UPDATE AUG. 5: Austin Drummond was taken into custody in Jackson, Tennessee. Read more here.
UPDATE JULY 31: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced that law enforcement has identified the suspect as 28-year-old Austin Robert Drummond.
Authorities have issued warrants charging him with four counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated kidnapping, four counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony.
“At this time, Drummond remains at large and should be considered armed and dangerous,” investigators said.
The original story is below.
A mystery is unfolding in western Tennessee concerning a baby found abandoned in a stranger’s front yard and the death of her four family members 40 miles away, authorities say.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the District Attorney General for the 29th Judicial District have identified the deceased family members as:
- The child’s mother, 20-year-old Adrianna Williams
- The child’s father, 21-year-old Matthew Wilson
- The child’s grandmother, 38-year-old Cortney Rose
- The child’s uncle, 15-year-old Braydon Williams
“The investigation, including efforts to identify and apprehend the suspect or suspects, remains active and ongoing,” the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a July 30 statement.
The investigation began the afternoon of July 29 when a witness called 911 to report that a vehicle dropped off an infant in a car seat in a “random individual’s front yard” near Tigrett, according to the Dyer County Sheriff’s Office and the DA’s office.
Medical personnel evaluated the 7-month-old girl, and investigators shared on Facebook they were trying to speak to the child’s parents and grandmother.
Then they were found dead in another county, deputies said.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office found the four family members dead in Tiptonville, about 40 miles away, but authorities have not disclosed their causes of death.
The FBI has been called in to help investigate as well.
“This is a deeply saddening day for our community,” Dyer County Sheriff Jeff Box said in a news release. “We are committed to uncovering the truth and ensuring justice is served.”
Dyer County is about an 80-mile drive northeast from Memphis.
This story was originally published July 30, 2025 at 5:39 PM with the headline "Baby dropped off in stranger’s yard, then 4 family members found dead, TN cops say."