TN Man Accused of Killing 4, and Abandoning Baby Says He's Innocent | Crime Alert 12PM 08.20.25

The man accused of killing four people and abandoning an infant in west Tennessee is speaking publicly for the first time.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Alart hourly update, breaking crime news Now, I'm Nicole
Parton for the first time, Austin Drummond, the man charged
with the murders of four people and the abandonment of
a baby in western Tennessee, speaking out. Drummond was arrested
earlier this month in Jackson, approximately seventy five miles from
Lake County, the site of the tragic killings. On July

(00:22):
twenty nine, authorities uncovered the bodies of four family members
in Lake County, Adriana Williams, James Matthew Wilson, Courtney Rose,
and their teenage relative Braden Williams. On the same day,
an infant related to the deceased was found safe, left
alone in a car seat on the lawn of a
stranger's home in Dyer County. Investigators have revealed that Drummond

(00:44):
had a connection to the victims as he was dating
Rose's sister. He evaded capture for nearly a week, drawing
national attention and instilling fear in the communities of northwest Tennessee.
In an interview with news Channel five, Drummond claimed he
was working as a confidential informant after being approached by
prosecutors He asserts that he assisted law enforcement, including the FBI,

(01:08):
in undercover operations targeting drug trafficking into jails and prisons,
leading to the arresk of dealers, corrupt law enforcement officials,
and gang leaders. Drummond acknowledged his previous association with the
Vice Lord's gang from a prior incarceration. He stated that
he had recently learned that his undercover status had been compromised,

(01:30):
prompting him to flee after the murders. While Drummond confessed
to a running away out of fear, he maintains his
innocence regarding the killings, insisting he had no motive to
harm the victims, whom he regarded as family. However, he
did indicate, without further clarification, that he was somehow involved
in the incident. When questioned about the circumstances surrounding the

(01:53):
murders and the baby's connection to the case, Drummond was
not prepared to provide answers. Following Drummond's remarks, NBC reached
out to Lake County District Attorney Danny Goodman Junior, who
was already aware of the conversation. Al jail phone calls
are recorded and have been added to the criminal case file.
The district attorney refrained from commenting specifically on Drummond's statements.

(02:18):
He did express confidence that Drummond was responsible for the
four deaths and identified a clear motive behind his actions.
More information may emerge during a preliminary hearing set for
early September or Crime and Justice News. After this, A

(02:39):
Florida couple ended their vacation crews in handcuffs after authorities
say they paid for that cruise using gift cards acquired
as part of an extensive fraud scheme targeting when Dixie
stores in Miami DADEA, and Callier Counties. Rogerio Fernandez forty
five and Ada La Pez, forty three were taken into
custody at the Port of Miami on Monday morning. Deputies

(03:03):
said they were part of an extensive scheme fraud. The
three lived together in a home just outside of Miami.
Miami Dade Sheriff's deputies said the team had raked in
a combined twenty thousand dollars through the scheme. Investigators said
the couple would purchase gift cards for various retailers using
an altered bank card that would cause issues with the

(03:26):
supermarket chain's payment processing system, ultimately leading Win Dixie to
lose out of money about two hundred and thirty fraudulent
transactions involved in at least one member of the duo
of the deputy said. Investigators said they found out through
social media post Thursday that the Fernandez and Lapayez had
boarded the Carnival cruise ship. Deputy said they booked the

(03:49):
crews on July twenty six using those stolen gift cards
they bought at a wind Dixie the previous day. When
the Sunrise docked at the Port of Miami on Monday morning,
US Customs and Border Patrol agents conducted a border search,
found the two and the bank card with them various
other credit cards, debit cards, and gift cards they had

(04:10):
purchased fraudulently. The couple was arrested and taken into custody.
They face three counts of grand theft and other charges
related to the scheme. Police say throughout the last three years,
the couple has raked in over one hundred thousand dollars
in South Carolina. The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office is asking
for the public's help and locating a missing forty six

(04:32):
year old woman Ada Martinez was last seen on Friday,
August eighth, around four forty pm. She was last seen
leaving Walgreens on forty Island Road in Bluffton. She is
five four weighs one hundred and ninety pounds. She was
last seen wearing a blue shirt and black pants. Police
are asking anyone with information regarding missing Martinez to please

(04:56):
give the police a call at eight four three tw
five three four one one for the latest crime injustice news.
Follow Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcasting app
with this crime Alert. I'm Nicoll Parton