A man accused of murdering four members of a family he allegedly knew just months after being released from prison has spoken out publicly for the first time about the killings.
Austin Drummond told a local media outlet that he was working as a confidential informant and that his cover had been blown, claiming he had no reason to kill anyone, according to the report. Drummond, 28, is accused of murdering James Matthew Wilson, 21, Adrianna Williams, 20, Cortney Rose, 38, and Braydon Williams, 15, in July before abandoning a 7-month-old baby who is related to them, according to police. He is being held on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, possessing a firearm while committing a dangerous felony, and felon in possession of a firearm.
Drummond, who spent years in prison before being released in late 2024, broke his silence on the killings this week in an interview with local CBS affiliate WTVF, insisting that he had been falsely accused.
According to the outlet, Drummond claims he was assisting authorities, including the FBI, while incarcerated in an undercover role aimed at combating drug smuggling in correctional facilities. According to WTVF, he claims to have assisted in the arrest of alleged drug dealers, cops, and gang members.
Drummond reportedly told the outlet that he joined the Vice Lords gang as part of the operation and that his cover was blown in the weeks leading up to the slayings. This eventually led to the shooting deaths, he claims, but it is unclear why or how. Drummond refused to provide additional information, according to WTVF.
“They found out I was an informant,” Drummond told WTVF.
“I was afraid because I knew that bad things happened,” he told me. “And I was afraid that because I was an informant things would go wrong, things would happen to me.”
When asked why he ran, Drummond allegedly admitted that he should not have but was too scared. He repeatedly stated that he was innocent and had no reason to kill Wilson, Rose, Adrianna Williams, and Braydon Williams, all of whom he considers family, according to WTVF. But he allegedly admitted to being involved.
Court records reviewed by Law&Crime reveal Drummond has been convicted of several crimes, including armed robbery, vandalism, and retaliation “for past actions,” which is defined as harming or threatening someone in response to their prior involvement in legal proceedings. According to local CBS affiliate WREG, Drummond’s retaliation charge stemmed from his threats against jurors.
Drummond served a 13-year sentence after stealing $44 from a Circle K while armed, according to records.
He was once described in a parole board letter as someone who is “not capable of living among society,” with calls to his father showing how he threatened jurors after his trial, saying “They are going to regret it” and “I’ll be out one day,” according to prosecutors.
“This office strongly opposes his early release on parole,” wrote 26th District Attorney General Jody Pickens in a letter to the Tennessee Board of Parole in June 2020. Drummond was scheduled for early release that July in connection with the armed robbery at the Circle K.
“He entered a Circle K convenience store and pointed a revolver pistol at the victim in this case as he demanded money from her,” according to Pickens. “After his jury trial, Drummond made a phone call to his father where he threatened the jurors and the victim in this case.”
Prosecutors say Drummond was charged with attempted murder after serving his sentence for robbery in connection with an incident that allegedly occurred while he was incarcerated, as well as having contraband in a prison facility. Drummond’s Facebook page, which authorities are using to share photos of him during the ongoing manhunt, allegedly shows him eating pizza and drinking alcohol while incarcerated.
In one of his posts, he appears to be playing a Nintendo Switch.
“This type of behavior clearly demonstrates that Drummond has no desire for rehabilitation,” Mr. Pickens said. “And is not capable of living among society.”
According to TBI officials, federal investigators and TBI agents have been on the ground in Tennessee assisting police with the “tragic” death investigation since the bodies of Drummond’s alleged victims were discovered Tuesday, July 29, in Lake County along Carrington Road in Tiptonville. The investigation began when Wilson and Williams’ 7-month-old daughter was discovered in a “random individual’s front yard” around 3:10 p.m. that day, according to police. The victims were discovered approximately five hours later.
