Prosecutors in Tennessee announced Thursday that they will seek the death penalty for the convicted felon accused of murdering four members of the same family and kidnapping an infant girl before dumping her on a stranger’s front lawn.
Convicted felon Austin Drummond, 28, appeared in court in Lake County, Tennessee, via webcam video for his arraignment.
Shackled and wearing a black-and-white striped prison uniform, Drummond spoke only to confirm his name, address, and assets to the judge as he was charged with four counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated kidnapping, four counts of possessing a firearm as a felon and one count of possessing a firearm during a dangerous felony, WMC reported.
The judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf, as Drummond said he could not afford an attorney, and was appointed a lawyer, Bryan Huffman, to represent him.
The prosecutor revealed the state is seeking the death penalty for Drummond, and therefore, he was not granted bond.
Drummond asked one question at the end of the hearing about his new attorney before he was led away.
He has a lengthy rap sheet, serving almost 10 years for robbing a convenience store at gunpoint in 2013 when he was only 16 years old, making off with just $45, court documents show.
At the time of the quadruple homicide, he was out on bond, according to Danny Goodman, district attorney for Dyer and Lake counties.
He is accused of shooting dead Matthew Wilson, 21; Adrianna Williams, 20; Braydon Williams, 15; and Cortney Rose, 38, in Tiptonville on July 29.
A 7-month-old baby, named in court only by the initials WW, was found abandoned in a car seat on a stranger’s front yard 40 miles away in Dyer County.
Wilson and Williams were the infant’s parents, while Braydon was her paternal uncle and Rose her maternal grandmother, Goodman told a press conference on Tuesday.
No motive has been given, but it is believed Drummond had a relationship with the family, and the killings were a targeted attack, prosecutors said.
Drummond was captured following a weeklong manhunt on Tuesday morning, after he was spotted on residential security cameras trying to enter buildings in Jackson on Monday night.
Three others, Dearrah Sanders, 23; Tanaka Brown, 29; and Giovonti Thomas, 29; all of Jackson, were charged in the days following the killings with helping Drummond.
All three were charged with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder, while Brown faces an additional charge of tampering with evidence, according to an arrest affidavit from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
No details were shared as to how Brown and Thomas assisted Drummond.
A multi-agency investigation is underway, collecting more evidence and investigating others who may have helped Drummond evade capture.
Drummond is due back in court on August 14.
